Blessed are the poor….hungry…those who weep…those hated, excluded, reviled….Woe to those who are rich, full, laughing, well-spoken of… Luke 6:20-26 (excerpts)
Our idea of blessed is all backward when define it by things going our way or having beautiful things. But this is how we define it most often, isn’t it? We are blessed when we have food for a nice meal, we are blessed when our social media following grows, we are blessed when we win, we are blessed when we make captain of the team, we are blessed when we get that amazing job and new house and child. Jesus says otherwise. Not that these are bad things but blessed is not what you physically have possession of, it is when you realize you have nothing of any value at all; when you understand God is what you need. When we have resources, we may ask God to fill in some gaps, but we still try to take care of as much as we can on our own. We don’t tap into the mighty power of God. When we have food, we may feast on the bread of life, but only a little because we are quite full of what we already have. We miss out on the fullness of God. When we are satisfied, we may ask God for those new desires, but we aren’t desperate for them. We are pretty okay. We miss out on the truly abundant life God has in store for us. When people admire us and speak well of us, we think we are on the right track. We crave more from people and truth becomes blurry. We may be leaning too far into things of the world over things of God. In story after story and teaching after teaching, Jesus tries to get us to see this truth, but we continue to live according to the world’s definition of blessed. We may get a little of God, but only what fits in the holes left behind by our own filling. As a result, we miss the abundance of God. Question: How do you define blessed? How might this differ from Jesus’ definition? Why do you think that might be the case?
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… he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” Luke 5:4-5
Simon Peter hauls his boat in from a long night of fishing with no success. He begins to clean his nets hoping for better luck tomorrow. Before he even finishes washing the nets, Jesus climbs into his boat and asks him to put it out a bit. With a front-row seat next to Jesus, Peter listens as Jesus teaches. As Jesus wraps up His lesson, He tells Peter to put the boat in the deeper waters and let down the nets for a catch. Um…okay…but, you know we fished all night with no luck. The conditions haven’t changed. And you’re a carpenter, right??...what do you know about fishing? Peter might have been thinking. But Peter does it, and he is rewarded with more fish than the boat can handle. Peter could have called it a day, made excuses, even argued with Jesus, but he would have missed out on this beautiful invitation, “From now on, you will be catching men.” Jesus meets Peter in his place of work and weaves it into his calling. Jesus teaches in boats, along the dusty roads, in homes, on the mountainside, and even in the synagogues. He wants everyone to have the opportunity to hear the good news. He meets His disciples – the ones to carry on His ministry – where they are working; in the ordinary course of doing their jobs. He meets them in their mess and monotony, but He doesn’t leave them where they are. He radically changes their lives. He has good news to share with them, so they, in turn, can share the good news with others. Jesus meets us where we are too. In the ordinary, busy, messy and mundane. He says, “follow me.” We can look the other way, make excuses, try to tidy things up first, or we can follow Him and be radically changed. In our own power, we can fish all night with nothing to show for it, but Jesus has deeper waters He wants us to cast our nets in. Question: What deeper waters might Jesus be calling you to cast your net into? The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. Luke 4:18-19
What is the liberty Jesus is speaking of that He is fulfilling from the Isaiah passage He read? Liberty from sin and its devastating effects. But what are the effects of sin? Sin impoverishes. Jesus came to bring good news to the poor. To share and to be the Gospel, an invitation to a glorious royal inheritance. Sin breaks hearts. Jesus came to heal the broken-hearted. To right wrongs. To heal the deep-down hurts caused by sin. Sin enslaves us…to evil desires, to coveting, to comparing, to envying, to striving, to self-glorification. Jesus came to give liberty to the captives. To set us free from all that sends us spiraling down a path of exhaustion, depression, hopelessness, frustration, loneliness, bitterness, joylessness. Sin blinds us. We can’t see the truth. We fall for false prophets and promises. Jesus came to give us recovery of sight. To help us set our eyes and focus above, not behind, inside, in front of, or side to side. Sin oppresses us. Suffocates us, bullies us, shames us, harms us, confines us. Jesus came to set at liberty the oppressed. To set us FREE. Sin leaves us in a place that doesn’t quite feel like home. We’re not where we were created to be, and we long for things to be made right. Jesus came to physically heal these things during His three-year ministry, but it is also a foreshadowing and sneak peek at the ultimate spiritual healing and freedom brought about by His death, resurrection, and promise to return to make all things new again. Challenge: Examine each of these impacts of sin and think through examples you have experienced or seen. Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. Luke 4:21
Jesus walked into a synagogue one Sabbath day. Something He regularly does. This particular synagogue is special. It’s in His hometown. It’s one He has been to countless times, listening to the religious leaders and traveling teachers preach from the Scriptures. He has returned from some time away. This time, He is the traveling teacher. The crowds settle in after singing a few hymns, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah is handed to Him. He takes it is His calloused hands from years of carpentry work. He slowly and carefully unrolls the scrolls. He knows exactly where He is going – Isaiah 61 – and He begins to read…. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” There is nothing unusual at this point for the gathering families. He rolls the scroll back up and hands it to the attendant. As He sits down, a hush comes over the room, all eyes fixed on him. “How will He explain this?” they wait to hear. A nine-word sermon: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Whoa...they weren't expecting that! Jesus is essentially declaring Himself the Messiah; the long-awaited Anointed One; the Christ. He gives a peek into His earthly ministry, a taste of what the Messiah will ultimately accomplish, reversing and renewing the damage brought about by sin. Good news to the poor. Liberty to the captives. Sight to the blind. Liberty to the oppressed. The year of the Lord’s favor. Questions: What do you think Jesus means with the words from the scroll of Isaiah He says He will fulfill? What things was He sent to do? And he [John] went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Luke 3:3
Many are coming to be baptized by John – the one prophesied about crying out in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord. “What then shall we do?” the multitudes ask John the Baptist. The ordinary. Poor. Oppressed. The same question comes from the wealthy…the ones who got that way often via extortion. And the soldiers -- the strong and powerful; the bullies and oppressors -- also chime in, asking the same. Newly baptized and repentant, they all ask, “what now?” Repentance puts us all on the same playing field. Three vastly different backgrounds and social statuses, one unifying question upon repentance: what then shall we do? The responses differ for the different groups, but they all relate to possessions. How we covet our possessions and possessions of others; how we use our power; how we use our influence; how we treat those around us and the less fortunate. To the poor among the crowds: if you have an extra tunic, share it with one who has none. Likewise, if you have food. What little you have, share even that. To the wealthy tax collectors: collect no more than is authorized. Don’t cheat. Deal fairly in business. To the soldiers: don’t extort money by threats and false accusations; be content with what you have. Use your power wisely. Real repentance – real faith – leads to action. Loving our neighbor where we are with what we have. Treating people fairly. Contentment over coveting. “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance,” John tells the newly baptized. What then shall we do? The specific answer will differ for all of us, but will also likely relate to how we use our possessions, power, and influence, and how we pursue loving God and loving our neighbor. Questions: What then shall we do? In the places you hang out, your circles of influence, and opportunities that present themselves…how do you think God is asking you to respond? After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. Luke 2:46-47
Not much is told of Jesus’ childhood. He came to earth as a baby. Like all of us, He learned to eat, to walk, to talk, to play. I wonder when He was fully aware that He was the Son of God; that He WAS God in the flesh. The second chapter of Luke swings from His birth, to His presentation at the temple as an infant, to His family at the Passover celebration in Jerusalem when He was twelve. The Jewish faithful traveled in large groups of family and friends each year from their hometown to Jerusalem for the Passover Celebration. You can picture the children as they journeyed with cousins and friends…laughing and playing along the way. At some point on the way back home, Mary and Joseph realized Jesus (age 12) was no longer with them. Imagine their panic as they frantically bounce from family member to friend asking if He was with them. After three days they find Him. The entire time He has been planted in the temple, sitting at the feet of the various teachers listening and asking questions. We are told the people are astounded at His understanding at such a young age. When His distressed parents find Him and question Him, He says, “Do you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” Twelve was the traditional age for young boys to start learning their fathers’ trades. While Joseph was a carpenter and Jesus was likely learning this skill, His true calling and business was that of His Father in Heaven. We are told that Jesus “increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” This is all we learn about Him until He begins His public ministry 18 years later. Questions: For fun, think about yourself at age 12. What were you doing? What were your priorities? What would you sit hours for? And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1:30-33
Meanwhile, something incredible is happening in the life of a young girl named Mary, who also happens to be Elizabeth’s cousin. Mary, who is currently engaged to be married to Joseph, is confused by the words of the angel. How can this be, she wonders aloud to the angel, since she is a virgin. But the angel tells her it will be the Holy Spirit who allows her to be pregnant and her son will be the Son of God. When Mary learns from the angel that her much older cousin, Elizabeth, is also pregnant, she sets out to visit her. When your life is turned upside down, a trusted friend is just what you need. As Mary walks in the door, Elizabeth’s child, John the Baptist, leaps in her womb. Though not even born yet, John is filled with the Holy Spirit as the angel promised, and he recognizes the One he will prepare the way for while both are still in the womb. God is working out a mighty plan. I imagine the angels in heaven are also doing a few leaps watching everything unfold! Finally, the ONE long-awaited for is on His way. You can feel the excitement and anticipation. Mary, with Elizabeth, sings a beautiful song and prayer to the Lord for what He is doing in their lives. Mary doesn’t understand everything and she is thrust into a situation in a culture where she will be shamed over her unwed pregnancy, but she trusts God. Instead of fear, she praises God as His plan plays out in her young life. Questions: Do you recall ever hearing how John the Baptist leaped in his mother’s womb when Jesus in the womb of Mary walked in the door? What do you think about the power of the Spirit to move in this way? Ask the same Holy Spirit to move in your life! … according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. Luke 1:9
Remaining faithful, Zechariah (the Jewish priest who is without a child) keeps showing up for work. On this day he is serving as priest before God and something incredible – a once in a lifetime event – happens. He is chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. A holy honor. God is always working behind the scenes. The whole multitude of the people is outside praying. Zechariah is inside praying as well, perhaps sneaking in an often-repeated prayer for a child. While lighting the incense, something comes into focus from the corner of his eye. An angel appears on the side of the altar. “Do not be afraid…your prayer has been heard…your wife Elizabeth will bear a son.” And not just any son. The angel goes on to say that many will rejoice at his birth. He will be great before the Lord. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just. He will make ready for the Lord a people prepared. No ordinary child, indeed. The prayers, the obedience, the faithfulness, the waiting. Elizabeth is with child. The one the last prophet, Malachi, 400 years earlier spoke of. “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord,” Elizabeth exclaims with a loud cry. When God’s plan starts unfolding, you’ll understand why it took so long. Be patient and faithful. Your time is coming. Steep yourself in the Word so you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. The future may look different than you envision – it certainly did for Elizabeth – but God’s plan is perfect and beautiful, and you are a glorious part of it. Blessed is she/he who believes that there will be a fulfillment of what has been spoken by the Lord. Question: Are you in a season of waiting? Think and pray about how God may be using his waiting time in your life for His purposes. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. Luke 1:6-7
The waiting theme continues. Do you ever look around and wonder, “How long, God? When will it be my time?” Do you try your best and work hard, but still nothing seems to be happening for you? Maybe all around you are people who seem to be abundantly blessed with life falling into perfect place for them, while you wait. And wait. And wait. The Israelites have been waiting 400 years with no words spoken through prophets at this point. Sometimes when we are in this time of waiting, we begin to lose our hope and certainty in God and His promises. Luke begins with an introduction of two people who have been in a long season of waiting. A priest, Zechariah, and his wife, Elizabeth. They are both described as righteous before God. They are walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. BUT, they have no child. Despite many prayers, Elizabeth has been unable to have children. AND they are old; the time for having their own child has long passed. “How long, God? Why have you forgotten us?” they might be thinking in their moments of weakness and heartbreak. “We are faithful. We do all that you have commanded. Everyone around us – even the evil ones – have children, while we have none. Why, oh Lord?” deep pain rooted from years of seemingly unanswered prayer. But God is always faithful. God’s timing is much different than our timing. He sees a much wider view of the world than we do. Even though we can’t see all the pieces or the purpose for the waiting, know that He is always working behind the scenes as we will see in the unfolding of this story that becomes part of God’s perfect plan. Questions: Do you ever look around and feel like things are happening for everyone but you? Is there something you are waiting for? How do you handle waiting? Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. Luke 1:1-4
Luke opens his letter (the Gospel according to Luke) addressing the recipient, Theophilus. He describes that his purpose for writing is to create an “orderly account” so that Theophilus may have certainty concerning the things he has been taught. Luke is a physician. He is intelligent and detailed. He writes this letter after many interviews and much research, as well as personal experience with the apostles. He writes this letter to provide assurance that what has been told about Jesus – the Messiah who came, died, and rose from the dead -- is true. Faith is defined as having full confidence in what we cannot yet see. It plays a big part in our Christian beliefs, no doubt. There are so many things we will never know or understand until we get to heaven. But did you know that we can also have certainty around many of the things we are taught? As we enter into the New Testament and the story of the Messiah – Jesus – who the entire Bible has been about and leading up to, there are many things that can give us assurance that what we are learning is true. Sit back…soak it in…let your faith be sprinkled with assurances of God’s truth. The Messiah is coming… Challenge: Spend time with God confessing some things that are hard for you to understand; questions you have. Ask Him to show you truth and provide assurances as you faithfully study His Word. “Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” Luke 12:2-3
A brief fast forward to the New Testament. Here Jesus is talking to His followers. He is reminding them that we may think things are hidden and done in secret, but God always sees and knows. If we are honest, we all have secrets. There are some things we only do in the “dark” (in private, or with those we know won’t challenge us and hold us accountable). Whispers, untruths, unkind thoughts, hidden desires, impure motives, rebellious attitudes toward someone or something. Some things we do in the dark because we want to and some things we don’t even want to do…they have a hold on us. Even Paul, one of the great early Christian leaders, wrote in Romans, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” (Romans 7:19-20) And you know what else? That thing that was done to you that no one knows about…God knows. It isn’t hidden. That person that seems to have gotten away with it…God knows. It isn’t in the dark. We don’t have to feel condemned or hopeless as we step out of the dark places into the light. God is patiently waiting for us. He knows all we have ever done or will do, and He loves us very much. As hard as it may be, we need to let God know that we know what He already knows. God desires our freedom. Shame, fear, and dread live in the darkness, but peace, restoration, and joy are found in the light. Challenge: Take some time to reflect on things you may be doing in the “dark” – in secret, or maybe even in your thought life. Bring them to God. Ask for His power to help you get back on track. Make a commitment to live like everything is visible and out in the open; to not do anything in secret that you wouldn’t do in the presence of others – even God, who sees everything. |
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