Landowner's Sovereignty

Matthew 20: 1-16
"But many who are first will be last, and the last first."  Jesus begins and ends the parable of the landowner with this seemingly contradictory statement.  Here Jesus sheds light on one of the great mysteries of the gospel; that God in His sovereignty chose to admit the Gentiles into His Kingdom and give us equal privileges with the Jews.  He is revealing that even though the Jews were called first God is sovereign in salvation, and we all receive much more than we deserve. The prominent feature that should mark the worker in His vineyard is one of grateful humility for even being called...for many are called but few are chosen. But that was not the response Jesus received. Human nature or the flesh, as the Bible calls it, has a way of twisting and perverting what is right.  This parable still speaks to us today about God's sovereignty and our acceptance of His right to rule in any manner He chooses.  Do we accept His ways or do we grumble and complain thinking we are treated unfairly.  Of course it helps to understand that He is good and that all things work together for good to those that love Him and are called for His purposes.  So today instead of being angry and upset that we were treated unfairly, lets humbly rejoice for someone else that they received a blessing or we may go last.

Rich Young Ruler

Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, Luke 18:18-30
The rich young ruler asked, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  I overheard two women having a conversation the other day about a man who was ill and at the point of death.  They couldn't understand why he was terribly afraid to die. "He has led a good life", one of them said, "Why would he be scared to die?"  My heart broke for this man and for them.  They didn't understand what it meant to have eternal life in Christ?  This young ruler had led a good life and followed God's commandments yet he too, I believe, was afraid too die still lacking the assurance of eternal life. Why?  Because there was something still standing between this rich ruler and God, his own wealth.  Jesus put His finger on the very thing that stood between him and God, the idol that meant more to him than anything else. "One thing you still lack", Jesus said, "sell all...and distribute to the poor".  Turn over to Me the one thing that is more important to you than I am.  Love Me first.  Give me ALL your heart.  That is what Jesus is saying...to the ruler, His disciples, and to us.  It could be something other than money but money in this world has incredible power in our lives.  And although it is very hard to let go of the power money has with God it is not impossible. Jesus expresses that it is never impossible—no matter how hopeless it may seem— for someone to find eternal life through Him.  That has been God’s plan before the foundations of the earth were even laid and is still His plan today.   As Jesus spends the last days of His ministry with the disciples, He reinforces belief in God and not just a halfhearted belief but a belief that believes above all else that God can save anyone.  He is saying to His disciples as you proclaim the Kingdom of God to the world, you will encounter people who act as if they desire to know God but will turn away...don’t give up on them, because nothing is too hard for God.  And when you leave all to serve me your reward will be greater than any worldly riches could ever bring.

Blessing Children

Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16, Luke 18:15-17
Jesus loved children, the disciples saw them as a bother but Jesus was refreshed by their innocence and genuine love.  What a contrast they were to the arrogant Pharisees who challenged Him daily.  Children are drawn to goodness which explains why they flocked around Jesus.  I remember hearing of Him as a child my self and longed for the day He would come for me.  My heart was open which is how Jesus explains to the disciples that this is the way of the Kingdom, they must come to God as a child would, open, willing to believe and to do whatever is asked of them.  Again, how simple the instruction.  Jesus blessed the children then as He still does today.  I love the words…”He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them”.  How comforting to be loved in the arms of the Savior and to have His hand of blessing upon your head.  The beautiful thing is that in Christ we are all His children.  He longs to comfort, He longs to bless, He longs to care for and tend His flock of children.  Rejoice in His arms!

Divorce

Matthew 19:3-12, Mark 10:1-12, Luke 16:18
Jesus was tested over and over again on many issues, this question on marriage and divorce was just another opportunity for the Pharisees to try and turn the people against Him.  The Jews were divided on the matter of divorce, some said a man could divorce for very trifle reasons, others felt it only allowable for uncleanness.  Trying to trap Jesus they posed this question, rather than to be pulled into that debate Jesus drew them back to the truth in Genesis concerning God's original design for marriage.  God made men and women for one another, when they join together in marriage two people in essence become as one.  They complete each other and should never separate.  This was and still is God's plan for the human race.  Marriage then should be entered into with a great deal of thought and commitment but human nature does not always take that course.  So many times we become selfish and self-centered concerning our needs and rather than to put God first in our marriages we allow our hearts to harden and look for a way out.  Jesus goes on to talk about the ability for some to remain single for the sake of serving God, but those who are not prepared for the sacrifices of single life should marry.  It is rather straight forward simple instruction but my how mankind has complicated this aspect of human relationships. 

Humble Prayer

Luke 18:9-14
God's nature is to resist the proud and give grace to the humble.  The battle between Jesus and those who are self-righteous continues here in this parable.  We are told that they trust in themselves that they are righteous and also that they view others with contempt.  Years ago I did a Bible study called The Mind of Christ, excellent study by the way and I highly recommend it, one thing has stood out to me all these years from that study.  It described a puritanical attitude, an attitude that is marked by seeing yourself as good or righteous and comparing others with yourself rather than to Jesus.  This attitude is at the heart of this parable. How do we really approach God?  Do we think God should be impressed with all we have done; do we want others to admire and applaud our activities?  Do we trust in our own moral efforts to bring us favor before God? Do we exalt our self rather than others?  It is clear that Jesus is condemning these actions and instead reminds us that humility is what God is looking for.  Finally, is there anyone that we are looking on with contempt?  Maybe we are comparing them to ourselves rather than to Jesus. 

"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering." Col. 3:12 

Persistent Prayer

Luke 18:1-8
Pray, Pray, Pray...and never tire of praying.  That is the admonition we find here in Jesus words to His disciples and to us.  I love the persistence of this widow before a Judge known for his self-centeredness.  Many of us, I believe, see God in this same self-centered way; uncaring about our real needs, indifferent, egotistical, callous, the list goes on and on.  I've learned that our view and understanding of God's true nature has a direct bearing on our prayer life.  I have often wondered why Jesus used a bad example for the Judge here; I mean why not use an example of a good and righteous Judge?  As I thought about it today, I'm wondering if it wasn't to confront our wrong ideas of what our Heavenly Father is truly like.  Primarily of course, Jesus is illustrating for us to be persistent in our prayers to God.  Don't give up, press on, keep knocking and God will show Himself faithful to us.  But, I also think Jesus is saying understand what your Heavenly Father is like because it is your wrong idea of Him that keeps you from coming to Him in prayer.
So...know that your Father in Heaven cares (He wouldn't have sent Jesus to die if He didn't) and....P.U.S.H.  Pray Until Something Happens.  Now that's persistence!

Thy Kingdom Come

Luke 17: 20-37
"When is the Kingdom of God coming?" the Pharisees asked, wanting to see a physical manifestation of a Kingdom that would elevate the Jewish nation.  Jesus continued to correct their attitude, it isn't with pomp and circumstance that the Kingdom of God reveals itself; it is a spiritual Kingdom, a Kingdom that changes the heart and transforms lives.  Being born into this world and raised in this physical realm, it is hard to imagine the type of Kingdom Jesus speaks of; we are use to seeing great fanfare were governments are concerned. In order to prepare them, Jesus told the disciples here about the conditions that will prevail at His second coming.  It is not the usual scene displayed when you think of the Kingdom of God but that is the point, Jesus is changing the thinking of the day and shifting the focus to a spiritual Kingdom of love and obedience to God.  One thing was evident to me as I read this section of scripture, when Jesus returns again it will be sudden and without warning, be prepared. As it says in verse 33, "Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses {his life} will preserve it." 

Ten Lepers

Luke 17:11-19
Jesus, knowing His death at Passover is imminent, withdraws from northern Judea and travels north through Samaria and part of Galilee. He then joined the pilgrims there traveling to Jerusalem for Passover. Historically the normal route from Galilee was to cross the Jordan River and travel south through Perea, avoiding Samaria. Jesus apparently followed this route. From southern Perea He then crossed back across the Jordan to Jericho, and walked from there up to Jerusalem. While passing through a village Jesus meets a group of ten lepers who remained at a distance.  Leprosy is an infectious disease that is characterized by disfiguring skin sores, nerve damage, and progressive debilitation.  In Biblical times people with leprosy were forbidden to live among the healthy community and were forced to live in isolation outside the camp. Many would form colonies as we see in this portion of scripture. As Jesus approached the lepers they cried out loudly to Him for mercy, calling Him "Master".  They must have been able to tell who Jesus was even from a distance and they desperately needed help!  They didn't even ask for healing, their suffering had gone on for so long all they could ask for was that He show some compassion towards them.  I think Jesus purposely went this way; He seeks those who do not seek Him and goes out of His way to reach them.  Jesus doesn't say anything to the lepers about healing but tells them to go show themselves to the priest, the law stated that the priest decides who has leprosy and who was clean and could enter the community once again.  It is evident that Jesus valued and followed the Old Testament laws here and as the ten lepers obediently followed God's Word themselves and went to see the priests, they were healed of their leprosy on the way.  Obedience produces wonderful things in our lives.  Only one came back to thank Him though, Jesus noticed the ingratitude of the others too, He knows how important it is to acknowledge the blessings we receive from Him.  The first chapter of Romans reminds us of what happens when we continue on our merry way without acknowledging His mercy in our lives..."because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were they thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened".  One leper did return, prostrating himself and glorifying God.  Jesus continued to have mercy on Him, not just physically but spiritually... and now Jesus said, "Your faith has made you whole".  Not just healed but WHOLE!
 ...and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority.  Col 2:10

The Evil Plot Thickens

John 11:45-54

Humanly speaking bringing Lazarus back to life was the main reason the chief priests and Pharisees plotted to kill Jesus.  Jesus had already been wanted for arrest in Jerusalem but this event sealed His death.  Directly after Lazarus was raised the priestly council met to determine what could be done to stop the one who dare speak against them and capture the heart of the nation.  The evil intentions of the Jewish leaders is made evident during the council, they were not as concerned about His blasphemy as they were about losing their position and authority.  During the council the high priest Caiaphas unknowingly prophesied a message from God that one man should die for the people and not that the whole nation should perish. From God's perspective things were right on schedule, His plan for the death of His Son was not only to die for the nation but that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad (the Gentiles).  Jesus was sent to die for all mankind, but not quite yet.  He would withdraw from public life until the Passover and head to a village called Ephraim in northern Judea.  There and on His final journey to Jerusalem for the Passover several events and teachings occur, we will look at those over the next two weeks starting with the ten lepers tomorrow.

Raising Lazarus

John 11:1-44
It is about a month before Passover and time now for Jesus to travel from Perea back to Bethany. As you hopefully recall Jesus was summoned to heal His friend Lazarus, who had suddenly fallen ill.  Jesus however, delayed going in order to fully demonstrate the power of God over death, meanwhile He continued teaching. Earlier He manifested His divinity to the disciples through His transfiguration and spoke to them of His own resurrection.  It was important for them to grasp His power over death if they were to carry on Gods message and withstand the evil forces that would come against them in the days and years ahead.  When Jesus and the disciples arrived on the scene in Bethany a funeral was in progress.  His friend Lazarus died four days earlier, his body lay in a sealed tomb, and many Jewish leaders, offering comfort, surrounded the grieving family. The timing was perfect, the stage was set, a dramatic demonstration of His power was about to unfold and yet the most tender words that are written in all of scripture (in my opinion) reveal the compassionate nature of Jesus.  He wept.  I can't even begin to imagine what all He was thinking and feeling. I can understand though that His heart was so moved in that moment that He was overwhelmed with deep human emotion.  John also records for us that Jesus groaned in the spirit and was troubled, undoubtedly internally talking with the Father.  Then in that moment He orders the stone sealing the tomb to be taken away.  Now Jesus looks toward heaven and speaks audibly to God, not for the sake of bringing Lazarus to life which could have been done without a spoken word.  It was in order that everyone there would know that He wasn't there by or for Himself but rather for them to know and believe He was sent by the Father...only God could resurrect from the dead.  Lazarus, come forth was the command....and he did, still wrapped in grave clothes Jesus instructed those nearby to loose him, and let him go.  How astonishing it must have been in that moment to all those witnessing Lazarus coming back to life.  There was no mistaking his death, he had been dead for days and yet here...now...he stood before them, alive and well!  This miracle accomplished great things for it says that many of the Jews who saw what Jesus did, believed in Him.  It also accomplished something dreadfully unthinkable, which we will look at tomorrow.

Humility

Luke 17: 7-10
Jesus finishes His lessons to the disciples with the illustration of a master and his servant.  Something they could really relate to since it was a common practice in the culture they lived in.  The servant wouldn't think of coming in and expect his master to take care of him (the servant) even if he did have a long hard day in the field, after all he is a servant. The servant shouldn't think he is going to get special treatment just because he did what was his duty to do.  In contrast, the Jewish leaders had become so important in their own eyes that they expected to be treated with fanfare...like royalty I suppose.  They saw themselves as the servants of the Most High God, which in their minds meant they were superior to all others.  But Jesus is squelching this type of attitude right here...if you are going to be my servant just do what I ask of you, faithfully serve and don't think yourself more important than you really are. Jesus was setting a tone of humility for His faithful ones which is so important when you are serving and see enormous changes begin to happen as a result of all that faith you will be exercising because you have been challenged beyond measure what you know you can do yourself and need the Lord to empower you to overcome sin, forgive others and not cause others to stumble.  Hope that makes sense...if not read the lesson backwards, that might help.

Increasing Faith

Luke 17:5-6

The disciples find themselves utterly unable to measure up to the standards Jesus is requiring of them.  They have lived with Him day and night for nearly three years.  They have seen unbelievable supernatural miracles time and time again.  Thousands of people fed in the desert by food that just suddenly multiplied, lame & sick people healed, demonically tormented people set free, horrific destructive weather instantly changed, Jesus Himself walking on water.  Jesus teaches truths of life that touch their hearts and changes their lives....transforms them...brings together in friendship arch enemies.  They desperately want to serve Him but find themselves sorely lacking when it comes to their inner man.  They realize they must have more faith if they are ever going to please and faithfully serve Him.  "Lord, increase our faith!" What an encouragement Jesus is to them,  he tells them, "you know even if you only have a teeny tiny little itty bitty teensy weensy bit of faith you can do huge miracles in the Kingdom of God", (my paraphrasing again). I mean you almost need a magnifying glass to see a mustard seed.  He is telling them you don't need a whole lot of faith, just even a little bit of faith is something to start with.  Just step out and see what grows and develops...start with what you do have faith to believe for and it will increase as you begin to serve me. 

Never-ending Forgiveness

Luke 17:3-4
As my disciples really think about what you are doing, I want you to help your fellow disciples do what is right by telling them the hard truth and if they sin against you personally forgive them....again and again and again and again, keep on forgiving them!  Never stop forgiving them!  Just make forgiving others a way of life.  This is my paraphrase of what Jesus is saying to the disciples in these verses. I can't say someone has ever offended me seven times in one day, if they did I don't think I would have the grace to keep forgiving them as many times as the Lord requires.  As I was preparing to write this devotion I sat here thinking about someone offending me over and over again in the same way each time. I could see me politely forgiving at first but after a time or two rage, anger, resentment, and bitterness would have me rip into them.  Forgive the same offense over and over again? I have trouble forgiving my husband for using my dish towel to dry his hands how am I ever going to master this seven times a day thing or harder yet seven times seventy. I can imagine at this point the disciples sitting there absorbing all of what Jesus is saying, which prompted their next response..."Lord, increase our faith"!  I'm with you guys, my only hope is that with God NOTHING is impossible. 

Offenses

Luke 17:1-10
Before heading to raise Lazarus Jesus concludes His time with the disciples in Perea with four lessons.  They need to be careful that they do not lead others astray (v 1-2), to mercifully forgive those who sin against them (v 3-4), to put into practice their faith (v 5-6), and not to think they should be treated in a special way by God but realize they are merely His slaves and should expect to serve Him (v 7-10).

Luke 17:1-2
"It is impossible that offenses will not come", Jesus stated the obvious to the disciples, and to us, yet how many times are we surprised when an offense happens toward us.  Jesus was reminding them that we live in a fallen world, it is inevitable that someone will sin against or hurt us in someway, either knowingly or unknowingly.  Then He went on to tell them what was expected of their behavior as His followers...be very careful not to offend or lead others astray yourselves.  I'm sure He had the Jewish leaders in mind with this instruction.  Many were being lost to the true way of faith because the Pharisees and other types of spiritual leaders were ambitiously following their own truth not Gods, in many ways it still happens today.  As true followers let's be especially mindful of how our actions affect others, remember that His burden is light because all we really need to do is love others in the same way He loves us.  Love never fails.

Rich Man

Luke 16: 19-31
Jesus continues to share with His disciples the true value of the Kingdom by telling them the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.  (I think it is interesting to note that He used the name Lazarus in this story just as He is preparing to go to Bethany, to His friend Lazarus, who He would raise from the dead in just a few short days.)  This, to me, is just one of those scary parables.  It really lays it on the line as far as the reality of hell and the consequences of not following God's ways.  No matter how much the rich man begged it could not change the fact that while he was alive he held no belief in Moses, the prophets, or the Messiah, he lived his life lavishly for himself with no compassion for others, his fate was sealed.  In contrast, the beggar Lazarus was comforted and found peace...a beautiful picture of the eternal fellowship awaiting those who trust in the one who would soon be resurrected.  Money, we see the effects every day of the corruption greed causes.  As with the rich man in this story, money blinds and ensnares so subtly we barely recognize its hold on us.  Take for example tithe, giving to the Lord's Kingdom work, checkbooks don't lie and is a great litmus test for the heart.  Do we say to the Lord, "Lord, I offer to you first, for the work of the Kingdom, what I made this week ", or do we say to ourselves, "God surely knows I barely have enough to get by as it is and will understand I can't afford to give anything right now, maybe later?"  We can't serve God and money.

Shrewd Steward

Luke 16:1-13
John Battle, in his outline Christ in the Gospels says, "Jesus required His diciples to follow God, and not to love the world, especially money.  The parable of the rich man's shrewd manager illustrated how money should be made subservient to fostering human relationships...".  There it is, the reason the shrewd manager was commended, I always wondered about that and why he was commended for what seemed like mismanagement at best or thievery at it's worst.  The steward though, seeking future relationship with other businessmen, didn't allow money to rule the day, as did the Pharisees who were "lovers of money".  Some commentaries say the steward may have even lessened his own commission in order to ensure himself future dealings after he was fired, yes, how shrewd. The next parable that follows regarding the rich man and Lazarus, John Battle goes on to say, concerns how the love of money can blind people to the real needs of themselves and others. It is clear that in this portion of scripture Jesus is emphasizing the famous command, "You cannot serve both God and Money".  He instructs us to be faithful in small things and we will be entrusted with more...the true riches (of a heavenly nature)!

Lost Son

Luke 15:11-32
For me this is one of those portions of scripture I would rather just skip over because, I admit, the parable of the prodigal son is my least favorite of all the parables.  I was not looking forward to writing about this since I side with where the older son is coming from, and thought the lost son didn't deserve the royal treatment he received.  I mean look at how selfish the lost son is...demanding a fortune he didn't earn, blowing it all on drinking and illicit sex, and then returning for a hand out.  Now I know he didn't ask for the red carpet to roll out for him, it was the Father's mercy that provided for that but come on, it just seems like rewarding the lost son for doing wrong and taking the older Son for granted.  Well, obviously I have to step back, confess my sinful attitude and ask the Lord to help me see and receive this message the way He intended.  What I get is the understanding that I am seeing things from a human perspective not from a spiritual one...not from His perspective.  In the larger sense this is an illustration of the Pharisees response at the prospect of a sinner becoming acceptable to God. On a more practical level for us it may be an unmerciful superior attitude...the one that says, "I can't believe he/she, after being an alcoholic, or homosexual, stealing, or having an abortion can come to Jesus and act like nothing ever happened.  We think, "How can they just be forgiven for all that they have done and act like they did nothing wrong?" "That seems rather convenient", we say to ourselves, "to act like nothing ever happened"! What I think this parable and the last two parables are telling us, is that we have a loving Heavenly Father who seeks for, rejoices over, and runs to embrace us when we have come to our senses and turn to Him. Jesus wants us to see that He is ready to forgive anyone, the wayward lost soul and the self-important, hard-working, loyal, law-abiding legalist; both are in need of salvation. Neither son fully understood mercy, I pray that we can. 

Lost Coin

Luke 15:8-10
Right now in my house, this parable could read, "Or what woman, having a very nice cell phone (with a qwerty keyboard), if she loses it, does not light a lamp, sweep, the house, and search carefully hoping to find it? And would certainly call (or text) everyone to say, 'Rejoice with me', for I have found the piece which I lost!" I might even blog about it too!   But I'm not rejoicing yet since I still can't find it. :(  I can certainly however, identify with this woman now who searched diligently for something very precious. Don't you think Jesus is emphasizing here that our spiritual connection to Him should be so important to us that we will thoroughly search for it.  Can you imagine that the woman who lost the coin was singularly focused, almost driven to find that precious piece? Think of something special you have lost lately, how important did it become to you to find?  Now, let's think about our relationship with Jesus, how diligently do we search for Him in our daily life? How valuable is fellowship with Jesus and eternal life with the Father to us? Remember His promise, "ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened.  Ask, seek, and knock...be diligent, conscientious, vigilant in attaining fellowship with Jesus and we will not be disappointed, we will be found by Him!  And just think how excited even the angels will be!

Lost Sheep

Luke 15:1-7
Sometimes, it seems hard to understand the mindset of the Pharisees and scribes, here they are complaining about Jesus associating with tax collectors, and "sinners".  They being the spiritual leaders of the day should have compassion for them, instead they are disgusted by them.  I read that in their culture if you ate at the same table with someone it meant that you approved of them, I guess they saw Jesus as approving of their lifestyle rather than just loving them for who they were.  Jesus replied to the Jewish leaders with a series of beautiful and famous parables which all have the same theme...being lost and then found.   In each one the lesson is the same, Jesus came to save sinners which should bring praise to God.  He begins with one lost sheep being found and compares the joy of finding that one sheep to heavens rejoicing over one sinner who repents. It is the hope of a changed heart that Jesus associated with the undesirable. Jesus came to seek and save those who where lost, I couldn't be more grateful that He did.  He spoke at the end of the parable about those who need no repentance...who is that...haven't we all sinned and come short?  Yes, the scriptures speak to that fact but I believe His statement was a rehtorical way of describing the attitude of the Jewish teachers of the day, they believed they didn't need to repent because they weren't lost, an attitude any of us are capable of I'm afraid and one we all need to guard ourselves against.

Discipleship

Luke 14:25-35
Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living".  As Jesus was traveling great multitudes went with Him, pursuing for various reasons I'm sure. It was time for them to count the cost of following Him, to examine their life and relationship to Him.  The essence of discipleship, he told them, is giving Him first place. Jesus begins with explaining that they must forsake all one's family and then carry His cross.  Not literally but in terms of first love, rejection, and suffering.  One must be ready to be rejected by those who do not honor Jesus and suffer humiliation for His sake.  He uses the illustration of a man building a tower and of a king going to war.  His final comparison of discipleship is to salt with saltiness...meaning that an ineffective commitment means being cast aside...not fit for use.  Remaining useful to God means remaining faithful to Him.  As we travel this Lenten journey of examination this portion of scriptures seems particularly relevant...am I counting the costs...forsaking all...willing to suffer rejection for Him.  We must count the cost to be a disciple of Jesus, that certainly is a life worth living.

Teaching

Luke 14: 1-24
John 11:1-16 tells us that while Jesus was ministering in Perea He received word that His beloved friend Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, was sick and dieing. The emotional appeal was for Him to come quickly back to Bethany in Judea (just two miles from Jerusalem) while there was still time.  Notice the intensity of the situation as Thomas, His disciple, knowing the extreme danger, was ready to defend Jesus to the death.  Jesus acknowledged the sickness but intentionally delayed His return, not out of fear knowing they were seeking His arrest, rather once again following the timetable that would bring glory to God. During this brief delay Jesus taught the teachings preserved for us in Luke 13-17.  Of the three charges the Pharisees tried to convict Jesus of, failure to observe cleanliness rituals, associating with people of low reputation, and working on the Sabbath, the third was the most serious as they could use Scriptural commands against working on that day. Wanting to mount evidence against Jesus a Pharisee invited Him to dinner with the express purpose of finding sin in Him. That was some dinner party!  Jesus not only healed the man with dropsy but spent the evening sharing examples and parables that taught the importance of humility and service in the kingdom of God, after noticing the guests jockeying for position at the table.  In an effort to show that works of mercy are acceptable and good on the Sabbath He begins with an example of saving a donkey or ox by pulling them from the well.  Their laws allowed for an ox to be pulled from a well on the Sabbath but wanted to keep Jesus from rescuing a human being.  Jesus goes on to explain that true followers of the Kingdom don't pridefully demand the best for themselves but rather humble themselves seeking the best for others.  True hospitality and service is given to those who can not repay you and God will not overlook your service to Him. He ends the evening with The Parable of the Great Supper in which a man gives a great feast and invites many but one by one they give excuses for not coming.  The man becomes very angry and invites the poor, maimed, lame, and the blind (those rejected by society). Having still more room at the table invitations go out to those in the highways and hedges (the gentiles).  It is a stern warning to those at this Pharisees dinner party that even though they may think they are God's chosen elite they need to exam themselves for they may be excluded from the Kingdom.  Next we are told in Luke of great multitudes going with Jesus while He explains the cost of discipleship and His further response to the Pharisees regarding His association with sinners.  We will look at those teachings this coming week.  This has been quite alot to ponder for today.

Salvation

Luke 13:22-30

"and many believed in Him there" (John 10:42)...Luke begins the Perean ministry with the inquisitive question presented to Jesus, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" I can imagine there were all types of people surrounding Him there, He had gained many followers, religious leaders also came testing Him, recent converts of John were in this area, and even the sick of whom Jesus "healed many" were there. This is where John had baptized many and subsequently where John called into question Herod's marital relationship which resulted in Him being imprisoned and killed. We are not told who asked Jesus this question but based on His indirect answer (because Jesus always answers according to the thoughts and intents of the heart) it isn't hard to imagine one in the religious crowd trying to ensnare Him once again and lessen His reputation.  Jewish leaders taught that all Israel should have a place in the world to come but Jesus was telling them to, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate", suggesting that you can only attain salvation on God's terms not their own.  Jesus went on to remind them that in the coming kingdom the old testament patriarchs and prophets would be feasting with many from all over the world, alluding to the Gentiles being included.  Whoever asked the question one thing about the answer is clear, some are excluded because He didn't know them.  The Master of the house rises up and shuts the door.  What door? The door of distinction, the door of mercy and grace that has allowed all those who believe to freely come and sup with the Master.  The time will come when God's presence can not be gained any longer, we must enter through the narrow gate now before the door is shut.  He tells us it is not enough to know or even teach about Him if you don't, in your heart, believe or trust Him. Jesus has already told them earlier, "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture."  We must trust in Jesus or be excluded.  Rather than to ask how many will be saved a better question would be to ask, "Shall I be saved?".  The answer of course can be a resounding yes! The door is still open and their is still access through the narrow gate.  The scriptures say, "Today is the day of salvation"....we must cry out like the Philippian jailer who said, "What must I do to be saved"...the answer is simply, "if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10: 9&10.  I can see why, "many believed in Him there", John had prepared the way for many to believe in the Messiah and now they could see that this man was the one...the Messiah had come.  Our Messiah...to those who believe.  Good place to start the Perean path, confessing to Jesus our belief in His death as the sacrifice for sin and His resurrection from the dead. Then He will know us for sure and I would really rather be at the feast supping with the saints than where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth...and I want all of you at the feast too!

Perea

 Matthew 19:1; Mark 10:1; Luke 13:40; John 10:40
Well, I found out the number and order of events in Jesus' journey throughout Perea is not as absolutely definitive as I thought, but there is some generally accepted chronology that we will use which can give us a good idea of the flow of His life and teachings.  These verses above speak of Jesus going beyond the Jordan which is the region of Perea, a territory east of the Jordan river ruled by Herod Antipas.  It is inhabited by the Israelite Tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh.  The Perean ministry began with Jesus' departure from Galilee and ended with His final trip to Jerusalem.  And even though it began in Perea Jesus did not always stay in that region, during this time He also traveled to Bethany, Ephraim, Galilee, and Jericho.  In His heart and mind though He was always "making His way" ultimately to Jerusalem. Luke is the gospel most closely associated with this period of Jesus' ministry.  The other gospels make mention of various teachings and events but Luke offers the main source of information for this period.  Jesus' teachings during this time cover a broad range of subjects but He is primarily teaching His disciples what is required to be a follower of His.  He uses a number of parables to give understanding on our relationship to money, people, and life in general.  There are only four recorded miracles throughout this last three months the emphasis seems to be on strengthening His disciples for what the future holds.  As I am reflecting on this aspect of Jesus ministry It seems pretty apropos to what I and maybe others in the body of Christ need at this time and I can't wait to get into the heart of His teaching.  This is going to be a good Spring Training I do believe. I also wanted to draw your attention to the passage in John 10:40-42 when Jesus went back to where He was baptized.  It says in verse 42, "and many believed in Him there"...it seems significant, what do you think? 
P.S. See you Monday...just a reminder...lent is observed six days a week and doesn't include Sunday since that day represents a celebration of Jesus' victory over sin and death.  Lent rather is the preparation of the believer through prayer, repentance, giving, and self-denial for the annual commemoration of Easter or in our case Spiritual Spring Training for our daily walk with our Redeemer with a special emphasis on His Resurrection from the dead.

Samaria

Luke 9:51
Okay, so let me sum up...Jesus was baptized by John some three years earlier and began His public ministry.  He gathers followers, cleanses the temple in Jerusalem for the first time (He does it twice) which insights the religious crowd. He then travels throughout Galilee for approximately 12-18 months miraculously healing the sick and feeding multitudes of people, delivering the demonically enslaved, and teaching the truth about the Kingdom of God.  For a short while He withdraws from Galilee and continues to prepare His disciples giving them a fuller revelation of who He is and His impending death, hence the Transfiguration and the voice from Heaven. The first indication that Jesus was turning his attention toward His final suffering in Jerusalem was when He was in Samaria, "Now it came to pass, when the time was come that He should be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem" Luke 9:51. Wanting to manage the growing conflict with the Jewish leaders to God's timetable He travels throughout Judea for three months and then turns towards the Perean region for approximately another three months, back to where He began His ministry...the baptismal waters of John the Baptist, how fitting. It is the Perean ministry I would like to concentrate on for the next few weeks and then end our final week of Lenten season with the Passion week of Christ.  Well, I think the Lord has our course set for us now and I know He will richly bless us each day as we seek and search to know more about His Beloved Son, in whom He is well pleased...may the Lord open our ears to hear him.

Transfiguration

Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-35; 2 Peter 1:16-18
Caesarea Philippi/A.D. 29

"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!"  This startling revelation came again a second time from a voice in the heavens. Jesus once more received from God the Father glory and honor.  Leading up to the Transfiguration, in all three Gospels Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, Jesus predicts His death and resurrection to the disciples, and Jesus explains that the cost of following Him would mean losing your own life, high stakes but eternal rewards.  Jesus is preparing his disciples to understand what His Messiahship truly meant, in particular Peter, James, and John.  A few days later Jesus toke those three disciples up to a mountain, transcends time and pulls back His humanity for a brief moment.  He becomes radiant with the Glory He once had in the Heavenlies and in the midst of this grandeur He is seen speaking with Moses and Elijah about His impending death in Jerusalem. Now, it seems to me the drama is mounting and at this point I would think the disciples adrenalin would be pumping so much they would be beside themselves but Luke records that, "the disciples were heavy with sleep".  I don't even know what to say about that except if the truth be known it is probably something I would do too...how pathetic.  I'm wondering now if the Father was using His 'parental' voice when He spoke to the disciples.  Maybe He was waking them up!  Not sure where we are headed tomorrow, after I wake up I will see what happened next and report back.  Blessings!

Baptism

Matthew 3:1-17; Mark 1:1-9; Luke 3:1-22; John 1:19-34
By tradition Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lenten season, a forty day period of repentance and reflection leading to the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ on Easter.  A day historically set to vigilantly consider yourself before God and repent, for some it is even done symbolically with ashes on their head.  Personally I don't have that tradition ingrained and view repentance as an act that is continually done in a daily growing walk with the Lord as He convicts me through His Holy Spirit.  However, I do like that attitude (of repentance) as a starting point and see it as a good beginning to this devotional journal.  Christ certainly was not in need of repentance...being perfect, but it pleased the Father that in the fulness of time (I just love that term) His Son would come and fulfill all righteousness, beginning His ministry with baptism.  John, the forerunner preparing the way for the Messiah, urged all to bring fruits worthy of repentance...a different way of thinking...a changed life.  Turning from sin and living rightous lives, not ceremonial living, not hollow traditions but rather a life baptised in the very Spirit of the Living God.  A spiritual life of belief and trust that leads to rightousness and peace in spite of circumstances.  An inward life lived in a close relationship with the Heavenly Father made possible now through the coming of His Son, well you get the idea.  Jesus' baptism though was not admitting He was sinful and needed to change, He was consecrating Himself to His ministry.  We though, having no power of our own over a sinful nature, need the power that comes from above and can only be found through Jesus.  Now, in water baptism we are identifying ourselves with Jesus, in effect saying we are putting off the old man and putting on a new one.  We are now clothing ourselves in a new way of life, learning to please God and longing for the same words the Father spoke to Jesus at His baptism, "This is my beloved Son (or daughter:-), in whom I am well pleased".   This brings me to where we are headed next in our forty day journey to know Jesus better.  There are only two times in scripture that God spoke from heaven, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased", once was as Jesus came out of the water at His baptism and the other one we will find out about tomorrow.  So I hope to see you then!

For a deeper look at repentance visit (but be prepared to get serious): http://www.frontlinemin.org/repentance.asp