Five lessons from Luke 5 - part 3

Luke 5 is sectioned off in most bibles into 5 glimpses into the life and ministry of Jesus. Its a "day in the life of Christ" as it were. But as I read through Luke 5 recently, I realized that each section has a punch all its own and that reality can get lost if we (or at least I) don't slow down and at least reflect for a moment on what the Holy Spirit is trying to communicate.

(To read about the lessons 1-2 go here)

(To read about the lessons 3-4 go here)

Luke 5:33-39 clearly is focused on fasting. That's the question Jesus is asked and that is the main intention of his direct response and the parable he tells to undergird his response. And yet, there is something deeper here than just the appropriateness of fasting. I'd like to share just a few observations. First, notice why Jesus says his disciples are not currently fasting. They are not fasting because Jesus is there. In other words, Jesus is saying what else could they possibly need when I am in their midst. Next, Jesus says that fasting will resume once he departs. Given the reality of the omnipresence of God and that Jesus is always with the believer in the person of the Holy Spirit, Jesus makes a clear distinction between non-fasting when he was with the disciples and fasting after he departed. And, we see this played out in the book of Acts. One implication of this is there will be no more fasting in the new heavens and the new earth because what more could we possibly want or need when we are in the presence of the Triune God?

Another observation that flows out of the parable is that Jesus' first coming has changed fasting (technically, he changed everything, but that is beyond the scope of this post and outside the context of these verses). He didn't erase its need or diminish its purpose. But he did fundamentally change it. What did Old Testament saints fast and pray for? I don't know completely, but I'm guessing that if their fasts and their prayers were in alignment with Scripture, they would be asking for the coming Messiah, for redemption from their sins, for the fulfilment of the promises of God. Jesus' point in Luke 5 is this: we have received everything we were previously fasting for. (See 2 Cor 1:20 "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.") So what do we fast and pray for now? How has the goal and objective of fasting changed? First, the revelation we've been given is different. We can see the Trinity more clearly. We can see the grace and mercy of God more vibrantly. We can see the global reach of the gospel more fully. Our fasting must flow out of this better vision that God has granted us. Next, we are at a fundamentally different spot in the flow of redemptive history. Jesus' life, death and resurrection changed everything. We no longer need to ask for the coming Messiah, but we can now plead for his return. We no longer need to ask for redemption from our sins, but we can now seek the further in breaking of God's kingdom and that Jesus mercy and love would extend to more and more people. We no longer need to ask for the law and the sacrifices to be fulfilled, but we can desire the consummation of all that God wants to accomplish both in this age and in the one to come.

After walking through this single chapter in the gospel of Luke, I'm amazed (again) at how much God has said, and continues to say, in his Word. I pray we never tire of hearing it.

To God Alone Be The Glory

Five Lessons from Luke 5 - part 2

Luke 5 is sectioned off in most bibles into 5 glimpses into the life and ministry of Jesus. Its a "day in the life of Christ" as it were. But as I read through Luke 5 recently, I realized that each section has a punch all its own and that reality can get lost if we (or at least I) don't slow down and at least reflect for a moment on what the Holy Spirit is trying to communicate.

(To read about the lessons 1-2 go here)

(To read about the lesson 5 go here)

Lk 5:17-26 is probably the most familiar section of this chapter. It is the account of the paralytic whose friends bring him to Jesus and lower him through the roof. Jesus responds to their collective faith (v20), first forgiving the man's sins and second healing his physical issue. Much could (and should) be said about Jesus' priority on the man's spiritual condition over his physical one. And yet what strikes me (and sometimes haunts me) is the question about Jesus' authority. Both the forgiveness and the healing are simply there at Jesus' command. No ritual, no sacrifice, no pleading or promising. No walking an isle, praying a prayer or raising a hand. It is simply Jesus with the power and authority to forgive and to heal. It reminds me of the Centurion who said to Jesus "Just say the word and my servant would be healed" That, my friends, is the Jesus we worship and follow and upon whom we depend.

Lk 5:27-32 contains the calling of Levi (aka Matthew). Like all the other accounts of specific disciples being called, Levi simply accepts his call and starts his new life. When Levi throws a party to honor Jesus (v29) and invites his tax collecting and less than religious friends, the Pharisees get upset with Jesus. Jesus' well known and often quoted response is in vv 31-32 'And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” ' Most of the commentary I have seen on this passage focuses on self righteousness vs Christ's righteousness and rightly so. If we consider ourselves spiritually healthy, we will not pursue the cure that only Jesus can provide. Additionally, I think we need to consider the Pharisee's response on the selfish level. In one sense they were asking "how can you take the gospel to them?" "how could God possibly love and show grace to some one like that?" Two sides to the same coin? Perhaps. But I often think we may more easily identify our own need for Jesus' redeeming love and yet begrudge it to someone we deem "unworthy".

(My time and my words got away from me, again. Lord willing, I will post the final lesson tomorrow. Feel free to read through Luke 5 and allow the Spirit to do his work.)

To God Alone Be The Glory

Five Lessons From Luke 5 - part 1

Luke 5 is sectioned off in most bibles into 5 glimpses into the life and ministry of Jesus. Its a "day in the life of Christ" as it were. But as I read through Luke 5 recently, I realized that each section has a punch all its own and that reality can get lost if we (or at least I) don't slow down and at least reflect for a moment on what the Holy Spirit is trying to communicate.

(To read the second post for lessons 3-4 click here)

(To read about the lesson 5 go here)

Luke 5:1-11. The main thrust of this section is the calling of Peter. On top of that, the statement of Jesus in verse 10 is profound, both for Peter and for us. However what struck me was that in the midst of Peter's call there is this rare moment of insight stated in verse 8: 'But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus 'knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” ' At the moment, on that boat, Peter "saw" Jesus for who he was. Not the baby in the manger, not the carpenter, not the itinerant preacher, not a religious zealot. No, Peter saw with the eyes of his heart that Jesus was God. And, this vision changed the rest of his life. Oh God, for that vision, that moment of clarity when we can see who Jesus really is. It would change our lives.

Lk 5:12-16. These few verses describe a healing, showing Jesus authority and also his desire of keep this aspect of his ministry on the down low. But the punch here comes in verse 16: "But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray." I could spend the remainder of this post discussing prayer, but I think Luke's point here is to show at least two things. One, Jesus' source of strength, contentment and direction were not coming from the crowds, friends or even disciples. No, he overcame all of those distractions and the temptations to short cut or short change the plan of redemption by spending significant time in prayer. Here is a lesson I have yet to learn well: prayer time is not a waste, it is not an optional extra, it is not a tack-on to the beginning of study time, devotional time or class time. It is as crucial (or even more so) to any prep I may do or any words I may speak and its power cannot be underestimated and dare not be neglected. If Jesus needed and depended upon prayer, how much more do I need it and should be depending upon it?

(My time and my words got away from me. Lord willing, I will post the next three lessons tomorrow. Feel free to read through Luke 5 and allow the Spirit to do his work.)

To God Alone Be The Glory

I See The Crowd In Pilate's Hall

by Horatius Bonar

I see the crowd in Pilate's hall;
Their furious cries I hear;
Their shouts of "Crucify!" appall,
Their curses fill my ear.
And of that shouting multitude
I feel that I am one,
And in that din of voices rude
I recognize my own.

I see the scourgers rend the flesh
Of God's belovèd Son;
And as they smite I feel afresh
That I of them am one.
Around the cross the throng I see
That mock the Sufferer's groan,
Yet still my voice it seems to be,
As if I mocked alone.

'Twas my sins shed the sacred blood,
That nailed Him to the tree;
I crucified the Christ of God,
I joined the mockery.
Yet not the less that blood avails
To cleanse me from my sins,
And not the less that cross prevails
To give me peace within

To God Alone Be The Glory

Give Thanks To The Lord, For He Is Good

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
   for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
   for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
   for his steadfast love endures forever; - Psa 136:1-3

Give thanks to the God of heaven,
   for his steadfast love endures forever. - Psa 136:26

Do you ever read God's word and feel like he has taken off the kid gloves and instead is being much more direct, much more blunt? That was my case today as I read Psalm 136. I have read this psalm dozens of times before and its basic point is not very hard to grasp. And yet, today it was somehow different. It was more real, more pointed, more piercing.

After I read the first 3 verses, I had to pause and ask myself, when was the last time I simply opened up to God in unabashed thanksgiving as the psalmist is doing? How can I quote 1 Cor 4:7 (For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?) and yet go through my days with just a token thank you to God at meals and bed time?

So, today I paused after verse 3 and said thanks to God. Not for everything because neither my mind nor my time is that expansive. But I did thank him for everything the Spirit brought to my mind. Great things like salvation, a strong marriage, good, godly, believing kids, relative good health, a productive, enjoyable job, a strong, vibrant, gospel-centered church and Christ-loving friends. I thanked him for ordinary things like healthy food and clean water, for access to education for me (long ago), Sally & the kids, for a safe city and a stable government, for the change of seasons, for a warm & dry house and for another day to praise him. And, I thanked God for things I didn't want, but he graciously gave me anyway. For an accident that could have crippled (or killed) my wife, for health issues with one of my kids that sprung up suddenly, for church strife that drove me back to the heart of the gospel, for the the too early loss of parents, for the struggles of a blended family, and for the slow downgrade of my physical self as age takes its toll.

Clearly this list is not exhaustive, but it was (and by God's grace will continue to be) helpful to remind me of at least 2 things. First is this: what do I have that I have not received? And the second is this: The steadfast love of God endures forever.

To God Alone Be The Glory

We Return, But Not Upward

They do not cry to me from the heart,
   but they wail upon their beds;
for grain and wine they gash themselves;
   they rebel against me.
Although I trained and strengthened their arms,
   yet they devise evil against me.
They return, but not upward;
   they are like a treacherous bow;
their princes shall fall by the sword
   because of the insolence of their tongue.
This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt. - Hos 7:14-16

As I reflectively read Hos 7 the other day, I was struck by how similar my heart is to the people Hosea was writing to over 2 millennia ago. How often do I "cry on my bed" but not from a love for God or compelled by the love of Christ, but simply because something's not working the way I want it to? How often do I "return, but not upward", not so much repenting from my sin but rather being sad at getting caught in my sin?

Now, I realize this is a warning / rebuke delivered back in the OT days to a specific people in a particular circumstance. Yet, I can't help but see the universality of fallen men and women in the heart attitude this rebuke calls out. When God afflicts us, how do we respond? Maybe more to the heart of the matter, do we love God or his stuff? I'm guessing the good old Sunday School type answer is that certainly we love God more, but do our prayers and our passions actually display this?

The good news, of course, is that God is the God of 2nd, 3rd, and 99th chances. And, if we take seriously his promises, perhaps our first task could be to ask him to reveal to us how often we "do not cry to him from the heart" and ask him to move us toward the point where our the joys and the aches of our hearts are more in alignment with his.

To God Alone Be The Glory.