Category: Bible

We’ve had some miracles in the previous stories, but now we’re about to see some MIRACLES! I love these two stories found in Luke 7.

One day Jesus went to Capernaum. He had spent some time there previously, so people knew who he was. There was a Roman centurion who had a servant who was at the point of death. The centurion was respected by the Jewish leaders in the town, so they went to Jesus to ask him to help. Jesus agreed to help. While he was on his way, though, the centurion sent some others to Jesus and said,

“Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

Jesus had been around so many skeptics, so this man’s response floored him. He remarked that he had not seen this this type of faith (belief) in Israel. In that moment the man’s servant was healed.

Some time later Jesus and his followers were in a town called Nain. There was a funeral procession happening. It was a boy, the only son of a widow. There was such sadness all around Jesus. His heart went out to her, and he said, “Don’t cry.”

Then he simply went to the coffin, touched it, and said, “Young man, I say to you, get up.” The widow’s son sat up at that moment, alive.

The people were filled with awe and praised God. I love what they said next…”God has come to help his people.”

At the heart of Jesus’ mission was to show God’s love and to bring help. As we see throughout the story, some receive the help while others don’t think they need it.

Today’s readings focus on the ethical teachings of Jesus found in Matthew 5-7, and I will say at the start that these teachings are very challenging. I’m reminded that God’s Kingdom is an upside down one. It’s not the way of the world. In so many areas it’s a 180 degree shift from the world. When Jesus first stepped onto the scene he announced that the Kingdom was near, and the call was to repent and believe the good news of the Kingdom. Repent here doesn’t simply mean to repent of individual sins. I’ve always loved how Dallas Willard paraphrased it.

“All the preliminaries have been taken care of, and the rule of God is now accessible to everyone. Review your plans for living and base your life on this remarkable new opportunity.”

The Greek word for repent is metanoia, and it means “to change one’s mind.” I love the call to review and rethink. Every day we need to think critically about what we are basing our life on and what truly brings us happiness and fulfillment. The ways of Jesus (the Kingdom of God) are easily missed when we are unconsciously walking through life breathing the cultural air.

That’s why the words uttered by Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14 are so important.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

These two verses have greatly shaped my thinking and living over the last couple of decades. Here’s my take on them.

There’s one path (a broad one) that a lot of people take. People aren’t normally stupid, so there’s a good reason they’re on it. They, along with everyone else on that path, believe that it’s the path to the good life. What does that path look like? It’s all about money, sex and power. Every commercial we see preaches this message. But Jesus says that it doesn’t deliver on its promises. He says that it actually leads to destruction. That’s a pretty strong word. Another word is waste. We waste the lives we were created to live when we take this path.

But there’s another path, and it’s a path that’s often missed because fewer have taken it. And it’s not hyped by advertising. It’s a narrow path, but it’s a path that leads to life.

A person on this path is learning that the upside down Kingdom of God can be trusted, even when it goes against so much that we see and hear. Those on this path don’t feel like they have to cling to money and stuff because they trust that God will take care of them. They can live their lives with their hands open, giving to those in need. They can be present today rather than worrying about tomorrow. They can even love their enemies.

Is any of this easy? That’s a trick question. Jesus said that his yoke was easy and his burden light. There is a freedom and simplicity that comes when we place our trust in him. But it’s also awfully complex and challenging to continue daily this act of repentance. It’s not easy to go on the narrow path when so many others are on the wide one. But it’s the way to Life, and Life is what our hearts long for more than anything else.

It’s the time in this story that we meet the antagonist. Enter the Pharisees, a group of religious leaders who, at their best, are skeptical of Jesus and are simply protective of God’s people. At their worse, though, they’re completely blind towards God’s purposes, and they’ll do whatever is necessary in order to stop Jesus.

In this post I’ll share my empathy for the Pharisees. I feel a bit bad for them at times. Here are some of the things that they question Jesus about.

Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? After all, if Jesus were truly a religious leader, he would know not to associate with sinners.
Jesus’ response: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Luke 5:31).

Why are your followers feasting when we’re all fasting?
Jesus’ response: “There’s a time to feast and a time to fast. Today is a day to feast because I’m here. It’s a new day” (my simple paraphrase of Luke 5:34-35).

Why do your disciples do what is unlawful on the Sabbath? They were picking grain because they were hungry.
Jesus’ response:: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

Why are you healing on the Sabbath? After all, no work is to be done on the Sabbath.
Jesus’ response (my paraphrase): “If there was just one day for healing it would be the Sabbath. The Sabbath is about blessing. It’s about rest. It’s about worship. Why would God not want to heal someone on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:11-12)!

The Pharisees knew God’s law, yet they had totally missed the heart of God that is within the law.

It’s a bit alarming that the group of people who are seemingly the most connected to God are actually blind towards God’s purposes. Something for us all to think about.

Today’s reading is from Luke 4:16-30. Jesus is in his hometown, and he picks an ordinary Sabbath morning to announce his ministry in the synagogue to a group of people who have known he and his family all his life.

He asks, or is asked to read, and it’s the scroll of Isaiah that he receives. He reads from Isaiah 61, which speaks of the Lord’s anointed one who will come to…

• Proclaim good news to the poor
• Proclaim freedom for the prisoners
• Proclaim the recovery of sight for the blind
• Set the oppressed free
• Proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

He stands, reads, then hands the scroll back and sits down. Luke says that the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him.

So he says one more thing…

“Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).

If that’s not a mic drop I don’t know what is.

What is their response?

They are amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips.

He’s one of their own, and they’re no doubt proud of him. They’re also perhaps a bit perplexed by this last statement. What does it mean that it’s been fulfilled today? Oh well…they’re gracious words.

But then one asks, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” Maybe Joseph’s son shouldn’t be pointing to himself as the Lord’s anointed one.

So Jesus starts speaking again, and just like in yesterday’s story, if I’m the campaign manager I’m asking him to stop. It seems like he wants to offend them.

He tells them that no prophet is accepted in his hometown. He then reminds them of a story they all know. It’s about Elijah. It was a time of severe famine. God could have sent Elijah to a nice Israelite family, but instead he sent him to a Gentile widow. And then he tells them about Elisha. There were many in Israel who had leprosy, yet God told Elisha to go heal a leper who lived in Syria.

You may hear this story and have no idea what Jesus is talking about. But those in the synagogue knew exactly what he is implying, and Luke says that they were furious with Jesus for saying these things. How furious were they? Well, they decided to try to kill him. That’s pretty furious. They drove him to the edge of the hill that the town was built on. They were going to push him off. We’re not exactly sure what exactly took place, but he walked through the crowd.

Again, I as the campaign manager want Jesus to stop saying these offensive things, but he needed to uncover their true hearts. Everything was great until he began reminding them that God’s plan includes people who don’t look like them. They didn’t like this. This too will be a theme woven through the stories ahead.

John (the disciple, not the baptizer) records Jesus’ trip to Jerusalem during Passover. In the temple courts he found people selling all sorts of things. He made a whip and began driving people out. I’m sure he appeared as a mad man to the people there. After all, we’re not sure if anyone in Jerusalem knows who he is since his ministry up to this point has been based in Galilee.

Yet there are some in the crowd who must have heard something, because they ask him what sign he can show to prove he has authority to do what he’s doing.

His response: “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” (John 2:19).

He’s at the temple, so that’s what they’re thinking about. He’s thinking about himself.

The people heard nothing but foolishness coming out of his mouth.


It’s the first of many instances where, if I’m Jesus’ campaign manager, I’m putting my hand up to my forehead and am just completely flabbergasted that he is wasting an opportunity like this. Why push people away when we’re just getting started!

During this visit Jesus must have performed some miracles, because those who saw it were drawn to him and trusted in him. Again, if I’m the campaign manager I’m starting to feel good about things once again.

“But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people” (John 2:24).

It might have seemed to those around him that these people were ready to follow him, but that wasn’t really the case, and he knew it. They wanted to follow a Messiah that they had fashioned according to their image, but that wasn’t the reality of who Jesus was and what he had come to do. And he knew it.

“The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah.”
Luke 3:15

Thirty years have passed. Today’s reading focuses on the emergence of John the Baptist. John was Jesus’ cousin. The two of them no doubt spent summers and holidays together. It seems like Jesus knew from an early age who he was. He knew his birth story. I imagine too that John’s parents told him when he was growing up that God had big plans for him. He would “bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.” So perhaps at some point they talked together about what their futures were going to look like.

When they were both 30 years old, John began his ministry. He went in the wilderness. He wore weird clothes and ate weird foods. And people flocked to him, in part I’m sure because he was an oddity, but more importantly, because they wondered if he might be the promised Messiah.

Every Jewish boy and girl grew up hearing about the Messiah who would come and set Yahweh’s people free. And boy did they need freedom right now. They were under the rule of an evil king. It wasn’t Herod anymore. He was dead. But it was his sons, who were just as evil. The Herodian dynasty wasn’t really in charge though. It was the Roman Empire who truly called the shots.

It had actually been 700 years since the Jewish people were free. They were first conquered by the Assyrians, and then the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, and finally the Romans. During that time God had raised up prophets who reminded the people that God wasn’t done with them. God was one day going to send a Messiah.

Over the last 400 years there had been no prophets. Had God forgotten about his people? The recent whispers were, “Maybe not.”

In setting the stage for the entrance of the Messiah, we must remember that God’s people were desperate for some good news. They understood in a very tangible way that they needed God’s help. And they were about to receive that help, though in the most unlikely way.

Jesus is just a baby, but he’s already threatening the powerful people. When powerful people are threatened, they tend to react, and when those powerful people are evil, they tend to react in evil ways. That’s what happened here. Herod was visited by what was most likely a group of Persian astrologers who had seen a star after Jesus was born. They had most likely traveled a long time and had finally arrived to ask King Herod where the new king was so that they could go and worship him. This was news to Herod. After all, he thought he was the only king around.

Herod asked the chief priest about it, and his only thought was to mention the prophecies that the long-awaited Messiah was going to be born in Bethlehem. So Herod told the astrologers that they should go look for this new king in Bethlehem, but then they should come back to let him know where he is so that he too may go worship him. Like that was what he was really wanting!

Following the star once again, they found Jesus and worshiped him as the king that he was. When they left, they chose not to let Herod know where he was.

Once Herod realized that they weren’t coming back, he got angry. He reacted. He couldn’t have a new king, even if the new king was a baby. And since he didn’t know which baby was this king, he gave orders for all little boys in Bethlehem who were two and under to be killed. What an evil king. And what a tragedy.


Joseph had been warned in a dream to take Mary and Joseph and flee to Egypt.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendent of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28). Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

With such a familiar story, I’m struck by the specifics of it.

Remember how we discussed complexity yesterday. This story is a lot of things, but it’s definitely complex. Mary is a young woman who is pledged to be married to Joseph. They live in Nazareth, which was a part of the region of Galilee. She and Joseph were very average people. Joseph wasn’t a priest. Neither of their parents were rulers. No one would have ever guessed that they would be the human parents of the Messiah. Yet God did. Note that this is one of the many reasons why people thought John (the baptizer) might be the Messiah. At least his father was a priest.

One day Mary is minding her own business, and an angel appears to her. She is greatly troubled by this, which tells me that this wasn’t something that she had ever experienced before. But then things got really weird. The angel (Gabriel) told her that would conceive and give birth to “the Son of the Most High.” This was very confusing since Mary was a virgin.

What happened in the coming hours and days and weeks? There had to be SO many questions. Was the angel real? What would her parents say when they found out she was pregnant? More than that, what would Joseph say? How would she explain this to him? Yet in this moment she believes and she trusts what the angel has said. So her response is, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.”

That’s beautiful.

So another theme…God doesn’t often act in the ways that we like him to. It’s not a comfortable life, but it’s a good life, and God is looking for ordinary people who will step into that beautiful and complex life with him.

Today’s readings focus on Matthew’s and Luke’s genealogies. It’s a long list of names that are mostly foreign to us. Some names are difficult to pronounce.

What is the purpose for these lists? A purpose is obviously to show Jesus’ lineage, but I think it’s deeper than that. These list contain some surprises. First, women are mentioned. That wasn’t normally the case with Jewish genealogies in this day. Second, while heroes of the Jewish faith are mentioned as ancestors of Jesus (Abraham and David), there’s also a king (Manasseh – 2 Kings 21) who the listeners would prefer to forget.

Finally, there’s just a lot of humanity here. And humanity is above all complex. Rahab is here. She was a prostitute, but also hid the Jewish spies. And then there is David and Bathsheba. David used his power to commit evil when he took Bathsheba, a married woman, as his own, and then had her husband killed to cover it up.

I think this is a second theme that we will see again and again. We as humans are complex. Our spirituality is complex. And even God is complex. We must continue to wrestle with the complexities in our lives. There is nothing neat and simple about them.

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…
John 1:10-12

I think this is a main theme that will be woven through the entire saga. We suffer from a blindness. Truth is right in front of us, yet we fail to see. Or at times we simply don’t want to see. The long-awaited Messiah walked in the midst of his own people yet they didn’t receive him. But others received him. His invitation was and is to all people. To the one who will hear, let him hear. And let him receive Christ.

What does it mean to receive? It’s different from belief. Belief is mostly about the head. Receiving is a whole body experience. It’s connected to the head but moves to the heart, and then goes further into our daily lives.