Luke 14
12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
I have often been invited to other peoples homes to eat dinner when I could not afford to invite them to my home because I couldn't afford to feed them. This simple command from the Lord is clear that those people who fed me have rewards in heaven. I am called, now that I have more means, to do likewise to others less fortunate than me. Now, do I obey the Lord or do I ignore Him?
Lord, Forgive me for not caring for those less fortunate than me as I should. Remove my selfishness and replace it with a generous spirit. Thank you for being so generous to me and my family. You have lavished my family with food, drink, peace, and love. Help me see the people already in my life that I can be generous to. I am willing to obey your command. Jon
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Hypocrisy.
Luke 12
Warnings and Encouragements
1 Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be[a] on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 3 What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.
I have said some stuff in my day that I definitely do not want shouted from the roof of my house. How about you? Of course we all have. Jesus puts us in our place and he encourages us to cling to him and to stay away from the "yeast" of the Pharisees, who were hypocrits. My counselor once told me that in all his years of counseling teenagers that the one thing that made them most mad at a parent was hypocrisy. When their parents would tell them not to do something and then turn right around and do it themselves they would get very upset. I can relate to that. We all can of course.
Once, when I was about 13, my Dad caught me smoking. I can remember how afraid I was when he caught me. I was hiding in our back yard and he silently walked up beside me and asked in very level tone, "What ya doing son?". I hurriedly snuffed the cigarette and tried to fan away the smoke and answered in a squeaky voice "Nothing". He moved along side me and I actually remember fearing for my life for a second as he squeezed my shoulder till it hurt me. Then he began to speak. Honestly, I don't remember what he said. I think he tried to put the fear of God in me. I was quite afraid. My dad had an imposing personality. He didn't talk long and then he left me alone outside under the stars. I stood there, confused for quite a while, still churning fromt he emotional aspect of it all. He had mentioned no punishment. I wasn't sure what would happen next. Eventually, and I don't recall how long I was outside, I must have come back inside, though I don't remember anything else about the evening. The lack of memory indicates that nothing substantial happened.
As I think on it, I actually do not recall my Dad ever punishing me for smoking. The question is why? I am sure now that he knew I was smoking. I stopped smoking around the house of course but continued to steal his packs of cigarettes from his cartons. Did he really not notice I was taking his whole packs of cigarettes? Maybe, he didn't. Only he knows. Later, when I turned 18, he told me that he knew I smoked and said I was old enough to do what I wanted and invited me to smoke with him on the back porch. I was so proud of being a real man at that moment.
Why do I think he didn't ever punish or rebuke me? I think now that it was because my dad did not want to be a hypocrit. I think the feeling of being hypocritical was something my dad wanted to avoid so much that he couldn't bring himself to say anthing to me about smoking. Of course, there is another issue here for each of us to ponder.
Right now, I know that there are behaviors I tell my kids to do or not do and when I think no one is looking I do that very thing myself. It makes me sick at the heart sometimes when I think about it now, but often in the moment I justify this behavior with inner thoughts of how it is different rules for me because I'm the adult, etc as nauseam. But what does Jesus say about this? Jesus says, "Jon, beware of the yeast of the Pharisees."
Beware! The words bring up "Beware of dog!" imagery in my mind. Why does Jesus use such a strong word here? It's obvious by now.
If I am not willing to address a sin in my life I better not beat my kids up over it. What I need to do is pull the plank out of my own eye and then help my kids with their problem.
God, I know you have forgiven me of all my past, present, and future sins by your blood shed on the cross. I don't want to be a hypocrit with my children. Make it clear to me when I am being hypocritcal with others. Help me to avoid sin and have you remove any habitual sins from my life. Amen
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Woe the Experts in the Law
This passage speaks to me about being careful not to become a Pharisee. I should proclaim the moral law (i.e. do not lie, cheat, commit adultery, be sexually perverse, etc.), but if I don't help those who are breaking it I am breaking the most important law, the law of love and mercy.
God, Forgive me and show me how to help those who are bound up by their sin as I once was. Amen.
Luke11
42 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.
43 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.
44 “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.”
45 One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”
46 Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.
47 “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. 48 So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. 49 Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’ 50 Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.
52 “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”
53 When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, 54 waiting to catch him in something he might say.
God, Forgive me and show me how to help those who are bound up by their sin as I once was. Amen.
Luke11
42 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.
43 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.
44 “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.”
45 One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”
46 Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.
47 “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. 48 So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. 49 Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’ 50 Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.
52 “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”
53 When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, 54 waiting to catch him in something he might say.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The Title of My Blog
Over the last several years I have learned Jesus is God. Of course, I should have known this before. After all, I was saved at around 10 years of age. Why did I miss this? Why did I not understand this? There were several reasons. I didn't read the Bible. I wasn't brought to church regularly. I did not pray daily. I did not hang out with Christians. These are things I do now, so consequentially I am learning about Jesus. That is why this blog is entitled "Who is Jesus?". I am learning about how clearly Jesus shows who he is. The Bible is my standard. Thank you Lord for bringing me out of the darkness into the light.
VERSE OF STUDY FOR TODAY
Luke 10
1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
I am struggling with the below passage from Luke 10:1-4. Specifically I am focusing on verses, 3 and 4 because they seem to be jumping out at me today. In verse 3, Jesus is tellling me to go into the world. First I ask this obvious question. Is Jesus even talking to me? The fact is he was talking to 72 followers. He was not talking to the 12 disciples was he? It doesn't appear so, because in verse one he calls them 72 others. Wait, I've always been taught that I was a disciple of Jesus. Am I? I would argue based on this that I am one of these 72 others and not a disciple. Why? First off, I don't want to give myself even that much credit and second, I don't spend all day with Jesus yet (big grin) just a few hours in the morning. So, I will say for arguments sake, and the fact that no scholar will prove me wrong (since no scholar will read this blog), that I am more of a "follower" than a disciple. Let's say for the purposes of this discussion that I am 1 of the 72 and not 1 of the 12. (Don't get me wrong here. I want to be a disciple. I just wonder whether I have even reached the disciple level yet, if there is such a thing.)
So, using that premise of being one of the 72 followers mentioned below, Jesus is telling me to go into the world and make other followers, right? He says, go into the world as "lambs among wolves". So, here I go with my little lamb self surrounded by wolves. I can relate to that. I am not even a grown up sheep. Grown up sheep are dumb, and I am even dumber than them. Sounds about right (smile)! But let's move on to Verse 4. Jesus says, to the little lamb, to not to take purse, bag, or sandals and to not greet anyone on the road. What!? I have learned about sheep a bit. Sheep are helpless creatures. Here Jesus is telling these baby sheep, lambs, to go out into the world with nothing. He tells the baby sheep to take no money, clothes, or shoes. So Jesus tells the baby sheep go on out into that pack of wolves with nothing to protect them. How long does he expect the baby sheep to last? I imagine that a pack of wolves will tear apart a grown sheep. A herd of grown sheep would probably be scattered and several would be killed by a the wolf pack. What would they do to one baby sheep with nothing to protect itself?! They'd have their meal served to them, that's what would happen. They wouldn't have to run after the lamb at all. They would just surround the lamb, kill it, and begin the meal. But wait! Jesus says I do get a companion. Great! I am not alone! I have someone to watch my back! I have... I get help from a ... lamb?!!! Another lamb with nothing to defend itself!? (Yes I am being incredulous here!) Are you kidding me Jesus?!! Well at least the wolves will have more lamb meat to go around. So, why does Jesus make this statement? Come on, it's obvious! Even a kindergartener who's been raised in a church knows the answer! Jesus is protecting the lambs! Wait, so that means they will not be killed! Yah! Jesus will protect them!!! Great! I don't have to be afraid!!! I will be taken care of! I won't get eaten by the wolves (nothing about not getting banged up a bit though). So, it's all good. So why am I so sad about this scripture. It's clear to me why I am sad. I am sad because I haven't done this, or if I have, I am not doing it enough. Not nearly enough.
You see, one of my goals is to bring one 1,000 people to know Christ. I made this goal around a year ago. I made this goal, because of what Jesus has done and is continuing to do for me. He is giving me joy, peace, love, and the ability to believe in Him more and more. I have more power and purpose than ever before. I am free of many sins that have plagued me for years. I am becoming someone I actually like to see in the mirror. The closer I get to God, to Jesus, the closer I want to become. He has given me a new heart. I want to love like he loved. I want be like Jesus. I know that some of you will read this and mock me. Some of you may read this and say, "Well Jon was always idealistic." or "Jon has always had such a good heart." or "Has Jon lost his marbles?!" Heck, I might have said those things about you several years ago had you been writing this stuff. The truth is that the person I used to be would likely I not have read the first sentence of this blog simply based on the title. Well, thanks for reading this. If you got this far God bless and forgive me if I revealed too much. I do that sometimes.
I love you all. I know God will help me in this journey. Thanks and Praise to God.
VERSE OF STUDY FOR TODAY
Luke 10
1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
I am struggling with the below passage from Luke 10:1-4. Specifically I am focusing on verses, 3 and 4 because they seem to be jumping out at me today. In verse 3, Jesus is tellling me to go into the world. First I ask this obvious question. Is Jesus even talking to me? The fact is he was talking to 72 followers. He was not talking to the 12 disciples was he? It doesn't appear so, because in verse one he calls them 72 others. Wait, I've always been taught that I was a disciple of Jesus. Am I? I would argue based on this that I am one of these 72 others and not a disciple. Why? First off, I don't want to give myself even that much credit and second, I don't spend all day with Jesus yet (big grin) just a few hours in the morning. So, I will say for arguments sake, and the fact that no scholar will prove me wrong (since no scholar will read this blog), that I am more of a "follower" than a disciple. Let's say for the purposes of this discussion that I am 1 of the 72 and not 1 of the 12. (Don't get me wrong here. I want to be a disciple. I just wonder whether I have even reached the disciple level yet, if there is such a thing.)
So, using that premise of being one of the 72 followers mentioned below, Jesus is telling me to go into the world and make other followers, right? He says, go into the world as "lambs among wolves". So, here I go with my little lamb self surrounded by wolves. I can relate to that. I am not even a grown up sheep. Grown up sheep are dumb, and I am even dumber than them. Sounds about right (smile)! But let's move on to Verse 4. Jesus says, to the little lamb, to not to take purse, bag, or sandals and to not greet anyone on the road. What!? I have learned about sheep a bit. Sheep are helpless creatures. Here Jesus is telling these baby sheep, lambs, to go out into the world with nothing. He tells the baby sheep to take no money, clothes, or shoes. So Jesus tells the baby sheep go on out into that pack of wolves with nothing to protect them. How long does he expect the baby sheep to last? I imagine that a pack of wolves will tear apart a grown sheep. A herd of grown sheep would probably be scattered and several would be killed by a the wolf pack. What would they do to one baby sheep with nothing to protect itself?! They'd have their meal served to them, that's what would happen. They wouldn't have to run after the lamb at all. They would just surround the lamb, kill it, and begin the meal. But wait! Jesus says I do get a companion. Great! I am not alone! I have someone to watch my back! I have... I get help from a ... lamb?!!! Another lamb with nothing to defend itself!? (Yes I am being incredulous here!) Are you kidding me Jesus?!! Well at least the wolves will have more lamb meat to go around. So, why does Jesus make this statement? Come on, it's obvious! Even a kindergartener who's been raised in a church knows the answer! Jesus is protecting the lambs! Wait, so that means they will not be killed! Yah! Jesus will protect them!!! Great! I don't have to be afraid!!! I will be taken care of! I won't get eaten by the wolves (nothing about not getting banged up a bit though). So, it's all good. So why am I so sad about this scripture. It's clear to me why I am sad. I am sad because I haven't done this, or if I have, I am not doing it enough. Not nearly enough.
You see, one of my goals is to bring one 1,000 people to know Christ. I made this goal around a year ago. I made this goal, because of what Jesus has done and is continuing to do for me. He is giving me joy, peace, love, and the ability to believe in Him more and more. I have more power and purpose than ever before. I am free of many sins that have plagued me for years. I am becoming someone I actually like to see in the mirror. The closer I get to God, to Jesus, the closer I want to become. He has given me a new heart. I want to love like he loved. I want be like Jesus. I know that some of you will read this and mock me. Some of you may read this and say, "Well Jon was always idealistic." or "Jon has always had such a good heart." or "Has Jon lost his marbles?!" Heck, I might have said those things about you several years ago had you been writing this stuff. The truth is that the person I used to be would likely I not have read the first sentence of this blog simply based on the title. Well, thanks for reading this. If you got this far God bless and forgive me if I revealed too much. I do that sometimes.
I love you all. I know God will help me in this journey. Thanks and Praise to God.
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