Maximizing God-Given Opportunities

This is the last lesson in this quarter. This posts relies heavily on the Biblical Illustrator from Lifeway and the Sadler Susday School Lesson Commentary, both of which I commend to the reader.

Maximizing Opportunities

I. COMMUNICATE CLEARLY (Acts 19:1-5)
II. BE AVAILABLE (Acts 19:8-10)
III. DON’T LET CONTROVERSY DETER YOU (Acts 19:23-28)

BIBLICAL SETTING: Acts 19 is the story of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus that resulted in a local church and many transformed lives. As Paul began his ministry in that city, he encountered disciples of John the Baptist who did not understand fully the role of the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit related to John’s baptism or to Jesus Himself. Paul’s explanation to these disciples is an excellent model on the importance of communicating clearly to those to whom we minister.

The Churches Around Ephesus -
by the Biblical the Illustrator staff.
[Edited] The message preached in the lecture hall triumphed over the scream in the theater. “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” The mob screamed the words as they rioted against Paul in the Great Theater at Ephesus (Acts 19:28-34, RSV). Her magnificent temple at Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. If it was any indication of greatness, she was, indeed, great. Paul’s meeting place, Tyrannus’ lecture hall (Acts 19:9, RSV) certainly was no match architecturally for the goddess’ lavishly decorated shrine.

Yet the splendid pagan edifice of Artemis (Diana) was destroyed about AD 262. Sometime later Ephesian Christians were worshiping in the two great church buildings they erected in and around the city. These also lie in ruin today, but they are impressive monuments to the success of Paul and a host of others in transforming a great pagan center into a powerful Christian city during the early centuries of the Christian era.
Ephesus was the primary city of Roman Asia in the New Testament era. Paul’s preaching to the Greeks, Jews, religious pilgrims, businessmen, and other residents there bore much fruit, as Acts 19 indicates.

Paul’s own statement that he would tarry in Ephesus because of “the wide door for effective work” which “God had opened reinforces this conclusion (1 Cor. 16:8-9, RSV).
Whether Paul or John the Evangelist (as another tradition has it) founded the church at Ephesus, later Christian sources show that the gospel continued to find fertile soil there. Revelation, written late in the New Testament era, pleads with the Ephesian Church to remember its former days of glory, to repent and receive a new spiritual vitality (Rev. 2:5). Outside the New Testament the letter of Ignatius of Antioch to Ephesus, written about AD 107, speaks favorable of the church’s Christian testimony. Several other second-century sources relate traditions that point to Ephesus’ continuing importance as a Christian center.

Ephesus was well-known for the magnificent temple to Artemis, and much of the city’s life circulated around it. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the structure was 165 feet by 345 feet in dimension and stood on a base 240 by 420 feet. The temple generated so much economy (a great deal of business) that it became an important trade for the whole region. Paganism and idolatry were associated with worship at the temple of this mother goddess who supposedly gave fertility to humankind.

Centuries later, on June 22, AD 431, 159 bishops, who constituted the Third Ecumenical Council, met in Ephesus and declared, among other things, the Mary was to be designated the “Mother of God.” This act gave official sanction to the growing devotion to Mary in the ancient Christian church and opened the door for further development of the doctrine of Mary. Ironically, in the city where pilgrims from all over the world had once assembled to worship Artemis, a giant step was taken toward the veneration of another female. SOURCE: Biblical Illustrator; LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention; Nashville, TN 37234.

Apollos – or Apollos (Απολλως) is mentioned several times in the New Testament. His special gifts in presenting Christian doctrine made him an important person in the congregation at Corinth after Paul's first visit there. 1 Cor. 3:6. He was with Paul at a later date in Ephesus (1 Cor. 16:12). In 1 Cor. 1:10-12 we read of four parties in the Corinthian church, of which two attached themselves to Paul and Apollos respectively, using their names, though the "division" can hardly have been due to conflicting doctrines, and there is no indication that Apollos favored or approved an overestimation of his person. Paul considered Apollos to be a valuable helper in carrying on his work in the important Corinthian congregation (1 Cor. 3:6, 4:6, 16:12).

In harmony with Paul's notices are the statements of Acts 18:24-28 that Apollos was a highly educated Alexandrian Jew, who came to Ephesus (probably in 54), was instructed more accurately in the gospel there by Aquila and Priscilla and afterwards settled in Achaia, where he showed himself useful to the Church by speaking and teaching with power and success.

It is difficult to get a correct idea of his religious standpoint; but it probably was that of the disciples of John the Baptist (Acts 19:1-7). Taken all in all, it may be said that Apollos was a zealous missionary, who, while confessing Jesus, did not have the full New Testament revelation, and stood in danger of becoming antagonistic to the apostolic message to all the world; he became, however, an adherent of the Pauline doctrine.
In the Epistle to Titus (3:13) Apollos is mentioned, with Zenas, as bearer of the letter to Crete. Martin Luther regarded Apollos as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, and many scholars since have shared his view.

ARTEMIS (ahr' tih mihs): names the Greek goddess of the moon, the daughter of Zeus and Leto, whose worship was threatened by Paul’s preaching of the gospel. Artemis was the goddess who watched over nature for both humans and animals. She was the patron deity of wild animals, protecting them from ruthless treatment and at the same time regulating the rules of hunting activities for humans. She was considered the great mother image and gave fertility to humankind. In the Greek homeland she was usually portrayed by the statues as a young, attractive virgin, wearing a short tunic and having her hair pulled back on her head. In Ephesus and western Asia Minor she was portrayed as a more mature woman. Her robe is draped in such a way as to expose her bosom that is covered with multiple breasts, depicting her gift of fertility and nurture. Often standing beside her is a fawn or stag on each side representing her relation to the animal world. The official local statue was carefully housed in a temple honoring Artemis.

The most famous statue was located in the city of Ephesus, the official “temple keeper” for Artemis. Artemis was the chief deity of Ephesus, and her temple was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The temple ceremonies were carried out by priests who were eunuchs and priestesses who were virgins. They conducted the daily ceremonies caring for the deity and for the gifts brought by worshipers, as well as an annual festival on May 25, when numerous statues of the goddess were carried in procession to the amphitheater in Ephesus for a celebration of music, dancing, and drama. This could be the background of the outcry in Acts 19:28: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.”

The statues of the goddess, often miniature models of the temple with an image of the goddess within, were sold widely. In Acts, a silversmith named Demetrius rallied support against Paul’s preaching of the gospel for fear that it might damage his business selling statues. Diana was a Roman deity somewhat similar to the more popular Artemis. As the Italic and Greek divinities met, she was quickly identified with Artemis. SOURCE: Holman Bible Dictionary; General Editor, David S. Dockery; Editorial Team, Trent C. Butler, Christopher L. Church, Linda L. Scott, Marsha A. Ellis Smith, James Emery White; Holman Bible Publishers; Nashville, Tennessee.

THE WAY (Acts 19:9,23; that way, KJV): One of the earliest designations for the Christian movement was “the Way,” a description peculiar to the Book of Acts (Acts 9:2; 24:14,22). Its exact origin is not known, and it is not certain that the Way ever became a formal name for Christianity. Similar terms are “the way of the Lord” (18:25) and “the way of God” (18:26). Perhaps Christians in the first century remembered the words of Christ recorded in John 14:6 and thus used the Way in an absolute sense that Jesus is the Messiah, the one and only Savior. So the term the Way stuck as an identifier of the Christian message. Behind the term is the idea of the way of the Lord as “the way of salvation” (Acts 16:17). The designation implies that the Christian faith is not just a set of beliefs but a way to live. It is not just the answer to our deepest questions, but the pathway to our highest fulfillment. The Christian faith is not just theology, it is life.

[The word “Way” is thought of as a natural path rather than a fixed highway. Thus, those on “the way” are blazing their own trail and not following the broad path that everybody else follows.]
SOURCE: FAMILY BIBLE STUDY, Life Ventures Leader Guide; LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention; One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN.

Maintaining a Heavenly Focus - Colossians 2:20a; 3:1-10, 12-14, 17

BIBLICAL SETTING OF COLOSSIANS
Edited by John R. Wible

Introduction and Summary – We begin a several week’s study of Paul’s Colossians. To aid the study, see below some backgrounds. I claim no authorship of this work and have sourced where possible. See: THE COLLEGE PRESS NIV COMMENTARY: PHILIPPIANS, COLOSSIANS, & PHILEMON by Anthony L. Ash, Ph.D.; New Testament Series Co-Editors: Jack Cottrell, Ph.D., Cincinnati Bible Seminar; Tony Ash, Ph.D., Abilene Christian University; COLLEGE PRESS PUBLISHING COMPANY, Joplin, Missouri. Clinton E. Arnold, “Colossae,” The Anchor Bible Dictionary, David Noel Freedman, ed., vol. 1 (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 1089. James D. G. Dunn, The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon, The New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), 21. Oian Petru Culianu and Cicerone Poghirc, “Sabazios,” The Encyclopedia of Religion, Mircea Eliade, ed, vol. 12 (New York: Macmillan), 500. Biblical Illustrator; LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention; Nashville, TN 37234; Fall 2003.

My general summary of the Book is that Paul expounds on what I believe is the heart of Jesus’ teaching which is the exhortation to “seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven,” and all this other stuff will be added unto you. Matt. 6:33; Lk. 12:31 (Revised Wible edition.) The theory being that since he who seeks will find (Lk. 11:9) if you but seek (keep on seeking) the kingdom of Heaven, you will find it and everything else in life that is important will flow from that.

Colossians is one of Paul’s four Prison Letters (along with Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon). These letters were written, [arguably,] during Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome (See Col. 4:18; Acts 28:30-31). Paul did not found the church at Colossae, a small town in western Asia Minor. However, he wrote to the Christians at Colossae and urged them to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. He urged them to set their minds on the revelation of God’s Word and will. The transformation of these early Christians into the image of Christ not only changed them but also the people and the world around them.

The City - Colosse had been a thriving and important city several centuries before Christ, but by the time this letter was written its importance had diminished considerably, and it was overshadowed by its neighbors Hierapolis and Laodicea, both short distances to the west. Colosse was approximately 100 miles east of Ephesus, located in the Lycus valley in Asia Minor (modern Turkey). It was located on a major trade route moving inland from the coast.
A severe earthquake had shaken Laodicea either in 60 or 64 AD, and it is supposed Colosse, being near, would also have suffered. This may have been one cause of a decline in population.

The primary economic significance was in textiles, and a highly prized wool came from the area. The site of the city was rediscovered in 1835, but it has not been excavated. The city is mentioned in the New Testament only in Paul’s letter.

The Church - Paul would have been in the general vicinity of Colosse during his Ephesian ministry (Acts 19) but there is no reference in Acts to a visit there, though Ephesus did become a mission center (Acts 19:10). In Colossians 1:4 Paul states that he had heard of the faith of the Colossians, and in 2:1 he speaks of those who had not met him personally. These notes, and the references to Epaphras in 1:7f and 4:12f have led to the conclusion that Paul had not personally visited the city (though he anticipated doing so—Phlm 22), and that Epaphras was the evangelist who founded the church (1:7f). Epaphras may also have founded the congregations in Hierapolis and Laodicea (Col 4:13, 16). Several Christians from Colosse are named by Paul, including Nympha, Archippus (Col 4:15, 17), Philemon, Apphia (Phlm 1f), and, of course, Epaphras. Epaphras had gone to visit Paul, and is designated in Philemon 23 as Paul’s “fellow prisoner.” The text of Colossians indicates the membership was primarily Gentiles, though the “heresy” which Paul opposed contains Jewish elements.

The Occasion - Personal information is generally shared in letters like Colossians. This would be especially important because there would be concern over Paul’s condition as a prisoner. The most likely theory is that Epaphras traveled to see Paul, primarily because of concern over certain teachings that were troubling the church and seemed to seriously diminish the significance of Christ. For some reason (imprisonment—Phlm 23?) Epaphras was unable to carry Paul’s letter back to Colosse, so that task was entrusted to Tychicus, who also carried a letter to Philemon, and who was accompanied by Onesimus, a runaway slave (Col 4:7-9; Phlm 12, 17).

But the troublesome teaching is the chief burden of the letter. Paul describes this heresy in 2:8, 16-23, and in the rest of the book he attacks it, either frontally or in more subtle ways. The nature of the heresy has been a continuing puzzlement to scholars, and many theoretical explanations have been offered. It seems to have involved Jewish elements (2:16f), angelic worship (2:18), and extreme asceticism (2:20-23). But attempts at more precise definition have had to recognize ambiguities in the text, problems with seeing a coherent relation of the elements of the false teaching, the incompleteness of Paul’s description (remembering he had to rely on the reports of others), and finding any known teaching from the period that embodied all these elements.

The effect of this teaching was to lessen the significance of Christ’s saving work. If the tenets of the heresy provided the path to salvation, then Christ’s sacrifice was not as important. The heresy seems to have imported another form of works salvation, much as the circumcision party in the church attempted to do. Paul attacks the error by a powerful affirmation of Christ’s identity (1:15-20) and his role in salvation. His thesis was that an understanding of Christ and life in Him would completely refute the heresy. In addition to the magnificent texts in 1:15-20 and 2:9-15 he constantly makes references to benefits which the heretics sought after, but which only Christ truly gave. These included such things as wisdom, knowledge, and fullness (cf. 1:8). Note also the references to the mystery (1:25; 2:2). Even the ethical appeals from 3:1-4:6 powerfully emphasize the relation of the ethical life to Christ.

Paul’s Locale - Commonly accepted tradition holds that Paul wrote Colossians and Philemon from Roman imprisonment. Acts 28. He doesn’t name the city, but numerous factors support Rome. Luke (Col 4:14) and Aristarchus (Col 4:10) were with him there, and were in Rome. Acts 27:2 (the “we” implies Luke). Acts indicates Paul’s Roman imprisonment was not unduly restrictive (Acts 28:30f) and this fits the relatively unfettered activities described in Col. 4:7-15. Onesimus was with Paul (Col 4:9; cf. Phlm) and it is quite possible he had migrated to Rome to lose himself in the urban populace. If we accept this hypothesis, Colossians would be dated in the early 60s. [Other scholarly theories of the place of origin exist, but I accept the Roman prison theory.][ SOURCE: THE COLLEGE PRESS NIV COMMENTARY: PHILIPPIANS, COLOSSIANS, & PHILEMON by Anthony L. Ash, Ph.D.; New Testament Series Co-Editors: Jack Cottrell, Ph.D., Cincinnati Bible Seminar; Tony Ash, Ph.D., Abilene Christian University; COLLEGE PRESS PUBLISHING COMPANY, Joplin, Missouri

The Problem Addressed – An analysis of Paul’s language in Colossians 3:5 reveals that the problem in the Colossian church concerned much more than simply false doctrine within the church. Paul was also concerned about Christians blurring boundaries between pagan and Christian cultures. For Paul, blurring constituted idolatry.

Understanding these boundaries would be easier if excavating the site of ancient
Colossae would be easier if excavating the site remains largely untouched by modern archaeologists. Study of the surrounding region, however, has given evidence of a diverse religious life in the Colossae of Paul’s day. Evidence from the coinage of Colossae at this period indicates the worship of a number of pagan deities, including the Ephesian Artemis (see Acts 19:23-28), Demeter, Athena, and the Egyptian gods Isis and Sarapis. Scholars also acknowledge that the Lycus Valley region in which Colossae was located had a sizable Jewish population in the century prior to Paul’s writing Colossians. Evidence supports that some Jews in Asia Minor worshiped the Asian deity of Sabazios under the name Sabaoth (Hebrew, “hosts”), an obvious reference to one of Yahweh’s divine names in the Hebrew Bible (Isa. 47:4; 48:2, 51:15; Jer. 10:16).

Such evidence clearly indicates that religious syncretism (a mixing of different religious traditions) was a problem for Jews in the area around Colossae. The theological controversy reflected in the Book of Colossians also bears these syncretistic marks. The Colossian Christians faced a monumental challenge in seeking to maintain a relevant yet authentically Christian witness in the midst of a culture in the habit of freely mixing religious traditions from a variety of sources. Paul’s unequivocal confession in Colossians is the Jesus Christ alone gives an individual secure access to God. See: Clinton E. Arnold, “Colossae,” The Anchor Bible Dictionary, David Noel Freedman, ed., vol. 1 (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 1089; James D. G. Dunn, The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon, The New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), 21; Oian Petru Culianu and Cicerone Poghirc, “Sabazios,” The Encyclopedia of Religion, Mircea Eliade, ed, vol. 12 (New York: Macmillan), 500; Biblical Illustrator; LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention; Nashville, TN 37234; Fall 2003.

Life is a Journey

Today's post is dedicated to my Cousin, John William Butler, who passed away last week. John was my namesake and was a great influence on me from the time I can first remember. I was privileged to be asked to speak at the funeral. In his honor, I wrote the following poem comparing life to a journey. John loved to travel. He made many trips abroad and met many different people. But the place he loved the best was home (Tallahassee, Florida) and his favorite people were his family and dear friends.

Life is a Journey
For John William Butler May 29, 2006
By John R. Wible

“Life is a journey,” so they say, with fits and starts at break of day,
And many’ a stop along the way, yes, “life’s a journey,” so they say.

And, as we trav’l our measured road and walk the miles by episode,
Beside come friends to share the load as we travel our measured road.

Loved ones dear, our cause to sing as our seasons move past spring,
Who to our lives true focus bring, these loved ones dear, our cause to sing.

And all the places we may know as our trip moves ‘way past “go,”
Stretch our horizons, Oh, watch them grow! ‘Mid all the places we may know.

And then we look down to the sand and find the steps where we did stand,
Those prints to the next one we must hand as we look down into the sand.

And those steps stay but for a while and help the dear ones, bring a smile,
And then – they fade from mile to mile, those steps that stay but for a while.

Last, we find the place loved best of near and far between the rest,
Heart’s home is really where we’re blessed. Home – the place we find the best.

Last Will and Testament of Jesus Christ

Our class has finished the Book of Luke and are moving on to Acts. This weeks' lesson is directly about missions. Before we moved on, I wanted to summarize what we learned. Being a lawyer, i decided to do it by drafting the Last Will and Testament of Jesus Christ. That is what follows below. Besure to see the footnotes.

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF JESUS CHRIST

I, JESUS CHRIST, also known by more than 140 others names including, but not limited to Lord; Master; The Amen; the Faithful and True Witness; Alpha and Omega, First and Last; Only Begotten Son; Word of God; Beloved Son of God; Blessed and Only Potentate; The Bridegroom; Messiah; Anointed One: Chosen One; The Head of the Church; Consolation of Israel; Emmanuel/Immanuel, God with us; Savior; Messiah; King; being of sound and disposing mind and memory and over the age of eighteen (18) years and not being actuated by any duress, menace, fraud, mistake, or undue influence, do hereby make, publish, and declare this to be my last Will, hereby expressly revoking all Wills and Codicils to Wills previously made by me.

I. PARTIES

I declare that I am not now and have never been married.[1] However, my Father in Heaven is preparing a spiritual Bride for me[2]. I declare that I have no physical children. I declare that I have one Father, known alternately, among others as God, Elohim, YHWH, Jehovah, Adonai, Theos, Deus, hereinafter referred to as my Father in Heaven.

I declare that my Mother is Mary of Nazareth, of the Tribe of Judah, a descendant of King David, hereinafter referred to as “my Mother.” I further acknowledge her husband, Joseph, Son of Heli[3] my Earthly guardian and mentor who predeceased me. I acknowledge my Earthly brothers, among them are: James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas[4] and my sisters whose names and number I pretermit here.

II. BEQUESTS:

It is my intention by the making of this Will to dispose of all the possessions that have been entrusted to me by my Father in Heaven of which I am permitted to dispose. I hereby will, devise, give, and bequeath unto the persons named below, if he or she survives me, the Property described below:

1. To my Mother, I leave the remaining portion of the gold, frankincense and myrrh brought to me by the Persian Wise Men [5] and the memory of all that has happened that she may ponder them and treasure them in her heart. [6]
2. To my brothers and sisters in Nazareth, I declare that I no Earthly property to leave, no home or place to lay my head.[7]
3. To the angels attending my birth, I leave the promise of my return to their presence as they are eternally with my Father in Heaven.[8]
4. To the Shepherds also in attendance, I leave the joy they knew that night which shall never diminish but shall only grow and grow.[9]
5. To Simeon and Anna in the Temple of Jerusalem, who predeceased me, I have already given the right to be with my Father in Heaven based on their faithfulness and recognition of me.[10]
6. To my boyhood friends in Nazareth, I leave the happy memories of joyous days of childhood and my thanks for their friendship. I further leave my regrets that they later in life rejected me to their own detriment. [11]
7. To the Rabbis in Jerusalem who listened to me as a 12 year old boy, I leave my thanks for their attention and tolerance with the childish questions of a neophyte learner.[12]
8. To the people of Capernaum, I leave my thanks for allowing me to live among them and for hearing my gospel.[13]
9. To Simon Peter I leave forgiveness three times over and the keys to the Kingdom of the ministry to the Jews.[14]
10. To my other disciples, hereinafter referred to with Simon Peter as the Twelve, namely: Andrew, James, John, Phillip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James Ben Alphaeus and Simon Zealotes, I leave the seeds which I planted in them.[15]
11. To the people at the mount, I leave the truths I taught them.[16]
12. To the Roman Centurion, I leave a healthy servant[17]
13. To the followers of John the Baptist, I leave my thanks for preparing the Way.[18]
14. To “Sinful Woman” at the Pharisee’s house, I leave a legacy of remembrance that will endure as long as does the Bible.[19]
15. To Legion, the Gadarene Demoniac, I leave freedom from the chains of demonic possession.[20]
16. To Jarius’ daughter, I leave life.[21]
17. To the woman with the discharge of blood, I leave healing that shall never end.[22]
18. To the 5,000 who I feed, I leave my Body which is broken for them – take and eat. [23]
19. To my 72 ambassadors, I leave the ability to live as sheep among a world of wolves.[24]
20. To Mary, Martha and Lazarus, I leave my friendship which shall endure the test of time.[25]
21. To the Pharisees, I leave the meaning of the parables of the 3 lost things and my sadness that they led in error.[26]
22. To the ten lepers, I leave healing as white as snow. Though their sins be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.[27]
23. To all the little children, I leave the ability to enter the Kingdom of Heaven and declare that unless all of us become like them, we shall not so do.[28]
24. To the Blind Beggar on the Jericho Road, I leave sight greater than that of most men.[29]
25. To Zacchaeus, I leave an open invitation to “dinner at my place.”[30]
26. To the Temple Authorities in Jerusalem, I leave great regret that you along with the Sadducees, Pharisees, Levites and Priests missed the great blessing that my Father in Heaven had for the people whom you led.[31]
27. To the Widow who gave the mite, I leave the knowledge that the mite has grown to a talent and to a gerah as your example lives from generation to generation.[32]
28. To Judas who betrayed me, I leave the woe you have brought upon yourself.[33]
29. To the soldiers and authorities who arrested me and the Romans who crucified me, I leave my forgiveness, you did not know what you were doing.[34]
30. To Simon the Cyrene, I leave the blessing of carrying someone else’s cross.[35]
31. To Pilate and Herod, I leave the knowledge that you shall be judged as you have judged. [36]
32. To Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, I leave the blessing having known the Truth and having buried it, seen it live again.[37]
33. To the women who buried me and then found me go, I leave that eternal joy you first knew when you realized that I was risen just as I said.[38]
34. To the relatives on the Road to Emmaus, I leave the teaching and the bread that shall never go stale.[39]

III. LAST INSTRUCTIONS – COMMISSION

I declare that it is my desire and my commandment that you and each of you love one another as I have loved you and that as you go out into Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and even on to the ends of the world, that you will take Me with you and break me off and give me away to all those you meet that you all may come to live with me in Father’s house where there are many mansions.[40]

XII. SEVERABILITY AND SURVIVAL:

If any part of this Will is declared invalid, illegal, or inoperative for any reason, it is my intent that the remaining parts shall be effective and fully operative, and that any Court so interpreting this Will and any provision in it construe in favor of survival.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I, JESUS CHRIST, hereby set my hand to this last Will and Testament. So let it be written, so let it be done.



/S/ JESUS CHRIST_______________________ [Signature]



Witnesses:
Witness our hands and seals.
/S/ God the Father
/S/ God the Holy Spirit
[1] Assertions in The DiVinci Code notwithstanding
[2] Rev. 21:9
[3] Luke 3:23
[4] Matt. 13:55
[5] Matt. 2:11
[6] Luke. 2:19
[7] Matt. 8:20
[8] Luke 2:9-13
[9] Luke 2:8-10
[10] Luke 2:25-39
[11] Luke 2:41 and 4:14
[12] Luke 2:49
[13] Luke 4:24
[14] Matt. 16:19; Luke 5:8, 22:54, 24:12; John 25:15-18
[15] Luke 6:13-16
[16] Luke 6:20
[17] Luke 7:1
[18] Luke 7:18
[19] Luke 7:36
[20] Luke 8:26
[21] Luke 8:40
[22] Luke 8:43
[23] Luke 9:13
[24] Luke 10:1
[25] Luke 10:38
[26] Luke 14:1; 15:1
[27] Luke 17:11
[28] Luke 18:15
[29] Luke 18:35; 23:26
[30] Luke 19:12
[31] Luke 20:11
[32] Luke 21:1
[33] Luke 22:1
[34] Luke 22:47; 22:63
[35] Luke 23:6
[36] Luke, Chapter 23
[37] Luke 23:50
[38] Luke 22:55
[39] Luke 24:13
[40] Matt. 28:19:20; Acts 1:8

You Have Motive

Today’s lesson from Luke 23 seeks to help us grow in our witness for Christ by learning to boldly tell others about His death and resurrection. This is the dark, Palm Sunday lesson. Next week will be filled with light – I promise.

Motivation and “The Method” - Actors are taught to act their part using the Konstantin "Stanislavski Method," named after the drama teacher who invented it. Actors using the “Method” imagine an emotional event in your own life that might parallel the event they are portraying at this moment and attempt to use their own personal motivation to show how their character is likewise motivated. One of the great “Method” actors was Marlon Brando, famous for many roles perhaps the most famous being the portrayal of Stanley Kowalski, the heroine’s brother in “A Street Car Named Desire.”

“A Streetcar Named Desire,” by Tennessee Williams and set in the New Orleans French Quarter after World War II, is a study of mankind without Christ and gives a platform to explain why we should be motivated to share Him with these people.
In 1951 the famous play was made into a movie starring: Vivien Leigh as Blanche DuBois; Kim Hunter as Stella; Marlon Brando as Stanley Kowalski and Karl Malden as Mitch. In the play, the DuBois sisters were once a patrician Old South Family seized of a great mansion up in Mississippi. Times change, the family and the mansion had been lost.

The story opens with Blanche DuBois coming to New Orleans to visit her sister, the pregnant Stella, and the sister's husband Stanley Kowalski. To get to their seedy apartment, she has to take a streetcar named Desire. Thus the Desire streetcar became the most famous street railway in the world.

The three principals in the story represent facets of mankind without Christ. Stanley is the “ape man” who views life through his “desires” and thinks life is about what he can get by his own efforts. He represents man in supposed total control of his own destiny. Blanche views life as she wishes it were and cannot see or believe reality. She represents the totally intellectual view of life that denies reality. And Stella, pregnant Stella, sees life exactly as it is. She represents man (woman) who is in the middle of life and who is overwhelmed by it. Neither view is totally wrong but neither is totally correct either because none of their views have a spiritual aspect. They are, thus two-dimensional.

This is a picture of man without Christ. Man, left to his own devices will view life through his own lens – and he will be totally lost in that view on the “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” It is for this reason that God sent His Son, Jesus into the world to give man life and life more abundant. John 10:10. If we are to receive life and life abundant, we must believe whole-heartedly on Jesus. That’s where we are going with this. What must we believe? We must believe in Him intellectually, spiritually and physically. For Jesus to be the Messiah, He must have fulfilled all these of these aspects of God. To leave out any of them is to make Jesus less that God and less than our Worthy Savior.

Many more folks believe in Jesus intellectually than believe in him all sufficiently. Many of the religions of the world teach and many of the world’s lost people will tell you that there was a Jesus and that He was great teacher. That’s good, but as Dr. Van Tuyll would say, “it is not enough,” because if that’s as far as we go, then we are limited by our intellect. I don’t know about you, but my intellect is fairly limited! It is imperative that we believe in Him physically. It is for that reason that He came physically and had to suffer as He did, die as He did and be raised on the 3rd day as He was. Thus, we study the physical aspects of His death to learn that they are real. If they aren’t real, then He is as the Gnostics held, merely a phantom. But, they are real.

It is interesting to note that over the centuries, many scholars have tried to disprove the facts of Jesus life, death and resurrection. Periodically, they uncover a here-to-fore unknown “gospel” that seems to cloud the issue They try, but in vain. The Truth lives on.
So, why should we believe this? Jesus was asked by the lawyer what the greatest commandment was. He said it was to love God and love man. If we do not believe what God says, then we do not love God. If we do not love God, we are hopelessly lost.
If we do not have a burning “desire” to tell others, then perhaps, just perhaps, we do not “love man,” because there is plenty of “motivation.” Let’s examine it.

Forgiveness of the Past (Luke 23:32-39.) On the cross, Jesus forgave the sins of the very men who were putting Him to death. “Father, forgive them,” He said. The best part of that story is that in so doing, He forgave you and me as well. Is that enough motivation for you to share? In Mel Gibson’s movie, “The Passion of the Christ,” there is the very dramatic crucifixion scene. In the scene, Jesus is on the cross on the ground. As the soldiers begin to drive the nails into His hands, the camera isolates on the hands of Jesus and the hands of the Roman driving in the nails. In real life, that man was Mel Gibson. Gibson wanted to make the point that it was his (Gibson’s) sin that nailed Jesus to the cross. By extension, it was ours. Yet He says, “Father, forgive them.” Without that, we’d still be lost. Still need more motivation?

Assurance of the Future (Luke 22:40-43.) Jesus took time out from dying to forgive the sins of a fairly worthless rogue who merely cried out to Him. Jesus assured him, “this day you will be with Me in paradise.” Will, that’s a word of certainty, isn’t it. Jesus did not temper the import of those words nor confuse them with an “if – then” clause as we see so prevalent under the Law in the Old Testament. He simply said, you will be with me. As great as that promise is for the dying thief, the better part is that this promise also flows to us. Jesus promises that we will be with Him in paradise when the time is right. Will, what a great word. We can be assured that we will be in paradise with Jesus. He said, “in My Father’s house are many rooms and I go to prepare a place for you that where I am, there you will be also. John 14:2. Still a little uncertain of your motivation?

Glory to God in the Present. (Luke 23:44-47.) As Jesus dies, because of the eerie nature of the day, even the battle-hardened Roman Centurion says, “surely this was the Son of God.” This was probably the man who was in overall charge of the crucifixion detail. He was a man who had literally seen it all. But this was something he had not seen before – the Son of God. Now, he saw it clearly. The details of the crucifixion show just how great God is. The more you read the story, the more of the glory you see. And that’s our God, our Father. We serve a great God!.

Epilogue. Need more motivation? Are you ready to share this Christ with those around you? You are, really? What about when you are tired or scared or disinterested or tied up in you own stuff. Was Jesus tied up in His own stuff? Thank God, you were His stuff and He was totally tied up in you (and me.) Let me submit to you and to me that if we are not ready to share Christ, we need to check who we love more. Jesus asked Peter, “Simon Bar- Jona, do you love me more than you love these?” John 21:15. He asks us the same question. If the answer is not “yes,” then we need to get to “yes.” If it is, then there was a follow-up. Jesus said, “then feed my sheep.” John 21:17. What do you feed them? Jesus said, “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4. Feed them the gospel. Don’t let them starve to death. Starvation is a very physical death, but Jesus is a very physical Savior who has the power “to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10.
Now, are you motivated?

Keep On Remembering

Today’s lesson continues studies in Luke. In Chapter 22, we see three very much related events: The Lord’s Supper followed by the Disciples’ not getting it at all and arguing over who would be the greatest. This is followed by Peter’s statement of how faithful he would be for Jesus and Jesus reminding him that Satan want him and that he in fact, would fall three before “the cock crows.” We’ll see later why these are so interrelated.

The Supper Is More Than a Ritual (Luke 22:14-20). See [da Vinci’s Famous “Last Supper]

Communion, Lord's Supper, and Eucharist: All are traditional names for the observance commemorating Jesus' death. Baptists believe that there are two “ordinances” because, while other churches honor more, we traditionally find that only two are mentioned in the Bible: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We refer to these acts as “ordinances” because they were “ordained” by Christ, Himself. See Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24,25. Those churches that believe these to be “sacraments” believe that their observance confers grace upon those who observe it. We see them, rather as symbols, powerful symbols, but symbols nonetheless.


There are two different names, which are often used to identify the Lord’s Supper. Some refer it as the “Eucharist” -- which means, “to give thanks”. Before Christ broke the bread, He gave thanks. (This established another tradition of remembrance.) It also means that we are “giving thanks” to God for sending His Son to pay the price for our sins.

Some churches call it “Communion”. This is our English translation of the NT Greek word, koinonia, which means, “fellowship or having things in common, hence our “fellowship suppers.” What we call it is not as important as why we observe it. When He instituted the “Lord’s Supper,” that night, Christ taught His disciples and by extension, us a number of things. Nevertheless, the concept of “communion” runs through the whole of Luke Chapter 22.

Together. What they did, they did together, and it was all in common. Luke 22:14. They were a family. So must we be. We need to remember that because without Christ we have no rudder and without each other, we have no oars. A racing boat without a rudder and oars is not only directionless but it is also powerless. If that describes us, then we are destined to be like Wagner’s “Flying Dutchman” who was condemned to sail the seas forever and never be able to come to port.

Earnest Desire for Us. Christ says in v.15 that he “earnestly desired” to share this with them. A literal translation of the word is “lusted.” “Of course today, “lust” has a very singular and negative connotation, but it nevertheless, describes God’s desire for us and our fellowship. It is the prime reason for His creation of man, in my opinion. Thus, His love for us is a consuming passion. Ours for Him should be reciprocal. Likewise, our passion ( and here I won’t use “lust”) for each other is that each of us comes into that fellowship with Him.

“Broken and Spilled Out.” We all know that the bread and the wine represent His body and blood, “broken and spilled out,” in the words of the Gaithers. But note in v. 17 that these two extremely powerful symbols are to be likewise “given” to be shared by the group [us.] Yet another reaffirmation of His message that we are all in this together – Peter, James, John and you, me and Christ.

[Matt Cooper’s “Spilled Wine”]

“Remember Me, I’m the One Who Loves You.” By comparison, the Dean Martin song is trite compared to the love of Christ. But the messages ring harmoniously.

Christ says that when we reenact the Lord’s Supper, we join again into the koinonia that empowers us to live our daily lives. More so though, continual remembrance of Him and His sacrifice sets us streaking through the rough waters like the team members of the famous Cambridge and Oxford Boat racers pictured below.



Greatness Comes Through Serving (Luke 22:24-27)
But alas, the Disciples didn’t get it. While the symbolism of His act had meaning to them, they soon forgot it. Can you imagine that – they forgot what Christ had just taught them about being all in this together. We would never do that would we – would we? Ten minutes and three verses later (v.27,) Luke [who wasn’t there, remember] tells us that they devolve into a discussion of exactly who would have the highest office in the new kingdom.

There are three points they missed here. First, there wasn’t going to be a kingdom like they thought – it would be vastly differently – a kingdom of the heart, not a kingdom of the body. He told them that, but it seemed to pass by some how. It’s easy to “not get it” when you don’t want to get it, isn’t it?

Secondly, even if there were going to be some earthly kingdom [which there wasn’t] there would be no greater and lesser people. It takes Peter until Acts 10 to figure out that “God us no respecter of persons.” Paul echoes, “All have sinned. . .” There is no first or last. We are brothers and sisters with God as our Father.

Lastly, assuming arguendo that there would be an Earthly kingdom and that there would be “firsts” and “not firsts” in authority, we still are bound together in that common koinonia, the fellowship of us all – and we are back in the canoe without a paddle. That is what Christ said to remember. All those things, but the fellowship overarching it all.

Satan Wants You to Fail (Luke 22:31-34).
Is it possible for us to remember in the words of the Shema to “love God” and with Jesus’ addition, to “love our neighbor as ourselves?” That is to say, can we in our own strength live in the fellowship that is required to experience the life God has for us? What do you think? Peter tells us that Satan is a “roaring lion” on the prowl just waiting for us to try to do this in our own strength. When we do [note: when not if] we will invariably deny Christ at least three times before the cock crows. And when we hear the cock crowing, Satan will point out our failure just to rub it in. This failure breaks the fellowship, not only with God but with man as well.

[Carl Bloch’s “Peter’s Denial”]

Now for the Good News. The Good News is that Christ intends for this fellowship to be unbroken and He stands more than “ready, willing and able,” rather He stands “lusting,” if I may use that word here, to restore us to fellowship as He did Peter by the Sea of Galilee. And this is something would should remember, too.

So, when we take the Lord’s Supper, Communion, we have a lot to think about, but like so many things Christ has commanded us, that “thinking about” is for our own benefit. Let’s challenge each other to take a fresh look at the Lord’s Supper and remember . . .

Honoring Christ

Today’s lesson, which takes place as Jesus is beginning His final foray into the Holy City, even with its grand-scale events even by modern standards, never the less yields three points that appear small, but in actuality are as grand as the scale of Jesus triumphal display for in them we see the microcosm of Jesus gospel.

Once, Jesus was tested by a Pharisee (Matt. 22:37) who asked, “what is the greatest Commandment?” As we all remember, Jesus replied by quoting the Shema (Deut. 6:5) known and recited by all Jews every day, “thou shalt love the Lord, thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and all thy strength.” But He adds to it, “. . . and thy neighbor as thyself.” He states that on these two, hand “all the Law and the Prophets,” IE. the totality of God’s commandments.

These two principles run through today’s lesson, which if followed lead to Jesus’ promised “abundant life.”

• We honor Christ as Lord by Obeying His Word. Luke 19:28-32.
• We honor Christ as King by praise. Vv. 35-40.
• We honor Christ by loving our fellow man. Vv. 41-44.

Honor Christ as Lord by obeying His Word. In the passage, Jesus tells certain unnamed disciples to go “over yonder” to the village and get the colt of a donkey and if asked, they are to say, “the Master has need of this.” Two questions come to mind: which village and was this planned in advance or did Jesus, with Godly omniscience just know the donkey was there?

The text of Luke doesn’t really answer either question for us. However, Matthew, recording the same incident says that they were going between Bethphage and Bethany and that they were to go into Bethphage to get to donkey. OK, what’s up with this? Bethany was a small village on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives, less than two miles from Jerusalem. It is on the road from Jericho from where Jesus started this trip to Jerusalem, where He will end it. Bethany is a significant little village.

See the following from: Andersen, H.G. "Bethany" The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. Ed. Merrill C. Tenney. 5 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976; Gregory, Stewart. Israel, the Holy Land: The Concise Biblical Study & Travel Guide. Jerusalem: Bibleland Workshops, 1987; and Rousseau, John J. and Rami Arav. Jesus and His World: An Archaeological and Cultural Dictionary. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995.

Scholars tell us:

Bethany was the home of Jesus’ special friends, Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Apparently, He and His disciples often visited in their home, probably when they came to Jerusalem for feast days. It is there where Jesus tells Martha, “Martha, Martha (indicating their close friendship), you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one: for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:39-42). This is the same Bethany where Lazarus is raised from the dead. (John 11:47-51). It was this event that confirmed and accelerated the Sanhedrin’s plan to put Jesus to death (John 11:45-54).

On another occasion, a week before the crucifixion, Mary anointed Jesus’ feet in the home of Simon the leper in Bethany (Matt 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:2-11). When it became known that Jesus was in Bethany, a "great multitude" came to the village, not only to see Jesus who had raised Lazarus, but also to see Lazarus himself who was, no doubt, the object of much speculation and wonder! This flow of people to Bethany, and the increasing numbers of them who, as result of this sign miracle, believed in Jesus, incensed the religious leaders in Jerusalem. So violent was their reaction that they "took counsel that they might put Lazarus to death also" (John 12:9-11). Again, it was the proximity of Bethany to Jerusalem that accentuated this climaxing confrontation between the Sanhedrin and Jesus.

On the Sunday before the Friday of His crucifixion, Jesus made His formal entrance into Jerusalem, apparently starting at Bethany. Passing near Bethphage, an adjacent village on the Mount of Olives, He requisitioned a donkey for His prophecy-fulfilling approach to the city (Zech 9:9; Matt 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-44; John 12:12-19.

After His official entry into Jerusalem (the "triumphal entry"), Jesus returned to Bethany with His disciples (Matt 21:17; Mark 11:11,12).

Finally, when Jesus was about to return to His Father from the Mount of Olives, "He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. And it came about, that while He was blessing them, He departed from them" (Luke 24:50,52). This home in Bethany, so often opened to Jesus, now became the place from which He would leave the earth to return to His Father’s "home


Bethphage is only about a mile from Bethany and less than a mile from Jerusalem. While some will assert that Jesus used some miraculous power to acquire the donkey, I choose to follow “Occam’s Razor” which is a principle that states, in essence that given the choice between two competing answers, “the simplest answer is the best.” The simplest answer is that Jesus had some unnamed co-conspirator in the Bethany-Bethphage area with whom He had a pre-arrangement for the donkey with the password being, “the Master is in need of it.” It could be that this unnamed disciple and “co-conspirator” knew much of Jesus plan to enter the city as the Messiah. What an honor for that person to be “in on” Jesus’ great plan!

Be all that scholarly stuff as it may, the most important point is that He told the disciples to do it and they, though obviously not “in on the plan” did it. They could have asked, “why,” but they didn’t. That’s the lesson for us. God has plans, big plans, plans for the world and plans for us. Sometimes He takes us into His confidence and some sometimes He takes other people into His confidence. Sometimes, He takes no one into his confidence. The blessing, though is being in on the execution.

Oh, a small point on this – these disciples knew what Jesus was telling them because they heard it from His lips. We don’t have that privilege any more. What are we to do? We have the broader scope of hearing from God through the Holy Spirit unlimited by our ears and eyes. Henry Blackaby tells us that God speaks to us, “through the Holy Spirit by the Bible, prayer, circumstance and the Church to reveal Himself, His purposes and His ways.” All we have to do is hone our listening skills and listen for the Word – then do it and be blessed.

We honor Christ as King by praising Him. As alluded to in the previous section, Jesus was planning a triumphal assault on Jerusalem. He had over three years revealed more and more of “Himself, His purposes and His ways” to the people, first hinting and now finally stating clearly and openly that He is the Messiah, the promised one, the God in Man.

He gives them increasing and now final opportunity to accept that – but they refuse. In aid of that plan, he uses a time-honored technique of the prophets. When the people would not heard the mere words, the prophet, under God’s leadership, would do some dramatic act to get their attention. Remember, Hosea marrying the harlot and Jeremiah breaking the bowls in the Valley of Hinnon and wearing the stocks? Likewise, Jesus fulfills, in intricate detail and clearly by design, the prophesies about the Messiah – in this case the triumphal entry foretold in Zachariah, supra.

Here, Jesus proclaims Himself “King of the Jews.” The disciples respond appropriately by spreading the cloaks on His saddle and on the path ahead of Him (remember Sir Walter Raleigh, where do you think he got that poetic idea?) In so doing, they proclaim Him as king. To do so, is not merely to partake of a display, to acknowledge a king, one must recognize that He is greater than you are. It is that recognition of His greatness, IE. praise, that is vital to our ability to follow his instructions without question. We must “lose ourselves” in His greatness. To the extent that we are able to do that, we can receive the blessing of the promised “abundant life.”

We honor Christ by loving our fellow man. On the way in, Jesus stops and weeps over Jerusalem. We see here a clear picture of how God feels when we disobey Him. This is not because He is offended or has hurt feelings, this is because he knows how much suffering and disappointment we will bring on ourselves by our disobedience and He is sad about that. Thus, in Matthew’s simple but poignant words, “Jesus wept.”

Jesus said that if we truly love God, we will love our fellow man. I would submit that one who does not love his fellow man does not really love God. If that is the case, then we are back at the beginning which is that if you don’t do what He says, you don’t love Him. And if you don’t love Him, you rob yourself of the blessing that He promised –abundant life. To illustrate the point, I close this piece with one of my favorite poems: “Abu Ben Adam” by James Leigh Hunt.

Abu Ben Adam, may his tribe increase, Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace.
And saw, within the moonlight of his room Making it rich, like a lily in bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold. Exceeding peace had made Abu Ben Adam bold
And to the presence in his room he said, ' What writest thou?' The vision raised its head, And with a look of all sweet accord Answered: 'The names of those who love the Lord. 'And is mine one?' said Abu. 'Nay not so' Replied the Angel. Abu spoke more low, But cheerily still and said, 'I pray thee then Write me as one that loves his fellow-men.'

The angel wrote and vanished.
The next night it came again with awaking light, And showed the names of whom love of God had blessed. And lo! Ben Adam's name led all the rest.

Celebrating Forgiveness

T his week's lesson continues the study in Luke, Luke 15:1-32 (with some deletions.) Last week, Jesus was teaching us about prayer. This week about compassion, forgiveness and self-righteousness. In last week's note, we looked at a little about the Book of Luke; this week, a little more detail about the book will help enlighten the words.

The great Dispensationalist, Dr. Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Chairman of the Department of Systematic Theology at Dallas Seminary outlines Luke for us. The mere outline is quite instructive because it lays out where Luke believes Jesus was going with His life, ministry and mission. Ryrie tells us that Luke's theme is to show the humanity of Jesus, the Son of Man. As I stated last week, Luke's interest in the human may well be related to his caring nature as a physician, the Beloved Physician, and to his artistic nature.

Ryrie outlines the Book, in para materia:
1.Method and Purpose of the Book
2.The Identification of the Son of Man with Men (1:5 - 4:13)
3.The ministry of the Son of Man to Men (4:14 - 9:50)
4.The Repudiation of the Son of Man by Men (9:1 - 19:27)
5.The Condemnation of the Son of Man by Men (19:28 - 23:56)
6.The vindication of the Son of Man before Men (24:1-53.)

Today's session is right in the middle of Section 4, the Repudiation. In this section, we see Jesus systematically rejected by various groups including the Scribes and the Pharisees. Then we come to a subset of Dr. Ryrie's outline at 12:1 - 19:27, entitled: "Instruction in light of rejection," ie. how the followers should behave while being rejected. In this subsection are found Jesus teachings, sometimes via parables, on hypocracy, covetousness, faithfulness, repentance, hypocracy (again,) forgiveness and several others.Luke tells us that Jesus was the Son of God, but also a man: that He ministered to men but was rejected by the very men to whom He ministered, rejected unto death; but that ultimately He andHis Message are vindicated as He arises from the grave as He said He would do.

Throughout the repudiation period, the leaders of the repudiation were the leaders of the Jewish people, the Scribes and the Pharasees.The Scribes were a professional class of men, a learned group schooled in the Law of Moses, the Torah and the Talmud, which amounted to the "regs." as we bureaucrats would say, developed during the period of the Babylonian captivity in the Fifth Century B.C. It was their job to know the law, every *"jot" and "tittle," and to interpret it strictly. They worked closely with the priests and thus exercised great political authority over the people.

Likewise the Pharisees had great sway over the people. They were a group that began to develop in the captivity but grew afterwards. They started as men who wanted to, themselves, live holy and pleasing lives before God; a noble ideal - but it went awry when many became so self-absorbed with their own righteousness, that they lost the concept totally. The were the "Democrats" to the Scribes' "Republicans." The two groups didn't agree on much, especially theology which is why their union against Jesus was so interesting.

Jesus loathed the practices of both these groups and He was most critical of them both. He decried their control of people's lives and self-centered nature. What He disliked most was that these two groups were leading the People of God astray. "Blind guides," He called them, "you lead the people into the ditch with you!" "Woe to you, lawyers (scribes,) hypocrites!"One school of though concerning Jesus' ministry is that as He observed these things, He purposefully set out to lead the people away from their teachings and leadership. Many others had tried, and all failed. Thus, so this school of thought has it, Jesus set out in calculated manner to take on these two groups until their own evil ultimately manifested against Him would be their own undoing. If that is so, then his comments against the Scribes and Pharasees were designed to lead them to the conclusion to which they reach about Him and thus seal His death. In death, He knew that God would overcome their evil as He conquered death, Hell, the grave and the leadership of "blind guides."

These two groups figure in today's lesson - in the background, but they are there. Today shows us two of three parables Jesus taught in this passage which illustrated the lostness of the common man, the love of God and the hypocracy of these leaders. The deleted parable is that of the "Lost Coin." Of this trilogy, Barclay says that there is no more loved chapter in the Bible. He calls it the "Gospel of the Gospel." These parables arise, as Barclay says, out of a real life situation that was unique to Jewish culture - the dichotomy of the "sinner" and the "righteous" as they defined sin and righteousness. We have already discussed the orthodoxy of the Scribes and Pharisees, but now we look at the "sinners." Don't think here in terms of what we in the 21st Century might call sinners, that is to say, people who do evil deed, criminal or immoral persons. No, to the "righteous" Jew, "sinners" were "the people of the land," the unorthodox. The Talmud (remember, the "regs.) held that if you wanted to righteous, there must always exist a separatin between the righteous and the "people of the land." There should be no socialization, no conversation, if possible no business dealings. There was a deliberate teaching to avoid those people at all costs. And who were those people? Their "sin" was not keeping the "regs." It is true that numbered among the sinners were the criminals and immoral, but those men existed among the so-called righteous as well. These were as a group, the people who were excluded from the temple because they were sick or lame or blind or in some way ceremonial impure. Further, many occupations by their nature rendered one a "sinner" because they were unable to keep the laws. For example - shepherds.

1. Show Compassion - The Parable of the Lost Sheep . Luke 15:1-7."Shepherd" brings us to that first story in vv. 1-7. In this story, Jesus makes the shepherd to be the hero of the story. That alone would irritate a good Pharisee. Jesus makes the point more so by being the "Good Shepherd," a phrase that would be an oxymoron to a Scribe. Of course, Jesus, the "Good Shepherd" is the shepherd of the story. Through His bravery and courage, he seeks out at personal cost and finds even one sheep (sinner) that is lost. The picture of a communal herd of sheep, owned by several people perhaps shepherded by more than one shepherd. At the close of the day, the sheep are rounded up to take to the sheep-fold to keep them safe at night from predators - lions and bears (both of which David encountered and killed.) At the head count, one is missing. The Good Shepherd tells the other to drive the sheep home and he will find the lost one. As the other shepherd comes into the village, he would tell the people that there was straggler and his buddy was out looking for it. The people of the village would have been interested in this and would be waiting to see what would happen.

Then we see the picture of the brave shepherd striding over the hills with the sheep on his shoulders, bringing him home to the shelter of the fold. Why on his shoulders? That's the way you carry sheep at a distance - it's easier that way. The people would see this and all be relieved that the one lost is found. It is likewise a cause for applause in Heaven when one of us real-life sinners is brought home, saved from the "roaring lion" by the Good Shepherd.Jesus summarization of the point of the story has a "barb" in it. In the story, the lost sheep is a sinner, but the good sheep are the "righteous" who "have no need of repentance." The point is that there is no such person! "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," says Paul. Thus hidden in the story of the love of the Good Shephered is the kernel of the self-rightousness that will grow and blossom in the final story of the trilogy.

2. Celebrate Forgiveness. Luke 15:11-13, 22-24.
As we said earlier, we are skipping over the parable of the lost coin. However, we should point out that the parable teaches us that while there is joy in Heaven when a "sinner" is brought home, God Himself is jubilant. It is important to note from this the depth of feeling that God has for us - each of us. And like all of us who have loved and lost, God knows to intense feeling of having tlinegiven Himself, His very life, for the sinner, that sinner ultimately choose to repudiate Him. Jesus is sending that message to the Scribes and Pharisees as well - their rejection of Him is a rejection of God, a rejection that breaks the heart of God.

This would have come as a shock to His audience who would not have historically pictured God in that manner.The theme is carried on in the parable commonly called the Prodical Son. Barclay urges that it should rather be called "The Loving Father," as it is all about the love of the Father. This, likewise is a Bible story known and loved by most people, Christian or not. The point for our purposes is that God, Himself loves us enough to allow us to go off and "seek our fortune", giving us , as it were, an advance on our inheritance.

Under the Mosaic Law (Deut.21:17), since the oldest son must receive 2/3 of the estate after the death of the father, the younger would be entitled to 1/3 - entitled after the death of the father.Knowing that we will fail, but knowing that we must choose to come back to Him to really love Him, He all the more rejoices when the prodical returns to the extent in the opposite direction He has grieved when the Prodical was lost. Who is the prodical? Of course he is you and me. Each of us seeks our own self-satisfaction and we go our own way seeking our own way. What's the result? Ending up in the pig pen. The only way out is to humble ourselves by realizing that we cannot save ourselves and turn our lives over to this Loving Father to do with us as He will. And what is His will - that we be a hired hand? No, from the parable we see that God receives as a son. He puts a ring on our finger, a robe on our shoulders and shoes on our feet. Yes there is joy in Heaven when one lost one returns - all the more so, there is joy in the heart of the Loving Father. Lincoln was asked how he would treat the rebellious Southerners after the war. Of course vengeance would be in the mind of most. However, Lincoln replied, "I would treat them as if they had never left." In fact, after the surrender of Lee at Appomattox Court House in April of 1865, rather than calling for a great victory ball with appropriate dance music, Lincoln asked the Marine Band, crimson jackets and all to play the song, "Dixie" as a lament for all those who were lost.

3. Reject Self-Righteousness . Luke 15: 28-32.
There is a dark ending to this story. In the background lurk the Scribes and Pharisees who are not jubilant when a sinner comes home. This defies their tradition and thus upsets their theology. That made them uneasy at heart. Perhaps more importantly, it threatened them, their power and their position. This was a point not lost on Jesus when He puts them in the story as the "Other Brother." Jesus pictures this brother as brooding, having fulfilled the Law - every *jot and tittle but wanting complete control. In short, they were selfish and self-righteous. It is this self-righteousness that was perhaps their greatest sin because it keep them separated from God. If your heart is full of you, there is no room for God. The old preacher once said, "you can't get a man saved until you get him lost." In his mind, that is. The Scribes and Pharisees did not know they were lost. That ignorance would separate them eternally from God. Worse for the people, they led the great "unwashed masses" to believe that lie.
Jesus' great point in this is not only that self-rightousness is abhorrent to God, but it does in fact lead us to our own destruction. You see, despite what the Scribes and Pharisees taught, none of us is the other brother, the joyful villager, the "righteous." We are , rather the lost sheep, the lost son and the lost coin - lost. Only when we allow Jesus to find us and carry us back to the Father on His broad Good Shepherd shoulders are we able to accept the "robe and the crown" given to the returning prodical son.Revelation tells us what we ultimately will do what that robe and crown. We will not wear them proudly in Heaven on our chest like the battle ribbons of the brave soldier no, we will "lay them at the feet of Jesus." Only He is worthy to receive them.

End note: "Jot and tittle. These are elements of characters in the Hebrew alphabet. The jot is the little curl mark at the corner of the character and the tittle is the straight line across some characters. They would equate to a dot on the "I" and the cross on the "t."

Keep On Praying

When I played football for the Brantley High Bulldogs, we always huddled up before each game and said the Lord’s Prayer. Then we went out to kill our opponent – or at least do as much serious bodily harm as we could. We recited that prayer because our coach, Coach Orville Eubanks was a good Methodist and a man of prayer.

Well, what is it that prayer that is so special? What makes it better than the Prayer of Moses or the prayers of David or the “Prayer of Jabez?” The answer is that it came from Jesus, Himself, thus from the mouth of God to our ears! Perhaps we ought to hear it.

The version in today’s lesson of the Model Prayer or “Lord’s Prayer” is taken from Luke 11. Luke gives us a shortened version of the longer prayer that Jesus prays in Matthew 5 as a part of the Sermon on the Mount. The famous prayer is also known as the Paternoster, the “Our Father.” As recited, it would be

Pater noster,¨ qui es in caelis,¨ sanctificetur nomen tuum:¨ adveniat regnum tuum:¨ fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo, et in terra.¨ Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie:¨et dimitte nobis debita nostra,¨ sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.¨Et ne nos inducas in tentationem:¨ sed libera nos a malo. Amen.

But before concentrating of the Prayer, let’s look briefly at Luke, the book. While Matthew was one of the Twelve and wrote his book addressed to the Jews, Luke was Gentile, in fact the only Gentile privileged to be included as a writer of the New Testament. Tradition has it that Luke, who as we all know was a doctor, was also a skilled painter, thus he would have had an eye for beautiful things. Perhaps for this reason, Barclay in The Gospel of Luke calls Luke the “Lovely Gospel.” Luke is without a doubt a universal gospel addressed to all people. It portrays Jesus as the Blessed Sacrifice. Luke is a gospel that takes special note of the acts of women (an uncommon idea in that day), takes special note of the importance of praise to God, takes special caring note of sinners, outcasts and the poor and, for our purposes here takes special note, with the historian’s care, of the prayers of Jesus.

Luke demonstrates the importance of prayer in the life of Jesus: at His baptism (3:21); before doing battle with the Pharisees (5:16); before questioning the disciples as to His identity and the first prediction of His death (9:18); at the Transfiguration (9:29); and on the cross (23:46.) Interestingly enough Plummer points out in his commentary, that up until this point in the Gospel of Luke, the emphasis is on the prayer life of Jesus. After here, we begin to see the prayer life of the disciples emerge and come to full fruition in Acts, also of course written by Luke. Thus, we see the prayer continuum.

Today’s lesson takes the Model Prayer and holds it out to us as just that - a model. In summary, Jesus teaches his disciples and us, that indeed we should pray and “as you pray,” pray intentionally, pray persistently and pray expectantly.

In an Internet article entitled “Jesus on Prayer” by Dr. Donald T. Williams, in a sermon presented at Trinity Fellowship, Dr. Williams wonders why though prayer is so often urged on us, we have such difficulty in doing it. He suggests as an answer that perhaps we are viewing prayer wrongly.

Prayer at its best is a dialogue, a conversation between us and God. Did you hear that – between lowly us and the God of the universe? Though this is true, it is difficult, to keep this in mind. When we have a conversation with a friend, we get “feed-back.” Dr. Williams observes:
[t]hrough words, tone of voice, facial expression, and body language I have objective evidence of how my friend feels about what I have said--or whether she is even listening. With the invisible God there is none of that. To believe that prayer is more than a monologue requires a constant exercise of faith.

And failing that, we launch into the monologue of requests. I fear that sometimes such praying, though good is not the best because it seems that the focus has been on those things that we need or want to get from God and that can certainly be seen that as selfish praying.

Perhaps my impression of this type of prayer is influenced by my studying philosophy at the University of Montevallo with Prof. Hendrick Van Tuyll, a Dutch Baron and last of the old world philosophers. (We think Dr. Van Tuyvll actually studies with Immanuel Kant.) Dr. Van Tuyll was a minister in the Dutch Reform Church and taught that our prayers should always be prayers of recognition of God and praise and thanksgiving to Him. Dr. Van Tuyll believed that since God of course, already knew what we needed and wanted to give us what we needed and not what we wanted, then the thing to do is trust those things to God and not spend much time praying on it.

Well, be that as it may, perhaps we ought to spend the time on the totality of prayer, not for God’s benefit but for ours. I submit that we need to go through the exercise of prayer because in the honest, fervent prayer, God will speak to us (thus the dialogue) and set our thinking aright, thus adjusting our “wants” to our real “needs.” When we learn to distinguish those two things, we begin to have in us the “mind of Christ” about which Paul speaks in Philippians 2:5. Besides which, Jesus clearly and unabashedly teaches us to, as Paul would put it also in Philippians (4:6), “by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make your requests known unto God.”

Pray Intentionally (Luke 11:1-4).

Why did the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray? Were they not good Jews who prayed three times a day already? For starters, there was custom of the Jewish students that their Rabbi should give them a special prayer that distinguished his particular teaching. They were quite familiar with John the Baptist, indeed some may have previously been disciples of John’s. He taught them to pray. They follow that custom here.

If this passage comes, as Matthew has it, in the Sermon on the Mount, then they would have recognized in Jesus a man of great oratorical ability that to them equated to great spiritual power and knowledge. Secondly, they have recognized in Jesus a prayer life that was different from that to which they have become accustomed. As I stated earlier, these is no particular indication that the disciples were great men of prayer. It may be that they recognized this as a deficiency in their lives. So, in the Jesus-commanded child like open-mindedness, they say, “teach us to pray.”

Perhaps the over-riding thought here is not so much how you pray but THAT you pray. I would submit that as you pray in sincerity, God will lead you to “pray aright.” .

Bob Diffinbaugh from Dallas Theological Seminary, in his work on prayer points out that the prayer Jesus gives in vv. 2-4 is merely the skeleton of a prayer. We can then take this not as the “end-all, be-all on prayer, but the highlight of supplication. This is teaching on supplication. In other places we see Jesus giving examples of prayers of intercession. Perhaps, before we can intercede for others, though we must first understand what prayer is. Here Jesus teaches about the most basic form of prayer, that of supplication. But as we will see in the analysis of the prayer, Jesus has a method in His teaching. Jesus is saying “when you pray [make your requests known unto God, as Paul would say] do it this way.

This little piece of a prayer, then can be summarized as follows:

“Our Father which art in Heaven. . .” Acknowledge the relationship that God is Abba-Father, and Father of us all, yet the “Heavenly Father” who exhibits all the attributes of God.

“Hallowed [holy, blessed, set apart, different from everything else in the universe] IS (KJV uses “be” but not in the sense of some future hoped for event but in the sense of a present reality) Your name." Here we are recognizing that God is God and we aren’t. He is infinitely greater than we and that realization is the sine qua non to setting us on the path to right thinking and right “supplicating.”

"Your kingdom come, your will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven.” Request that His Kingdom [the “mind of Christ” will come [in your heart] and when it does He will begin to adjust your heart to conform it to His heart. When that happens, your will must be lost in His will and He will likewise adjust your way of thinking and viewing.

“Give us this day our daily bread.” Voice your requests to your Father. Here is where the listening comes in. As our will is lost in His, our wants and desires, the daily needs of life, will be matched to His desires for us and we will see His will done. We will receive that which He wants to give us and we will be satisfied with it because now it has become our desire as well.

“Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Here enters the confession. As we are praying to be forgiven of these sins, we must confess them and then ask for forgiveness of sin, and

“Lead us not into temptation.” Plead for protection from [falling into] temptation realizing that temptation is a wolf always at the door. That is to say that we should ever be mindful that temptations or “tests” will come, not that God “tempts” us to do evil, but that tests will come. The prayer here is that we pass the test. The way to pass the test is related to the foregoing parts of the prayer. Allow the “kingdom of God” in our hearts and recognize that we are weak and that we will only keep above sin by God’s provision to us .

“But deliver us from [the Evil One.]" One commentator states that “we must be praying for insight into the evil that we, as good people with good intentions, might nonetheless do, and also for the strength to confess our sin, to repent, and to forgive others.” 1 Peter 4:7 tells us that Satan roams the Earth like a “raging lion seeking whom he may devour.” Our prayer here is that we will allow God to give us, as He wants to, a view of evil influence and then allow Him to keep us above that influence in our lives, something else He always wants to do.

Pray Persistently. (Luke 11:5-10) Jesus moves on to explain Himself further to make sure they get the point. He wants them to [and they, and we need to] pray persistently. Jesus follows the skeletal prayer with a parable, one that would be familiar to Jesus’ disciples. At certain times of the year because of the heat at mid-day, travelers often traveled at night. A friend has arrived in the middle of the night and the host needs food to feed him. Remember the time and the custom of the area. Since there were no Holiday Inns or even Motel 6s to “leave the lights on for us,” hospitality was a sacred duty. The host had to get some food – but the cupboard was bare, perhaps as bare as his poor Palestinian house with one room and an earthen floor covered with dried reeds or rushes.

The neighbor has bedded down for the night with all the family literally no more than arms length away. Perhaps some of the livestock was also in the house. To be disturbed was a major annoyance in that day and age. Nevertheless, the erstwhile host petulantly asks and asks for a handout until he achieves success and is satisfied. Jesus uses this parable a “story laid along side a truth” to illustrate the truth. In like fashion to many such other parables He uses the a fortiori argument (as we lawyers would say) arguing that though the thing requested is given by the annoyed neighbor, how much more so does our Father in Heaven give to those whom He loves. – if we persist in prayer.

Jesus follows the story with the famous quote, that to whoever [keeps on asking] it will be given – whoever [keeps on] looking will find and to whoever [keeps on] knocking, the door will be opened. The consistent clause here is demonstrated in the tense of the words written in the Greek [uttered by Jesus in Aramaic] which supplies the “keeps on” before the verb. There is a favorite children’s story that we used to read to our daughter, Amy when she was little, B. Shackman Company’s version of the antique original children’s bedtime story by Harry Frees, “Four Little Kittens,” whose chief characters are: Fuzz, Suzz, Buzz, Agamemnon. In the book, the kittens learn that “perseverance pays off.”

This concept, though does raise a couple of questions about prayer: if God is omniscient, and He is, then why must we make our wishes or supposed needs known to Him and secondly, if He is omniscient, and He is why must be persistently ask Him for things? Perhaps the answer lies in the mechanism of prayer as a means of keeping in touch with God constantly. Our need for things is a vehicle to keep us close to God. When we persistently ask, we “keep on” recognizing that without Him we have -and are- nothing. It’s not about the “stuff,” even good stuff, it’s about the relationship.

Pray Expectantly (Luke 11:11-13). Jesus continues the a fortiori argument by asking:

'if your children asked [Some manuscripts add for bread], do you give them a stone? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."

Isn’t it presumptuous to “expect” that God is going to do what we tell Him to do? I think the answer is both “yes” and “no.” Note carefully what He says is the outcome. He promises that He will “give the Holy Spirit” to those that ask. Can we expect God to do what we expect Him to do” No, but can we expect God to do what He promises He will do? Absolutely. In fact, the expectation is a major portion of faith. T.W. Hunt teaches in his book, From Heaven’s View that the expectation that God will do what He says He will do is part and parcel of faith. First God says it, then you believe or give intellectual assent to it, then you must count it as done. That amounts to expectation. That must come before you take the final step of faith that is to “go out on the limb” and act in reliance on God doing what He says He will do.

Another question, why must we pray expectantly? The answer to this is related to the previous answer. Henry Blackaby would say that this is not about the stuff, it’s about the relationship. When we ask for things, we acknowledge to God that we are incomplete without Him and need Him. When we are able to turn over our expectations to Him, we take a big step in growing in that relationship. And that is the biggest blessing of all.