#LukeActs2014 - Luke chapter 7

It is no secret how much I admire Eugene Peterson and reading his paraphrase of Luke chapter 7 this week evoked yet again the familiar response of being awe-inspired by his gift for language.

I was first intrigued by Peterson's subtitle for verses 1 thru 17 - A Place Of Holy Mystery, especially when you consider this passage is first to follow the Sermon on the Mount and the concluding section he titled Work The Words Into Your Life. 

Near the end of Luke chapter 6, Jesus gives this instruction to the hearers of his sermon:

"These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on."

That foundation is faith and it is sometimes discovered, and often affirmed, in places of holy mystery. 

In chapter 7, we first read about the centurion in Capernaum whose servant was ill and sent for Jesus to heal him. Apparently, this Roman captain had "worked the words into his life" and established a firm foundation, having faith that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. For when he heard Jesus was coming to honor his request, his sense of unworthiness to be in the presence of the Lord led him to send word to Jesus and ask him to simply speak the word from afar so his servant would be made well. Jesus responds, "I've yet to come across this kind of simple trust anywhere in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know God and how he works." As expected, the servant was made well.

Next, we read how Jesus restores the widow's dead son to life. All who witnessed this "realized they were in a place of holy mystery, that God was at work among them." And, the evidence that Jesus is the Son of God, sent to deliver his people, continues from there. 

"The blind see.

The lame walk.

Lepers are cleansed.

The deaf hear.

The dead are raised.

The wretched of the earth have God's salvation hospitality extended to them."

Then, in verse 23 Jesus asks, "Is this what you were expecting?" I would say that for those who had "worked the words into their lives" and found themselves in "places of holy mystery," the answer was likely a resounding, "Yes!" For as Tim Keller so eloquently tweeted last week, "When you're face to face with the gospel, no one is hopeless." The truth of Keller's statement finds proof in the conclusion of the chapter.

A sinful woman washes Jesus' feet with her tears, dries them with her hair, and anoints them with expensive perfume at the dinner table of a Pharisee. This, of course, draws the typical reaction from the Pharisee and his guests, which Jesus ignores by rewarding her kindness and gratitude with these final words for the chapter:

"Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

John Wesley preached in his sermon Salvation By Faith, "Grace is the source, faith the condition, of salvation." Luke chapter 7 is filled with stories supporting his claim. May we all work the words into our lives and, through faith, experience God's saving grace in places of holy mystery.

#LukeActs2014 - Luke chapter 6

This week we find ourselves reading yet another chapter from Luke's gospel that is so rich in content. Forty-nine verses to be exact...and that's why it has been difficult to determine what to focus on and keep it within the confines of a weekly blog post.

In chapter 6 verses 20 through 49, Luke relates a rather compressed-feeling version of the Sermon on the Mount, especially when compared with what we find in Matthew's gospel. In fact, it is only one-fourth the length of Matthew's. That interesting point aside, I think for today's blog I want to focus on Luke 6:37-42 (CEB).

37 "Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good portion—packed down, firmly shaken, and overflowing—will fall into your lap. The portion you give will determine the portion you receive in return."

39 Jesus also told them a riddle. "A blind person can’t lead another blind person, right? Won’t they both fall into a ditch? 40 Disciples aren’t greater than their teacher, but whoever is fully prepared will be like their teacher. 41 Why do you see the splinter in your brother’s or sister’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother or sister, ‘Brother, Sister, let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ when you don’t see the log in your own eye? You deceive yourselves! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s or sister’s eye."

I think about this passage often when I hear Christians say things like, "Love the sinner. Hate the sin." Such sentiments leave me wondering when it became our job to make judgments about someone else's behavior (regardless of whether or not we have sufficient biblical evidence to support our determination that they are committing what in God's eyes likely would be a sin). I mean, it's not as if God is too busy with pouring out love, grace, and forgiveness on His created ones to have the time to the judging Himself, right? No. God is God, after all, and He did say, "Judgment is mine; I will pay people back." And he also said, "The Lord will judge his people." (Heb. 10:30)

Besides, in my estimation anyway, God commanded us to do things like:

• "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth." 
•  "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind." 
• "You must love your neighbor as you love yourself."

 And, oh yeah, let's not forget the Ten Commandments. 

I just don't seem to recall a commandment that says, "Judge your neighbor and call them out on their sins...especially the ones you find most offensive."  

I guess how I see it is that we are to call people to turn toward God, to change their hearts and lives, and that we all "must be holy in every aspect of our lives, just as the one who calls us is holy." (1 Pet 1:15) But, I also believe it is up to the Holy Spirit to convict someone of what they must change about their lives so that they might become more fully the person God made them to be.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a log in my eye that needs my attention.

#LukeActs2014 - Luke Chapter 5

I had every intention of writing this week's blog with a focus on the call stories of Simon (Peter) and Levi (Matthew) found in Luke chapter 5 and what they have to say to us today; but, my sermon for the 6:35 service tonight will go into these and this morning something else grabbed my attention instead.

In Luke 5:15-16 we read:

"News of him spread even more and huge crowds gathered to listen and to be healed from their illnesses. But Jesus would withdraw to deserted places for prayer."(CEB)

Not being one to shy away from sharing the words of another when they express something better than I can myself, I want to invite you to read what Fred Craddock has to say about this passage:

"The people are not to be faulted; they want to hear and be healed (v. 15). But Jesus will not permit himself to be defined by the people or be so occupied as to be cut off from the source of his power. He is in the desert again, praying and perhaps, as in the desert before, struggling. It was no simple or easy matter to turn away, even for prayer, so long as even one diseased or possessed person asked for help. Some of us regard turning from evil to good a victory; only persons of extraordinary spiritual discernment can at times turn from good to the power necessary to resource the good. In verse 16, Luke says literally, "But he was withdrawing in desert places (plural) and praying." This is not a reference to a single instance but a pattern of repeated behavior. This is as customary for Jesus as going to the synagogue on the Sabbath." (Interpretation, p, 72)

How good is that?! As someone who has an ongoing struggle with making time to withdraw from the busyness of life to enjoy Sabbath rest, I really appreciate this reminder.

And so, that is where I am going to leave things for this week. Before I turn to my calendar of obligations and growing to-do list, I am going to withdraw for a few moments to pray - for my family, my friends, my colleagues in ministry, anyone who might read this. May we all find time in the middle of things to turn to the "power necessary to resource the good" and may grace and peace be with you this day.

#LukeActs2014 - Luke chapter 4

Last week in chapter 3 we read how John the Baptist called people to repent (turn from every thing in life that hindered them from becoming the people God made them to be) and to receive baptism (change their hearts and lives, accepting God's kingdom life). We then read how Jesus (who had no need for repentance), too, was baptized to demonstrate His alignment with God's kingdom life and to receive God's claim as His Son, chosen and marked by God's love.

How interesting, then, after having read about Jesus receiving the same baptism as the rest of us and learning about His human genealogy, that we find ourselves in the opening verses of chapter 4 reading about Jesus' temptation...something we humans understand far too well. It called to mind these lyrics from a great worship song called Lead Me To The Cross:

"You were as I, tempted and tried...human."

 Fred Craddock rightly states in his Interpretation commentary:

"Being committed to the way of God in the world does not exempt one from the struggle. In fact, it is those who are most engaged in the way of God who seem to experience most intensely the opposition of evil. If Jesus struggled, who is exempt?"

Of course, the answer to Craddock's question is, "No one." We all struggle and temptation is something that never goes away; especially when you consider that our strongest temptations are to do things within our power, rather than things we are unable to do. Look at how the devil tempted Jesus:

1. The devil said to him, "Since you are God's Son, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." (Lk 4:3, CEB)
2. The devil said, "I will give you this whole domain and the glory of all these kingdoms. It’s been entrusted to me and I can give it to anyone I want. Therefore, if you will worship me, it will all be yours."(Lk 4:6-7, CEB)
3. The devil brought him into Jerusalem and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him, "Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down from here; for it’s written: He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t hit your foot on a stone." (Lk 4:9-11, CEB)

See what I mean? Three times the devil tempted Jesus to do things well within His power. And, three times Jesus, filled with God's Spirit, overcame the devil's temptations by drawing upon the power of Scripture. That's good news for us because we, too, are led by God's Spirit and armed with Scripture. So, while the power of temptation may never go away and the devil may always lie in wait, the power of the Holy Spirit and God's Word will always stand for us and with us.

Something else that struck me about this passage and Jesus' temptation was its conclusion. Both the NRSV and the CEB refer to Jesus having finished "every" test and the MSG says the Jesus "completed the testing." I suppose this could mean simply that Jesus successfully completed the three temptations mentioned. (It is worth pausing here to note that Craddock postulates that the first temptation was personal/social, the second was political, and the third was religious.) But, the connotation of "every temptation" has led me to wonder, "Is it possible that during His 40 days in the wilderness Jesus was subjected to every human temptation?" Regardless, the result was the same. Jesus overcame the power of temptation and triumphantly left the desert to begin His ministry, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons with authority that amazed. 

 

There is so much more that could be said about the beginning of Jesus' ministry since a full two-thirds of the chapter is dedicated to it. However, I will leave you to your own reflection since it really was Jesus' temptation that captured my attention. Remember, this is supposed to be interactive. So, make comments directly to my blog or on Facebook or on Twitter...what captured your attention in chapter 4?

Looking forward to next week...

Aaron

PS - If you are so inclined, I invite you to please pray for the FL Conference Board of Ordained Ministry as they set about the very important task of interviewing candidates this week in Leesburg. I will be interviewed Wednesday morning, seeking approval to become a Provisional Elder.

Foto Friday - 2014 Rousseau Family Winter Retreat

My family and I returned last night from a week's vacation in the mountains of North Carolina, where we enjoyed the hospitality of our dear friends' cabin. Rather than upload another photo album to Facebook, I thought I would again use my blog to record my Sabbath activity of photography, which I thoroughly enjoyed on this trip and learned more about my camera than all previous outings combined. I may upload more photos here than necessary but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway! 

A couple of shots from our scenic drives together (I logged over 24 hours behind the wheel, including the drive there and back):

Where we stayed:

Some shots from our hikes near the cabin:

Obligatory shots of my beautiful children:

Here are some shots where I was attempting to capture less obvious perspectives (so much natural beauty around, I gather most wouldn't have thought of these):

I also spent some time experimenting with long exposures. Here are some "first-trys" at star trail photography (I was all set to make a second effort on our last night but it was cloudy...boo) and light-painting (I used the flashlight on my iPhone...the kids had a lot of fun with this):

Finally, I learned some valuable lessons in the importance of persistence and composition. There is a rather large creek that runs behind the cabin (hence the name for the area "Land of Living Water") and I had been trying to capture the movement of the water using long exposure. I took dozens of photos before finally getting one that I like. First, here is the location as captured by my iPhone from the adjacent path...it doesn't look like much.

Here is the final product from my Nikon. It required several attempts at finding the "just right" composition (which included me stepping into the creek to move an uncooperative branch from the frame), waiting for the right light, the right exposure, patience, and most importantly, a tripod. I indeed learned a lot from this one.

So, there you have it...the Sabbath activity of photography (what I call "searching for God through the lens of my camera") is so good for my soul. Friends, I pray you all find something like it for those times when you are resting in who God is and all God does.

Shabbat shalom.

#LukeActs2014 - Luke chapter 3

Writing this morning from a beautiful cabin in an area called the "Land of Living Water" in the mountains of North Carolina. Snow on the ground outside, fire burning inside. I could get used to this...

John the Baptist, Jesus, and baptism are on display in Luke chapter 3 and it's quite a passage. Coincidentally, a couple weeks ago I preached a sermon on Luke 3:1-22 in the 6:35 service titled "Baptisms of Life Change" as part of our January series "New Beginnings" and to mark the Baptism of The Lord. Here are some of my reflections.

John's purpose:

John went throughout the region of the Jordan River, calling for people to be baptized to show that they were changing their hearts and lives and wanted God to forgive their sins. (Luke 3:3 CEB, emphasis mine)

And so, John's baptism ministry was wildly successful. So much so that people began to show up for baptism because it was the "popular" thing to do. For those in the crowd seeking a free baptism (meaning baptism without their repentance), John had strong words.

“Brood of snakes! What do you think you’re doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to deflect God’s judgment? It’s your life that must change, not your skin. And don’t think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as ‘father.’ Being a child of Abraham is neither here nor there—children of Abraham are a dime a dozen. God can make children from stones if he wants. What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it’s deadwood, it goes on the fire.” (Luke 3:7-9 MSG, again...emphasis mine)

For some, these words had their desired effect, leading them to remorsefully ask, "Then what are we supposed to do?" Their answer, of course, began with what had been missing in the first place...repentance. For our lives to change, we need to turn away from all that separates us from becoming who God wants us to be. Only then can remorseful repentance lead to the realignment of our lives to God's kingdom life. 

It is this alignment with God's kingdom life that demonstrates the significance of Jesus' baptism. Jesus, whose life was blameless and knew no sin, did not need baptism in order to be cleansed. Rather, Jesus was showing us what it looks like to say, "Not my will, but Yours be done." By receiving baptism, Jesus was claiming God's kingdom life is far better than any other. And, in response, God made a claim of His own.

“You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.” (Luke 3:22 MSG)

My friends, to be chosen and marked by God's love is reason to rejoice. God loves each and every one of us and, in baptism, we are all sons and daughters!

Remorseful repentance.

Realignment.

Rejoice.

And I'll add one more...

Remember. 

Remember your baptism and be thankful for what God, in the person of Jesus Christ, has done for us.

#LukeActs2014 - Luke chapter 2

Have you ever heard anyone say, "I love Jesus, but the church...not so much."? I know I have. In his invitation for us to join the Luke/Acts reading plan, Bishop Carter made reference to this sentiment, stating that there are many in our culture who wish to separate Jesus from the church. But, he also reminded us "this is not an option for those who take the Bible seriously." This is why I believe that reading Luke and Acts throughout this year is so important and why I pray it is a transformative experience for everyone participating and for our churches all over the Florida Conference.

Luke goes to great length in his gospel and Acts to show the reader that there is continuity between Judaism and the temple life, portrayed in the Old Testament, and Christianity and the church, being introduced by his "carefully ordered account." The gospel of Luke begins (1:8) and ends in the temple (24:53); and, chapter 2 contains two important accounts of Jesus in the temple.

The first account (2:21-40), Jesus' circumcision, naming, and temple presentation, shows that Mary and Joseph fully intended to raise Jesus in a family that would observe the law of Moses and nurture him in the Jewish faith. 

The second account (2:41-52), Jesus in the temple at Passover, shows the family commitment to Judaism and life in the temple continues. The story tells us that Jesus is now twelve years old, which likely means he has gone through the ceremony of "bar mitzvah." As a result, Jesus would have attended the Passover festival at the temple as required by Mosaic law.

Of these accounts, one commentator writes:

"Luke's primary interest is to establish that Jesus was a true Israelite, from birth brought up in the moral and ritual life of Judaism. Home, temple, and synagogue formed him...at every significant period of his life he was in continuity with Judaism." (Interpretation - Luke, p. 41)

This statement resonates with me. While I have absolutely no idea what it is like to be perfect like Jesus was perfect, I do know what it means to have been formed by family life in the home and the church. Also, the most significant moments of my life somehow included Jesus and the church. 

I will admit that in some ways I understand those who love Jesus but not the church. The church is, indeed, imperfect. Very imperfect. Still, to those who express their discontentment with the church, I often ask, "Why do you think Jesus uses imperfect people for his work in the church?" Obviously, it is because we are all he has to work with. And to this I often add: By all means, love Jesus. He loves you. But please, love the church because Jesus loves that, too. Love is an action verb, not a stative verb. Simply put, this means love is a work in progress, not something we possess.

Luke chapter 2 reveals to us that Jesus went through spiritual development, maturing in wisdom and years and in favor with God and with people (2:52). So too may it be with us as we grow in grace and in our love of God, Christ's holy church, and our every neighbor.