Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners ...
There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
In the Old Testament book of Job the lead character and his friends argued about the reasons for Job's hardships.. his friends blamed him.. Job asserted his innocence.. but at the heart of their cumulative thinking was the idea that someone was to blame for what happened.. and God was judging Job and his wife for some sin that they had committed. Though Job asserted his innocence he did not contest the basis of his friends claims. Job also believed that his hardship was God's judgment.. he just did not believe that he was guilty of a sin worthy of the judgment.
The moral of Job's story is that things are not always as they seem.. bad things happen to blameless people.. and it is foolish to blame God or invoke a theology of divine judgment when hard times come. I reject that kind of theology on a personal level and I also reject it for peoples hit by tragedies like earthquakes, tsunamis and other horrible events. The message contained in today's passage is that bad things happen to all sorts of people and that even so-called "good" people need to repent and be born of the Spirit to not perish when they die.
Help me Lord to not rush to judgment when bad things happen.
Why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
“And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.”
The theme of this twelfth chapter of Luke is being ready for our last day on earth. Jesus has spoken to the crowds about the idea that this may be their last day.. he tells them to not hoard their wealth, or be concerned about their possessions.. he instructs them to seek the kingdom first and to not be captivated by fleshly worries. In this context he now speaks of settling debts. It reminds me of how he tells us to forgive and seek forgiveness from others.
Sometimes I think that we are our worst enemies when it comes to planning for the future. Even when we are old we often refuse to discern the season.. so many die without a will or insurance to care for their families.. it is like these refused to interpret their days in light of their death. Such is not the way that Christ wants us to live. In a sense living with an eternal perspective is understanding the brevity of life on earth and knowing how "to interpret the present time".
Help me to live and love today as if it were my last Lord.
I came to cast fire on the earth ...
“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
The crucifixion and resurrection of Christ have proven to be the most divisive acts of all of history. I wish it were not so but, in many Jewish homes especially, sons and daughters are disowned if they become Christians. A family member naming the name of Jesus is sometimes not welcome in non-Jewish families because of the changes that accompany Christian conversion. Jesus saw this even back then and called it a casting of fire on the earth.
This casting of fire came at a great price to Jesus Christ. In this passage he calls his crucifixion a distressing baptism. I wonder if part of his distress was knowing that his actions would be rejected by many. How strange it is that God himself would come to the earth, do many astounding miracles and teach many amazing things only to be killed in the vilest of fashion as people screamed for him to be crucified. And all of this brought division, not unity, to planet earth.
Help me Lord to reflect you in a world where unity does not always come.
To whom much was given ...
The Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ... Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
These verses communicate the idea that we are but managers, and not owners, of the earth and everything that is in it. In these sentences we understand that we have a responsibility to care for each other - especially the poor. We also see that there is a blessing connected to this sort of care and management. Yet the temptation is to act as permanent owners instead of temporary managers. It is so easy to become attached to the things and positions of this age.
In contrast Jesus paints a different picture of one who is not attached to this world but acts responsibly with what they have been entrusted with. It causes me to think of Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who had a radical transformation when Jesus had a meal with him. He said: “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And that day Zacchaeus released his ownership of his property.
I too cry out with Zacchaeus Lord. Help me to be a manager instead of an owner.
The Son of Man is coming ...
“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
I once imagined that this parable was all about the second coming of Christ.. either in the rapture or when he comes at Armageddon. In some sense that works but it seems to fall apart because the scripture would not be applicable for the millions of people who have died since Jesus shared this parable. Like the story of the man who died building bigger barns (shared earlier in this chapter) I think this parable is all about death coming in an unexpected way.
I once heard it asked "What would you do differently if you knew today would be your last day?" The question opens up the idea that today very well may be our last day. To this Jesus speaks and instructs us to be wise in how we live. He warns us to be clothed in godly attire and to not fall asleep spiritually. It reminds me of how the apostle tells us in Ephesians to being clothed in the armor of God and ready to do battle with the forces of darkness.
Lord, help me to keep my lamp burning today and to be dressed in the armor of the Holy Spirit.
There will your heart be also ...
“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
I once heard a preacher say that he could determine a person's passion for God by looking at their checkbook. I would not say it quite that crassly but I do think that a person's spending habits is a bit of a spiritual thermometer. It is like a man who adamantly avows that he loves his fiancee and spends all of his money on himself - the woman would do well to not marry such a selfish man. Like the woman, what God really wants is our love - our heart.
In contrast Jesus says in this passage that our heavenly Father's will is to give us the kingdom. And He asks us, in like manner, to give lovingly and generously to the needy. The Lord seems to be linking His giving to ours. It is like he is saying that He gives to us as we give to the needy. Yet the message is an inconvenient one in that Jesus says that we should sell our stuff to be able to give. His desire is that we give from our need and not our excess.
Help me to let go of my possessions today Lord. Help me to help the needy.
Your Father knows that you need them ...
Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
There is a mysterious aspect to prayer. When we pray God already knows what it is that we are going to say and he already knows how He will answer our prayer. It can boggle your mind if you think about it too hard. Yet the creator of all things, seen and unseen, invites us in to dialog with him about the ultra-person, the superficial and destiny of nations. And as we pray, somehow God factors our wants and needs into his will for our lives and our world.
The last sentence of today's passage speaks to the seeking, not asking, flavor of prayer. As I have said before, prayer is not simply an airing of requests, but a continuing heavenly dialog where we seek out the heart of God. This kind of prayer can cause worry to cease and peace to come as we turn our affections away from physical things and set our hearts to seek the Lord. And when we do, the Lord Jesus tells us that all of our needs will be met in Him.
You are enough Lord. I need you. Help me to seek you in all that I do.
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