Key Verse: Luke 18:13 “…God be merciful to me a sinner!”

The Bible doesn’t always make an editorial comment about Jesus’ parables, but Luke does so in this instance. The famous parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is told to “some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else” (18:9 NIV). Of course, the temptation to us as we read, is to look down on the Pharisee. Human nature, as irrepressible as it is, will always manage to condescend somehow.

This parable is a classic. On one side you have a self-satisfied religious type. On the other side is a self-disgusted con artist. One enters confidently, arrogantly, even into the temple–it is familiar and much loved territory. The other entire fearfully, regretfully, and awkwardly–the temple is foreign territory. The one saunters, the other grovels. And to the surprise of the listener, Jesus says God responds to the man with the dirty face, and rejects Mr. Clean. This doesn’t seem fair, does it?

To appreciate the shock value of this parable, think of it in these terms: the Pharisee is you and the tax collector is a convicted rapist. You’ve never knowingly hurt anybody in your life. You’ve attended church faithfully, paid your tithes, and helped the poor. You are always ready to testify to your faith and intend to obey God and serve Him all your life. And, in all honesty, as you see it, God owes you something, for you’ve kept your part of the bargain.

On the other hand, the rapist has been nothing but trouble all his life. He was kicked around at home, so he lashed out at school. Abused by society, he paid it back with ever-increasingly abusive behavior. Finally, he went on a rampage, beating, stealing and raping. Now, as he enters the prison chapel, he throws himself on the floor in anguish, while you, on your monthly prison visitation, take a moment for prayer before the chapel service.

And guess what? God ignores you and honours him! He disregards. your self-satisfied conversation and embraces his self-condemnation. What gives?

Simply this. That man recognizes his spiritual poverty and you don’t. He cries for mercy, even as you casually converse. His feet are slipping into the pit; yours are merely slippered. He is in anguish; you are content.

Never forget Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:3). Regardless of how wholeheartedly we’ve embraced Christ, it is only because He’s embraced us first that we have any right to stand in His presence. And when He first embraced us, we were detestably filthy; as filthy as a rapist.

Key Verse: Luke 16:31 “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.”

It’s amazing but true: there still are “Christians” who have a distinct prejudice against (if not and out-and-out hatred for) Jews. Three or four time s a year, I receive mail from these anti- Semites. Usually their letters are more like tomes–overstuffed manila envelopes with articles, essays, facts and figures, all designed and tailored to make me believe there is a Jewish conspiracy to take over the world. It is hateful and disgusting. What’s more, it’s sinful.

Jesus was a Jew, and I love Him; I also love His people. That’s one reason why my family and I gave seven years of our lives to living and working in Israel. I also have the highest respect for the disciples and the apostle Paul (all Jews) — so much so, that I follow their teaching g and base my life on their interpretation of the words of Jesus. On top of that (or should I say, “foundation to that”), is my high view of Moses and the prophets. The “Old” Testament, as we call it, is the very root system of my Christian faith. Take the Old Testament away from me and you’ve uprooted me–focus only on the New Testament and you may appear alive for awhile, just like your Christmas tree appears to believing for a week or so in your house at Christmastime, but eventually my branches will turn brown.

In Luke 16, Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus. He quotes Abraham as saying that if “Moses and the prophets” can’t convince a person of the reality of Heaven and Hell, then the resurrection won’t do it either. Jesus’ live and ministry was a fulfillment of the Old Testament. You can try to take Jesus out of the Old Testament–but you cannot take the Old Testament out of Jesus. Like love and marriage, they are inseparable. But don’t call it a “mixed” marriage. Sure, the Old Testament is Jewish , but so is the New!

Key Verse: Luke 14:33 “…whoever of you does not forsake all he has cannot be Me disciple.”

I don’t like those words in the key verse. Nor do I like these words: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be My disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple” (vs. 26,27 NIV). I dislike them, not just because they offend my values, but also because they seem out of character with Jesus, if taken at face value.

I say “out of character” for a number of reasons. First of all, Jesus had a high view of scripture, which included a high view of the ten commandments — one of which says, “Honour your father and mother…” Secondly, He had a high view of children — “suffer the little children to come unto Me…” Jesus respected the word of His Father which commands us to “train up a child in the way he should go…” — so how do you do this if you have deserted the child?

Obviously, Jesus was doing there what He often did as was the custom of a good semitic teacher: He used exaggeration for the sake of emphasis. He shocked people into seeing the point. The point here was simply that Jesus expects His disciples to put God and His kingdom first (“seek first the kingdom of heaven, and its righteousness…”), and personal concerns second (“…and all these things will be added unto you” –Matt.6:33).

He’s a lover of our souls, but He’s a jealous lover. Don’t cross Him.

Key Verse: Luke 12:1b “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”

Nobody likes a hypocrite. There’s something instinctive about this distaste — rather like our dislike for foul odours, snakes, and dishonest salesmen. We prefer people to be who they say they are. Regardless of the masks we ourselves may wear, we want the other guy to be transparent. We like an honest face. Indeed, one of the highest compliments we can pay a person is to recite the old adage of him, “what you see is what you get.”

It’s no secret Jesus gave the Pharisees a hard time; just like He would do to you and me. The Pharisees weren’t any more enamoured of hypocrites than we are. And they’d be the last to admit any personal hypocrisy. Like us, they were concerned about God’s word, about pleasing Him, attending weekly (in some case, daily) services of worship and raising their children in the faith — in most areas of their lives they were just like present day North American conservative evangelical Christians — Orthodox in faith, moderate in practise. They were good guys.

That’s why it stung when Jesus accused them of being inwardly filthy when they were so outwardly pure (11:39); or of neglecting justice and the love of God (11:42); or of being spiritually proud and self-serving (11:43).

But there was one accusation Jesus made which speaks volumes to me: “You load people down with burdens they can hardly carry” (11:46 NIV). This hits me because I’m a preacher, as well as a broadcaster and author. I have often moralized in my preaching, punctuating my sermons with idealisms, shoulds, coulds and black/white value judgements. I have laid guilt on people, crushing them with the burden of my view of righteousness. Little wonder there’s been a significant fall-out rate over the years: being a human has a way of winning over being an angel.

It’s taken me a few years, but now I try to point people to Jesus rather than standards. Not that standards are all bad, but when Jesus is magnified and glorified, moral standards seem to follow naturally.

I suppose it boils down to religion versus relationship.

Key Verse: Luke 11:9 “And I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

Have you ever thought of prayer as a process? Usually we think of it only in terms of verbalizing: articulating a need. But if you look carefully at Jesus’ teaching on prayer in this chapter, you begin to see prayer as far more than just talking to God.

As Jesus presents it, prayer is using your mouth, your head, and your hands. You ask. You seek. You knock. Let’s look at it.

We usually don’t ask for something we already have, so when we ask for something, we’re defining a need. Or, to put it another way, we’re defining a goal. Seeking means actively looking here, there, and everywhere, in order to find something. That is, we’re pursuing the options. And to do that we need to make some sort of plan. Knocking, on the other hand, is something you do when the options have been narrowed to a few key doors. There is a note of expectancy as you knock — an opportunity lies on the other side. So we knock. We work the plan.

Define the goal, make a plan, work the plan. Sounds like something from a business seminar. But the point is this: prayer is essentially active. It’s not passive at all. Perhaps this is why our prayers are sometimes not answered — they’re not finished. We’re to ask, seek, and knock (all active verbs). After that, we’re to receive, find, and enter. Don’t sit back when you pray — go for it!

Key Verse: Luke 10:20 “…do not rejoice…that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

In the last chapter, we read of Jesus sending out the twelve disciples “to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick” (9:2). In this chapter, He sends out seventy more. It’s in this context that Jesus says the famous words, “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field” (v.2)

So the seventy rookies went out, and came back, a few days later, with a glowing report. “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name,” they exulted. “We have power! Authority! We’re special!” Or so they thought.

And so they were. No doubt Jesus was pleased to hear it had gone so well. He had hand-picked these special people. they had gone out to preach, heal, and deliver — and they had succeeded. They tried to follow Jesus’ example — and they did, with one glaring exception: they had become overly impressed with their spiritual power, especially as it related to their ability to rout demonic spirits. Spiritual pride was beginning to raise its ugly head.

Jesus put things in perspective. “It’s no big deal about the demons,” He said, in effect. “That’s no reason to rejoice. Rather rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” As great as a miracle of deliverance or healing may be, it’s small bananas compared to the greatest miracle of all — passing from death into life. Salvation is a miracle number one; beside it the other miracles pale in significance.

God isn’t impressed with a panoply of miracles and a plethora of miracle workers. Unlike humans, He’s not moved by the outward show of things (after all, there are false miracles and false prophets who, on the outside, are very impressive). He is impressed with those He calls His children. He likes dependents, not co-deities.

Key Verse: Luke 9:58 “…Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

Read the last part of this chapter, and you get the distinct impression that Jesus didn’t have the foggiest idea, when it came to public relations. Before you get defensive (as if Jesus needs defenders!), think about it for a moment.

Suppose you had the greatest message the world has ever heard, but it wasn’t going all that well with the ratings. People were ignoring you at best, and persecuting you at worst. You’ve just had a bad day in Samaria when, along comes a bright-eyed idealist who just loves you and wants to follow you “wherever you go” (v.57). So what do you do? You sign him up! You give him your “now that I believe” follow-up manual, get his full name and address, put him on your mailing list, and make sure the nurture-group leader in his area gets him to the next house meeting. You pray with him and tell him he’s made a wise decision.

What you don’t do is highlight your personal poverty and imply in no uncertain terms that if he follows you he’ll be a pauper, too. Nor do you turn to other would-be followers and tell them that it’s either you or their bereaved families — “You go to that funeral and you can forget following me. You say goodbye to your family, and I say goodbye to you.” Was Jesus insensitive here or what?

It appears He was. But then appearances can be misleading. There is another cliché, “what you see isn’t always what you get”. It could very well be that at this point in Jesus’ ministry He was, in His eyes, becoming too “popular”. More and more wanted to follow Him, but they were doing so for the wrong reasons. Jesus had to do some sifting of wheat from chaff. And I suspect Jesus’ words to these idealists were meant not just for them but for the scores of would-be disciples who were within ear-shot.

Jesus wanted it to be known that there was a cost in following Him. He demanded singleness of purpose and maturity. He wanted people with an eye to the heavenly kingdom, feet on the ground, and back bent in doing good.

Grace isn’t cheap

Key Verse: Luke 8:15 “But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.”

Hear. Retain. Produce. That’s what “noble and good hearts” do. The object of hearing and retaining  is the Word of God (v.11). And “fruit” is the result.

What kind of fruit? Well, Jesus doesn’t say. What He does say is that the fruit produced represents “a hundred times more than was sown” (v. 8). We’re talking a 10,000 percent increase here! Pretty intimidating. Especially if we think of a single seed as one soul won to Christ. Is Jesus suggesting we’re to reproduce ourselves 100 times? What about those of us who’ve won maybe one or two people to the Lord in our entire lives? What about those who’ve yet to lead their first soul to Christ?

Before you’re overcome with a performance-anxiety attack, let’s think it through. Fruitfulness in the Bible is never described only in soul-winning terms. In fact, the apostle Paul talks of it in terms of “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”, the “fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22,23). Fruit, then, refers to the general quality, as well as the quantity, of your life. If we’re producing peace, joy, or goodness among our neighbours, we’re fruitful. If we’re leading a neighbour or two to the Lord, as well, then that’s fruitfulness, too. Indeed, if we’re brining our heavenly Father some joy, I daresay that’s fruitfulness as well.

The key is to be fruitful rather than parasitical. Be an extension of God’s love for the world. do this, and you’ll be one of those with “a noble and good heart”.

Key Verse: Luke 7:9 “…I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”

Most everyone likes to know what others think of them. And if it were possible, to know what God thinks of them. What most of us know, however, is what we think of ourselves. Generally, when it comes to self-assessment, we’re not too impressed with what we see.

The centurion in this chapter certainly wasn’t stuck on himself. In fact, he didn’t even consider himself worthy to come to Jesus to request healing for his servant. Instead, he clearly sent some of the Jewish elders of Capernaum to present his case to Jesus. These elders had a high view of the centurion–“he loves our nation and has built our synagogue,” they said. So Jesus went with them to the centurion’s house.

But, before He reached the house, some friends of the centurion came to meet Jesus with this message, “Don’t bother yourself with the walk over here. Just say the word and my servant will be healed. After all, my commands are obeyed by my men–why shouldn’t your command be obeyed by the sickness?” Jesus was impressed; so much so that He said, “I have not found such great faith, even in Israel.” This Gentile was putting Jesus’ nation to shame in terms of his faith. His friends returned to the house and found the servant healed.

So the centurion was rather self-deprecating in his view of himself. The elders, on the other hand, were very high on him. And Jesus was impressed with his faith. The point? Simply that your self-assessment may not be entirely accurate. There’s something to be said for giving yourself the benefit of the doubt. After all, God loves you. And He’s a pretty good judge of what’s truly valuable.

Key Verse: Luke 6:47 “Whoever comes to Me…hears My sayings and does them…”

Verbal Christianity can be quite enjoyable. You talk about love, discuss theology, give to the poor at Christmas, get lots of “amens!” when speaking about faith to the converted–in fact, it beats most other service clubs all hollow. Mainly because a “Christian” club brings an abundance of self-satisfying righteousness as part of the territory. Your club dues are paid in right talking.

Right walking, rather than talking, is, of course, what Christianity is about. Especially in the 90’s. There are enough talking heads out there; it’s time for walking feet. Jesus thought so, then. No doubt, He still thinks so today.

He said there was a distinct relationship between hearing (and “parroting”, I’d expect) His sayings, and doing them. In fact, He used a powerful simile to make the point. The person who is a hearer and a talker without being a doer, is like someone building a house on an unstable foundation. Regardless of the dedication, the diligence and the time spent in construction, the house will collapse. It doesn’t even matter if they house was dedicated to the Lord’s work. If the foundation is shaky, the house will be shaky, and ultimately will be no more.

Conversely, the person who not only hears, but also puts Jesus’ words into practise, builds an indestructible house. Regardless of the forces that come against it the house will stand. Why? Because “doing” the word makes for an unshakable foundation. Perhaps no more or less effort will be put into the construction than the house built on sand, but the house on the Rock will stand forever.

In the final analysis, our talk doesn’t impress God. He can make the rocks cry out if Her wants to–so spare yourself and Him all the talk; rather give Him your will. Get out of that pew, and do!

Key Verse: Luke 5:38 “…new wine must be put into new wineskins…”

Let’s follow Jesus’ thinking here. New wine needs new wineskins–that makes sense. Old wineskins have already been stretched by the fermentation process. Stretch them any more and they’ll burst. So the old wineskins are useless now; they’ve served their purpose. But does that mean the old wine is useless? By no means. In Jesus’ own words, “the old is better”. Let’s pursue this a bit.

You’ve heard the term, “the old boys network”. I remember as a young pastor, attending church conferences and seeing the old pastor–in my mind, it needed a young, fresh, new approach: someone  in tune with the time. But what would the district officials do? They’d appoint one of the “old boys”, a friend of long acquaintance, to go in and continue the old traditions, stultifying the church even more. My disdain. The status quo seemed to be preferred to creatively pursuing the far horizon. The district officials chose men from the ark, while we younger pastors wanted someone from the cradle. We wanted style, they wanted character.

I see things more clearly, now that I’ve reached the hoary-headed age of 42. The brand new church needs a young pastor–while the young leader “ferments”, the church expands, relatively painlessly. On the other hand, if the young pastor is catapulted into an established situation, chances are there’ll be an explosion (not of growth, but of disintegration). The seasoned pastor, on the other hand, is the man to cultivate, prime, nourish, discipline, and guide the seasoned church in producing ongoing fruit. Of course, there are exceptions, but generally speaking, whereas character always has style, style doesn’t always have character.

Jesus’ teaching was new. The established religious system couldn’t bear the pressure of His expansive view of the kingdom of heaven; something had to give. But even while the establishment crushed Jesus’ life, His shed blood, like the released juice of the grape, created a whole new wine. And ultimately, it was the old wineskin that burst–and a new world, which will culminate in Jesus’ return, was begun.

But there’s something unique about Jesus’ new wine. It’s rooted in the old. It has the style of a new day dawning, and the character of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It’s the best of new and old.

Key Verse: Luke 4:24 “…no prophet is accepted in his own country”.

You’ve heard the old adage, “familiarity breeds contempt”. And if not contempt, familiarity breeds at least neglect. This was the case with Jesus. Interestingly, it was also the case with the nation of Israel. And, if we’re honest, it’s the case with you and me too.

In Luke’s account, the temptation in the wilderness is followed by Jesus’ return to Nazareth, His home town. There He attends the synagogue on the Sabbath, and when it’s His turn to read, He find Isaiah 61. After reading verses 1 and 2, He looks at the assembled men of Nazareth, all friends and acquaintances, and says, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” This obviously met with resistance, for Jesus goes on to say, “no prophet is accepted in his home town” (NIV). Then, as the anger of the home town men mounts, Jesus does nothing to diffuse it, rather He adds fuel to the fire.

He goes on to refer to Elijah and Elisha’s time. Prophets then were no more listened to by their own people than now, Jesus says in effect. During the three-and-a-half year drought, there were probably thousands of Israelite widows in need. But what does God do? He sends Elijah to a Canaanite woman, a heathen. During Elisha’s day, there were many sick with leprosy. But whom does God heal? Not an Israelite, but a Syrian. The implication was clear, and not lost on Jesus’ audience. So much so that they tried to throw Him over a cliff.

The people of God are often those least accessible to Him. We’re often in church, often praying, often talking about God. We’re very religious. In fact, religion is old hat. And that familiarity produces carelessness, boredom and neglect.

It needn’t do so. Not if we thank God every day of our lives for His wonderful gift of life in Jesus Christ. Not if we renew our love every morning, live it all day, and rest in it at night. You might call it “familiar freshness”.