Rich people going to heaven

Luke
I want to build on my previous post about the eye of the needle and a rich man going into heaven.  Check out the blog post on March 24 (click here).  That one was about the parallel passage in Mark 10.  Today's reading is Luke 18:18-30.  Not only is it impossible for a camel to go through the eye of an actual needle, but it is also impossible for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of heaven... on his own.  The ruler in this story had asked "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"  This question is similar to the one of the rich young man in Matthew 19, which I posted about on January 27 (click here).  It's all about doing.  We can't do anything, so of course it is impossible for us to get to heaven.  But with God, through Jesus Christ, we can!
I think that the emphasis on the fellow being rich demonstrates that rich people don't think they need God as much as poor people, because they have the resources to get through life comfortably without really having to rely on God.  So for rich people, it is more difficult to get to the point where they can depend on God for salvation.  Of course, this is a major generalization, so if you have a differing view, let me know.

The tax collector and Pharisee

Luke
I find the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (see Luke 18:9-14) almost similar to the parable of the lost son.  The Pharisee is sort of close to God, in that he is always trying to do his duty and pray and all that, but he really doesn't understand God at all.  The tax collector has little regard for the law, has previously abandoned God, but realizes his need for God and repents from the depths of his heart.  He desires to get back to God.  The Pharisee is like the older brother in the parable of the lost son, and the tax collector is like the son who ran away from home.
The tax collector, as Jesus points out, is the one who God really listens to.  That doesn't mean that if you haven't committed terrible sins, God won't listen to you.  The point here is that we have to approach God with sincerity of heart and in humility.  That was the prayer of the tax collector, and that should be our prayer too.

The persistent widow

Luke
When I hear the story about the persistent widow, I'm somewhat surprised.  It seems to me that nagging away at someone until they give in to your request is not the best way to go about getting what you want.  And yet that's what Jesus seems to be telling us.  Granted, he didn't call it nagging, but rather persistence.
On that note, I suppose, you could look at this lesson with the view that persistence creates character.  Persistence is perseverance and patience, and both those qualities we should certainly aspire to have.  Although it gets tiresome to continually ask for the same thing, God is at least making sure you really want what you're asking for.  And if you aren't getting your answer, perhaps you should re-evaluate your request; you may find out that you really don't want God to give it to you!

The kingdom of God is in you

Luke
At the end of Luke 17, we have another example of 'early scribal emendation' (so called by the Archaeological Study Bible).  If you were reading along and seemed to think a verse number was missing, you weren't crazy!  Luke 17:36 was added to a later version of the manuscript, and is not part of the original book.  Check out Matthew 24:40 - you'll notice that this is the 'missing' Luke 17:36, which a scribe probably copied into Luke because of his familiarity with this particular teaching.

Luke 17:21 says that the kingdom of God is in us.  That sounds almost like eastern mysticism or something, where we have the power deep within us somehow.  Anyway, that's not what the text means.  What is the kingdom of God?  I've talked a little bit about this in earlier posts.  The kingdom of God is wherever his will is being extended and lived out.  God came down to earth as Jesus to bring healing, eternal peace, joy, and righteousness.  If we have accepted his mission, the kingdom of God is now within us!  It has very little to do with what we can do, and has a lot to do with how we partner with God on his mission.

We have only done our duty

Luke
Check out Luke 17:1-10, particularly the last few verses.  Jesus is basically talking about humility.  He says that when servants do what they're told, they shouldn't expect praise and rewards; they're just doing their job.  Likewise, if we do what God has commanded, we shouldn't feel more important or worthy of a prize; we're just doing our job!
Trying to fulfill our duties or supposedly working beyond what God has called us to do (which is impossible, since he called us to perfection) won't get us anyway - for it is through grace and faith we are saved, not through our own deeds, so we really can't boast about anything.  Sometimes it's still easy to fall back into that mentality that if we just do what God told us to do, we'll be okay.  In one sense that's an acceptable attitude, but once we turn it into a task list of sorts, hoping to curry to God's favour, we've really lost the point.  Doing what he wants us to do won't make Him love us less or more; but it'll help us love Him more, especially if we don't get a big head about it.

The lost son

Luke
Here's another parable about being lost - the parable of the lost son (or prodigal son).  Many times, the focus is on the lost son, rather than the one who was never lost.  That second son who never ran away, he had it made the whole time, with constant access to the father and the wealth!  And yet, he was really the one squandering what he had.  I can see in this parable how there is more rejoicing over the son who returned than the one who was there all along.  If you aren't lost from God, are you rejoicing with him and enjoying all that he has given you?  As much as there is a lot of rejoicing when the lost people come home, there is so much more available to those who have been with God the whole time; he loves all of us with an extravagant love.

One lost sheep

Luke
The parable of the lost sheep teaches that there is more rejoicing about the one lost sheep that is found than the other 99 who were saved already.  The earthly part of me wonders if God loves those recently lost but now found people more than the others.  That seems to be a reflection of our attitude toward lost things, which we think about more than all the possessions still safe in our homes.  The next series of parables are on this same idea of being lost.

The Great Banquet

Luke
Jesus told the story of a man inviting guests to a great banquet.  His closer friends were invited, but they all made excuses: I just bought some land, or some oxen, or I just got married.  These excuses may sound okay when talking about just being invited over for dinner somewhere.  But the point of the passage here in Luke 14 is the kingdom of God.  Jesus is talking about being given a chance to participate in God's kingdom.  Suddenly those excuses don't seem very good.
What do we do when we hear God asking us to get involved?  Do we make excuses and hem and haw, and try to avoid working with God?  Or do we hear his voice and say, yeah, sign me up!  I'd love to come and help you out.

Peace on earth, maybe

2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles seems to be fairly similar to 2 Kings.  They both gave a brief synopsis of each king and mentioned whether or not they obeyed the law.  I did notice one difference in the last chapter today.  2 Chronicles ends with a message of hope for Israel because Cyrus of Persia announces that he will rebuild the temple in Jerusalem and let anyone who desires go back to Jerusalem.  This announcement leads nicely into the next book of Ezra.  2 Kings didn't go over that, and just ended with Jehoiachin living in prison.

Luke
Luke 12:50-51 caught my attention.  Jesus said "But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!  Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division."
First of all, the fact that Jesus was distressed until he completed his 'baptism' which I think refers to his death and resurrection.  He doesn't always let us into his feelings about his task on earth.  Usually, we just hear about all the wonderful things he did in ushering in the kingdom of God.  But in this sentence, we find out just how much of an impact his ultimate goal had on him.  It was truly difficult for him to follow through with the plan.  We are privy to this struggle at one other point in scripture - his time in Gethsemane where he asks that God take 'this cup' from him, but also that God would have His will done.  When we're struggling with a difficult task that God has given us, we can run to Jesus, because he certainly knows what we're dealing with.
Verse 51 is also interesting because it makes me think of another verse about peace.  Luke 2:14 says "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests."  Jesus' birth seems to usher in peace on earth, and yet later in his ministry, Jesus says that he didn't come to bring peace.  Seems like somewhat of a paradox.
However, after reading Gill's Exposition on the Bible, I have found somewhat of an answer.  God came to bring peace to men (as happened with Jesus' birth), but Jesus was not going to set up a political kingdom and solve the world's problems of peace or war.  So these two different verses are really talking about two different kinds of peace - God's and man's.  I think God's peace toward us is much more desirable and much longer lasting!

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded

Luke
Luke 12:48 says "But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."  I took this to mean that some people, if they haven't heard about Jesus, would still be able to get to heaven.  This verse reminded me of the passage in 1 Corinthians 3 where Paul said that those people who build on a foundation other than Christ will suffer loss, although they themselves will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.  So there would be a bit of harm, but in the end they are saved.
Here's a question for you - the more you know, the more you're able to avoid sinning, but the more you are punished if you do sin, which is really inevitably since we are fallen individuals.  Is it better to know more or less?

Seek first His kingdom

Luke
I've read this passage so often, the one about not worrying, found in Luke 12:22-34.  How do we revive the meaning in a passage that is already stuck in our heads, half-memorized, and losing meaning?  We have the head knowledge, that Jesus told us not to worry, because God cares for us.  But somehow we've got to translate those words into action.  That's what the entire Christian life is about, isn't it?  Translating what we know to be true into actual actions so that what we know changes our lives.  A key part to that transformation is prayer, and then letting God just take over.  We have to give up our will and desire to stress about things that are important to us, and simply (and not so simply) let God get involved.
I think a key verse here is verse 31 - "Seek first his kingdom, and then..."  If we start getting worried about our lives, chances are our focus is not first on God, but rather on our circumstances.  Take a step back and re-evaluate.  Are you seeking first his kingdom?

Don't fear those who can kill the body

Luke
Check out Luke 12: 4-7.  Somehow, it's easy to start thinking that the person who can kill the body and send someone to hell might be Satan, and we should be afraid.  But Satan can't send anyone to hell.  Only God does that.  So when Jesus said not to be afraid of those who can only kill the body, Satan is part of that crowd.  Instead, we need to fear God, who can send both body and soul to hell.  But unless we have rejected God, we don't need to fear him in the sense that he might suddenly just send someone to hell.  He will care for us, as this passage goes on to say, and looks after us more than the sparrows.  God will forgive us.  So we don't have anything to fear, except to approach God in awe for his grace and mercy.

Eyes let in the light

Luke
Today I read about the story of how the eye is like a lamp, and when the eye lets in good light, the whole body is good, and when it lets in darkness, the whole body is dark (Luke 11:34).  Some commentaries try to liken the eye of the body to the eye of understanding.  To some degree, that is okay.  But I think we could just let the eye be the eye in this story.  For example, when you look on good things in life, and revel in nature, you can be drawn to God because you see the work of his hands.  When you read the bible, you're letting in light.   These sorts of visual activities bring light into the body.  But when you watch trash on TV, or see bad movies, or read inappropriate things, or go see inappropriate things, you're letting darkness in.  So we must make sure we let our eyes rest on the things of God, and that leads to bringing in more and more light to our understanding.  It's a tough thing to keep our eyes pure today, but we've got to rise to the challenge.

Luke
11:24-26 - “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.”

I wasn't sure what this passage was talking about, but then I followed a chain reference listed in my bible and it pointed me to 2 Peter 2:20.  This verse in 2 Peter mentions that a person is worse off if they have decided to follow a pagan lifestyle after first having embraced (and then fallen away from) a relationship with Jesus.  This idea of being worse off is mentioned elsewhere in the bible, such as in Hebrews 6:4 or Hebrews 10:26, which talk about how when a person has participated in the life of Christ, but then has fallen away, he or she cannot return again.  I'm sure a major study could be done on this idea of falling away from Christ.  I'd be interested in taking a survey to see if in fact those who have sincerely rejected Christ made some sort of comeback in later years.  I'm guessing from the content of these verses that such a comeback is impossible if rejection has truly taken place.  The point is not to scare us into following Jesus and making sure we don't fall away.  This is straying from the original passage in Luke, but I think what we can learn is that if we wholeheartedly follow Christ, we have nothing to fear.  But I would appreciate comments on this theological question.

Mary or Martha?

Luke
The passage I am commenting on today is rather short, so I'll just post it below.  Here is Luke 10:38-42:
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

 

When I read this story, I often assume that it would be really easy to be Mary.  Who wants to do the house work anyway?  But when it comes right down to it, and I honestly think about it, I have to admit that I might find myself hanging out in the kitchen doing the work, thinking that it was more important to make sure Jesus had the best possible experience when in my home.  After all, I wouldn't want my guests to have bad food or be bored, or think my place was dirty.  But the main point of our relationship with Jesus, which should spill over into our other relationships, is spending time with him.  Being with people is key.  It's certainly a tough balance between maintaining a household and working, and spending time with family and friends.  It's not always an easy decision to make.  The right choice is not always clear.  We can take a lesson from Mary, though, and try to spend more time with God and less time with things and being busy just to be busy.

Betrayal

Luke
In the midst of having done some miracles, Jesus turns to his disciples while the crowds are distracted and says to them, "Listen carefully, I'm going to be betrayed into the hands of men." (Luke 9:44)
How could he expect them to have a clue what he was talking about?  What does being 'betrayed into the hands of men' even mean?  Sometimes it's not too difficult to see why the disciples didn't really know what was going on; Jesus appears to leave out important contextual information for what he's talking about!
Looking back on this scene, it's easy to understand that, sure, now the crowds love Jesus because he is healing their sick, but Jesus warns that they will eventually turn on him.  But at the time he originally said this, does it make sense?
If you check out some commentaries on this verse (click here), they mention Jesus' suffering and death, but that just drives home the point that Jesus spoke in cryptic language that could only be understand after the fact.  Curious, isn't it?

We can see the kingdom of God

Luke
Jesus said in Luke 9:27 that there would be some among the disciples who would not taste death until they saw the kingdom of God.  What does this mean?  The kingdom of God sometimes seems to be a bit ethereal, not just in the sense that it is part of the spiritual world, but also in that it seems like we could never be a part of it until we die.  But that's not the case.
The kingdom of God exists wherever God has sovereign control.  In one sense, that means everything is God's kingdom.  However, I think that in this context, and in most places where this phraseology is used in the bible, the kingdom of God refers to wherever people are joining in God's mission and working to extend his power in this earthly realm.  We can do this through the Holy Spirit.  Thus, God's kingdom probably truly started at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came on the disciples.
I'm getting a bit of help from Gill's Exposition on the Bible for this idea, but, in Luke 9:27, when Jesus said some of the disciples wouldn't die until they saw the kingdom of God, he meant that some of them would survive until he was raised to life and they could see firsthand his true power and authority as God's Son.

The demon-possessed man

Luke
Why would Jesus send the demons into a herd of pigs?  That was my question when I read Luke 8:26-39.  After a bit of digging on the internet (from the links below), I found that there were a number of reasons that Jesus may have done this.  We don't really know much of the context of this story, like who the nearby farmers were, so there is a bit of guessing involved.  Either way, Jesus probably commanded the demons to enter the pigs to show his power over all creation, even these evil spirits.  Moreover, we can learn from this passage that Jesus has control even over demons, and that demons have very little power of their own - they couldn't even leave the man of their own accord, really.  They had to wait for Jesus to tell them where to go.

We can take heart that when we call on Jesus to rescue us from evil, he can do it!

If this topic on demon-possesion is of interest to you, check out the following links: a comparison of the various gospel versions of this story or a commentary on the Luke passage.

The dead son

Luke
Have you ever seen a dead person raised to life?  I certainly haven't!  But imagine what it would have been like for the people in Nain watching Jesus raise this man to life.  And the joy of the mother, who was a widow and had no other sons.  Her last hope was being carried out in a casket in front of her.  Jesus then came along and raised him to life!  The crowds were in awe and praised God (see Luke 7:11-17 for this story).
I guess my point here is that if Jesus cared enough about this woman that he raised her son to life, I think we can trust him in work in our lives too.

Colossians
Paul had such a powerful ministry, even when he was under house arrest.  He wrote many letters, not just to the Colossians, and his letters have had a last effect on the world, far beyond his time.  Granted, Paul did a lot of stuff before he was in prison, but still, you don't have to go too far to extend God's kingdom here on earth.

A Good Measure

Key verses
Philippians 4:4-7 - "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Luke
Luke 6:38 is another clear example of generosity.  "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."  Jesus said that.  Doesn't it sound great?  And the idea of giving abundantly sounds wonderful.  God just needs to help loosen the grip we have on our time and money, doesn't he?

Just a side note on Luke 6:39, where Jesus talks about how a blind man can't lead another blind man.  Every time I hear that phrase, I think of John Kenneth Galbraith's line in his book The Affluent Society: "The bland leading the bland" (p. 4).  I'm not too certain if we should be drawing links between the two meanings, but it is an interesting use of the phrase.