Jesus, The Caregiver

One of my Middle Eastern friends tells the story of when his sister was being courted by a suitor.  The older brother in typical culture gathered his 4 younger brothers to meet with the young man.  They came looking tough and intimidating.  They would meet with him 5 times to find out if he was good enough for their sister.  They would also try to add an intimidation factor.  If at the 3rd visit they liked the guy, they would begin by offering him tea as a sign they were warming up to him.  After 5 visits they would give their blessing.  If after they married and the husband was harmful to their sister, they would investigate.  If they found their sister in the wrong, they would let him deal with it.  If they found he was wrong, they would deal with him.

In Middle Eastern culture (and many African cultures) the responsibility of the family falls on to the oldest brother.  He is to protect the family name and make sure the family is protected.  An older brother is also oftentimes expected to financially send the young siblings to school.   It's double the honor, double the responsibility.

Jesus is Middle Eastern.  And he is the oldest brother.  He had the responsibility of caring for his family, especially his mother and the other siblings.  (According to tradition his father died young.)  At one point his brothers thought he had gone crazy so they tried to pull the "mom-card" to get him to stop (Mk 3:30-34).  Didn't work.  Jesus knew what they were up to.  "Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

But on the cross it was different.  Jesus had a responsibility to his mother.    And it wasn't pretty as Michaelangelo so shockingly reminds us in his painting--Jesus was naked.  They gambled away his under garments.  And the Romans wanted the greatest possible shame.  There was a reason that "All those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things" (Lk 23:49).

But it was different with family.  Jesus' mother was there.  It was her son.  And the disciple Jesus loved.  And in the moment of his greatest agony as he became the sin of the world, he still was focused on the one in front of him--his mother.

"When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother."  From that time on, this disciple took her into his home" (Jn 19:26-27).

It wasn't his brothers or even his sisters but it was the man who came to the horror of the cross to look after his mother.  To this man he handed over the care giving responsibilities.  Ironically it was this man who would live the longest.

Jesus was indeed a caregiver.  Not in her sickness but in his crucifixion.  This tells us much about the kind of man we follow.

Sleepy Faith--Psalms 3-4, Mark 4, Acts 12

Sometimes faith shows itself at its greatest when one just goes to sleep.  I remember the story of a missionary who was stranded somewhere in a dangerous part of Africa.  They knew there were violent thieves around and they feared for their life, but they could do nothing about it.  As the man was praying, the Lord spoke to him the Scripture in Psalm 4:8--"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety."  So with that Word, he shared with those with him and they decided the best thing they could do was lie down and sleep.

Sleep throughout Scripture has often been a fruit of faith.  Consider David when pursued by Saul and his whole army (Ps 3). 

Lord, how many are my foes!
    How many rise up against me! 
 Many are saying of me,
    “God will not deliver him.”

  But you, Lord, are a shield around me,
    my glory, the One who lifts my head high. 

 I call out to the Lord,
    and he answers me from his holy mountain.

 I lie down and sleep;
    I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. 

 I will not fear though tens of thousands
    assail me on every side

Surrounded by tens of thousands who were pursuing him to his death.  And David goes to sleep.  It was the sleep of faith.  And it wasn't the first time (Ps 4).

We see it again in the New Testament.  Jesus and his disciples, some of who had grown up on the waters of the Galilee, were convinced they were going to drown in a storm.  And where was Jesus?  Sleeping.  Soundly.  They woke him up, he rebuked the wind, rebuked the disciples, and in my estimation, went back to sleep.  (Lk 8:22-25; Mk 4:35-41).

And another time in the life of the disciples.  King Herod had just arrested and beheaded James.  Seeing this pleased the Jews, he seized Peter also.  The church was earnestly praying and what was Peter doing?  Sleeping.  Soundly.  So soundly the angel of the Lord had to slap him on the side to wake him up (Acts 12).  It was the hour that he might have joined James in getting beheaded, but there he was in the cell, sleeping between two soldiers.

How can you sleep when the world is spiraling out of control?  How can you sleep when people are crying for death outside your window?  It's only possible by faith.  The same faith, like Daniel's friends when told to worship or die:

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue from your hand, O King.  But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up" (Dan 3:17-18).
 And I think with every act of faith in this form, the forces of darkness shudder.  Shudder at our snoring.







 

Faith that Fails--Luke 22:32

I was praying for someone tonight that "their faith would not fail" in a difficult hour.  These words originally came from Jesus.  Satan had asked to sift Peter as wheat, but Jesus had prayed that "his faith would not fail."  But what did Peter do?  As soon as the time came, three times Peter denied Jesus.  Three.  Times.  So did Peter's faith fail?

Well, it would seem like this is the case.  How do you deny someone not once but three times and not consider that a failure?  Except that it wasn't the end of the story.  Jesus would meet Peter again and while he confronted him 3x.  Then Jesus completely restored and commissioned him.  What if Peter would have just rolled over and quit as a failure?  What if Jesus as his leader would've written him off?

The story doesn't end with a great failure.  The story actually begins.  How will that failure be handled?  Because in Peter's case, what he did after his failure changed history.  Including yours.

Level, Straight and Smooth--Luke 3:4-6

If you were given a commission to make a road level, straight and smooth, how would you treat the following barriers?

Valleys--You would need to fill them in
Mountains/hills--You would need to bulldoze them and lower them to make them level
Crooked roads--you would need to straighten the roads
Rough roads--You would then need to smooth them out

Making a roadway level straight and smooth not only is possible but is done on a regular basis throughout the world. 

"A voice of one calling in the desert,
'Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him:

Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
And all mankind will see God's salvation."

Today the mandate continues.   

Make straight paths for him.  

This is the work of the gospel.  Some have mountains that need leveled.  Some have valleys that need filled in.  Some have crooked roads that need straightening.  And some are rough roads needing smoothing.  But as we prepare the Lord, it is for this:

That all mankind will see God's salvation.

Through the Roof--Lk 5:17-26

Most of us have never known what it is to live in a nation occupied by a foreign nation.  A miserable experience with broadly ranging opinions from those within--most of which are hostile to the occupying government.  We see this a lot right now in the Middle East.  But such was the case for Israel.  Rome occupied the land and they were well...hated. 

Jesus was in "the house."  Probably Peter's house but we don't know for sure.  We do know this.  Crowds were pressing impenetrably thick and the Pharisees and teachers of the Law showed up in abundance.  And they were sitting.  You can't sit squished so I'm assuming they had some elbow room.  They would not be denied.

Anyway, they had come from every village in Galilee and from Judea AND Jerusalem.  Jesus was in the house but so were the big wigs.  They were here to check him out.  It's surprising then that Jesus says "the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick."  It wasn't exactly because there was faith in the room.

But then there were 4 guys carrying a paralytic buddy on a mat.  It doesn't say directly who they were but look at the facts:

1)  The Greek word used for "mat" is for a Roman, military mat.
2)  They were a group of 4 which is then and now the number with which special ops team travel (think Navy Seals)
3)  They clearly re-conned the place knowing exactly where to break through the ceiling to get their buddy to Jesus
4)  Nobody stopped them from doing what they were doing which would've been easy considering the sheer numbers.
5)  The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were timid to voice their thoughts out loud, something they hadn't really held back on previously.

My assumption?  The 4 were Roman soldiers carrying their paralyzed friend.  In a culture where numerous gods were served and sickness was from angering the gods or a curse from a past life, this injured man was probably tortured in soul.  It's no wonder Jesus first said to him, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."  Absolvement is what he needed more than anything.  No matter what he thought he had done, it was forgiven through Jesus.  A gift better than the one he thought he came for.

Of course the religious elite were riled up but Jesus saw right through them.  Honestly I too would probably be in their shoes thinking Jesus, the man had blasphemed.  But there Jesus goes.  He up and heals the man.  I love how Luke puts the actions of the healed man.

"He stood up in front of them."
"He took what he had been lying on."
"He went home praising God."

The miracle was undeniable.  And so was his joy.  He went home, carrying his mat and praising God.  Gotta give kudos to the friends too who didn't give up.  Their faith was fierce and didn't stop when they hit a brick wall.  It was when Jesus saw "their faith" that he was moved to heal.

Anyway, the paralytic went home praising God.  And so did the people.  In fact, their perplexity and their praise also just went, well, through the roof.

Jesus said there would be people like this--Lk 5:33-39

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Those words or something akin to them have rung throughout history.  Jesus said it this way, "No one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.'"

Change is hard.  Mainly because every single generation says 'The old is better.'  In other words, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.'

Unfortunately the people who say these kinds of things are oftentimes blind to the problems.  Blind that if change doesn't happen, extinction will be at the end of the road.

Jesus came, doing a new thing.  It looked different.  his disciples didn't fast and pray like John and the Pharisees.  They partied!  And the religious leaders took offense.  But Jesus says,

"Hey, when the groom is in the building, it's a time of celebration, not mourning!  And I'm doing a new thing.  If you try to make the new conform to the old, you'll ruin both.  To do what is new, you have to put it into a new framework."

That message didn't go over then any better than it does today. Yet as I get older, change does become harder.  The old "seems" better.  But isn't that true of every generation?

But I believe God is wanting to do a new thing.  It does not for one second abolish even one iota of the Scripture truth.  Whether you like it or not, if it's in Scripture, it's true.   No apologies.   Even when Jesus brought a new dimension the old truth did not change (Mt 5:17-20). 

But I believe he is doing a new thing with new structures.   Structures are tools of the hour, not of the ages.  Yet will we be the barricade in the road that says, 'The old is better.  Let's keep it that way.'   Or will we say, "God, let me join you.  Just show me how."

Running Man--Luke 19:1-10

He ran.  But people in authority don't run.  It's not appropriate for those in leadership.  But he ran.  Why?  Because he was desperate and couldn't see Jesus because of the crowd.  And because he was short.

Zacchaeus was a man with some authority, although despised authority.  He wasn't just a tax collector but a chief tax collector.  And he must have been a bully and gang-banger because he was wealthy.  I find this often among shorter people that they feel a need to prove themselves.

But Zacchaeus ran, short legs and all. 

The people despised him because he was a "sinner."  But Jesus saw his heart.  When presented with the Savior, Zacchaeus committed to give half his possessions away and pay back four times anything he had cheated.  It was true repentance.  People like Zacchaeus were why Jesus came.  The crowds may not have seen him but Jesus sure did.

Jesus on Mission--Luke 4:43

A while back ago my pastor wrote to me on an area I was considering serving and he said to me, "I don't believe this is your mission."  I pondered the words.  As I have recently written the e-book and hope to write others, I wonder if this is on track with my "mission." 

But one of my hang ups is that I'm an idea person and an action person, but not an influencer.  It means that I have a lot of ideas, I'm willing to do the work for them, I just have trouble getting others to join me.  But the question is, do these ideas and things I do, are the in line with mission?  Because even if they are good things, are they being a distraction?  Perhaps.   Am I being driven or am I being called?  I'm sure a bit of both.

Jesus had clear mission.  And in a sense, I have a mission, but it is so broad.  This means I must press in daily to get the clarity of the moment. 

Jehoveh Jireh--Luke 5:1-11

I'm not sure we understand the practicalities of what Peter was experiencing when Jesus asked him to go back out into the waters.  For one thing discouragement was significantly low.   Peter had been following Jesus for the last 9 months, meeting him at the baptism down in Judean, watching him overturn the money changers and watched him as he ministered to that Samaritan woman thing.  Finances were probably a little dry.  And he did have a wife and perhaps a mother-in-law to support.  Fishing out in the open waters was so bad that in Matthew we read that one of them was throwing the amphiblestron, the small circular nets that were thrown into shallow waters.  Anything to get some fish.

Meanwhile the others were doing the work that was tedious, the cleaning of the nets.  The nets were big and heavy.  Rocks and weeds had to be cleaned out.  Tears in the net had to be repaired.  It was slow work.

They were a good way through all this when Jesus asked them to go out into the deep and cast again.  It meant gathering the hired hands (Mt), going out in the middle of the day when there were no fish, going out into the deep waters where the fish were not, and then getting the nets all mucked up again.  When you're tired, frustrated, running low on the finances, this does not set well.  And Peter makes it known.  But he says he's willing to give it a shot because it's Jesus, his master.  And lo and behold, Peter makes the catch of a lifetime.  It's unbelievable.

But I think this moment has so many layers.  It indeed is the moment where Peter sees Jesus for who really is--a righteous and holy man.  And he could've gone the way of greed and seen Jesus as a way to improve his business.  But instead he asks Jesus to leave him.  And when Jesus says to follow him and he will make him a fisher of men, I wonder if he looked at all the fish in the boat and realized how much Jesus would provide for him.  He didn't need to worry about provision because when he was at his lowest and everything looked impossible, the Lord provided.

And He would do it again.  After Peter had denied his best friend and Jesus was crucified in the middle of the mess, all Peter and his friends could think to do was go back home.  Sitting by the lake of Galilee, Peter decided to go fishing.  A half dozen of the other disciples joined him.  Again Peter found himself in a situation where he wasn't catching any fish.  Then someone on the shore tells him to thrown on the other side of the boat.  They do and the haul was huge.  Peter had a flashback and immediately realized who it was.  He swam to shore like a wildman.

Jesus had provided again.  But this time it was much more than just fish.  It was restoration of the soul.  Something Peter needed more than a boatload of food and finances.  Peter had come far.  So far that he knew the Lord's care for him even at the end of his life, when he himself was also crucified upside down on a cross.  But He would deny the Christ no more.  Because finally he knew.  Jehoveh Jireh.

Diversion Averted--Luke 4:42-44

Need is one of the biggest temptations to be diverted from the purposes of God in ministry.  As the saying goes, 'the good is the enemy of the best.' 

But it's understandable.  Actually kind of humorous.  It was the Sabbath and Jesus had just driven out an evil spirit and the people were amazed.  Rumor had it that he also had healed Simon's mother-in-law of a dangerously high fever and she was instantly cured.  Being the Sabbath though they had to wait.  Couldn't walk.  Couldn't work.  It was the Sabbath you know.

"When the sun was setting" is when the crowds came.  They waited until the last possible second, and probably pushed it a little, to not break the Sabbath but to beat the door down to Jesus.  And come they did, bringing the sick with any and every form of malady.  So late into the evening, Jesus laid his hands on each one and healed them, and as was often the case, delivered them from demons. 

At some point the crowd was shooed away so Jesus could get some sleep.  But they were ready in the morning.  Only Jesus wasn't there.  They went all over looking for him and finally found him.  They new he planned on leaving Capernaum.  They did everything they could to beg him to stay.  This wasn't just Middle-Eastern hospitality, this was a village of formerly sick people that were now healed, and almost assuredly there were more sick people.  Moved by compassion, Jesus could've stayed.  He could've continued to have a very fruitful minstry there as he was well-received.  Much different than his recent visit to his home town Nazareth where they tried to kill him.

But Jesus knew his purpose--to preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also.  And so he stated his purpose, and did not let need or a warm reception dictate mission. 

From Nets to Knees--Luke 4:38-5:11

Knowledge brings information but the Spirit brings revelation.   This is never more true than Peter.

Jesus and Peter knew each other before Peter was called to follow him as a disciple.  Jesus went to Peter's house, even supernaturally healed his mother-in-law.  Peter was there when people came from all over to be delivered and healed.  He listened as Jesus had taught the crowds.  Yet he still didn't fully get it.

At least not until he knew he was probably going to prove Jesus wrong.  I mean, Peter was the experienced one.   And today the fish of Galilee were on strike.  And if truth be told he was probably a little grumpy after working hard and not catching anything.  If it wasn't Jesus, Peter may have even been offended at the request to throw the nets one more time.  But it was his friend.  So reluctantly, he cast again.

Then his net jiggled.  He started to pull it in.   It was such a large number of fish that his nets were breaking and the boat was sinking.   He called his partners over in the other boat to help.  (Notice they were in signaling distance yet not catching anything themselves).  They came.  They together witnessed the massive number of fish.  Then all of a sudden revelation struck Peter like a lightning bolt. 

"He fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"

Previously he had knowledge of Jesus, believed his miracles, and even had relationship with him.  But it took something different that brought Peter to revelation.  And to his knees.

We know this is the work of the Spirit.  And yet this same thing is what we want when we teach and preach, that people will not just laugh, cry or be impressed with our profound insight but that they will fall to their knees in worship of Him.  Or that our children not just be able to recite verses for Sunday School or our family coming just to warm the pews.  Yet what's our job since we can't take the role of the Spirit?  What can we do to facilitate seeing people come to revelation and not just greater information?

Before Peter ever went to his knees, Jesus beat him to it.

"At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place."

This is what was happening right before Peter's encounter in the boat.  And the postscript of this section forms the other bookend:

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."

We can have the best message in the world and rely on our talents and ability, and we can have the best intentions with our friends and family, but if we want to see revelation that brings transformation, then it begins with callouses on our knees. 

John the Baptist--Luke 1-3

Priests.  They spoke to God on behalf of men.  Prophets.  They spoke to men on behalf of God.  The former they honored.  The latter they hated.  We all want to say something to God but we don't always want to listen to what he has to say to us, especially if it involves repentance.

John the Baptist was a prophet like those before him.  He called the people to repentance and to new life.  And yet John the Baptist was different.  Jesus said of him that there was no one greater born among women.  That is our first clue.  Our second clue is how much attention Luke gives to him.  Several chapters surrounding his birth.  Our third give away are the miracles surrounding his birth.  Signs and wonders accompanied his natal stages.   So much so that the people were wondering when he began his ministry if John was the Christ.  John clearly says no.  And in doing so Jesus just got elevated.

Imagine your in Italy and the Pope comes around.  One of the Catholic parishoners says of him, "Pope, you are the greatest thing that has ever lived."   And what if the Pope said, "Actually I'm not.  There is another who will come and he is so far greater I am not worthy to take out his trash."

So why not just another prophet preparing the way?  Why did this prophet have a miraculous birth and miraculous discipline for his father when he dared to disbelieve? 

I believe it's because every King has the very best.  When I invite someone over to the house, I pick up the house and make things look nice.  I welcome them with water, tea or coffee and make them comfortable.  When a member of royalty comes, there is a much greater protocol.  The very best is brought out in food, entertainment, facilities, and the top quality of everything to prepare for the arrival of royalty.  It takes weeks and sometimes months of preparation.  All to create a special welcome so that royalty is honored, received and blessed.

But more important than that is Jesus is a different kind of King and was coming for a different kind of kingdom, a kingdom that was to reign in the hearts of men and women.  For this a special preparation needed to happen.  And this came through John the Baptist calling the people to make their hearts right for the Lord.  In doing so a people were made "ready" for the King.

If you look from the perspective of efficiency it would have been much better to wait until Jesus came to preach and then they could get the whole message, included the baptism in by "the Holy Spirit and fire."  But by John calling the people to repentance and to change their ways, their obedience opened the doorway for them to received greater revelation.  Let me say that again.  Obedience opens the door to greater revelation.  And that meant being positioned to receive Jesus as the King.

So where does that leave us?  Jesus is coming back again.  Soon.  Globally this is felt among the body of Christ.  If so, how do we prepare?  How do we be a John the Baptist generation that "makes ready a people prepared for the Lord"?  I think to do so is to see the hearts of men and women receive him so that when he comes, he gets the welcome he deserves.  And it's preparing ourselves, walking in holiness and righteousness so that he receives his bride coming down the aisle so beautiful that she takes his breath away.  We're not there yet, but to this end we work.

Luke Ch 1-4--Sonship

Angel appears--
         "Very old" woman is pregnant with a son who will
                "make ready a people prepared for the Lord." 
Angel appears again--
          Virgin gets pregnant with a son who will
                 be called "Son of the Most High.
Elizabeth says baby in Mary's womb is "the Lord"
John the Baptist is born
Jesus is born
Angel appears to shepherds and tell them the Christ is born
Then all the angels celebrate the birth. 

Jesus is taken to temple and the Law if fulfilled.
Simeon see him and thanks God for letting him see "salvation"
Anna sees him and speak to all about the redemption of Israel.
Boy Jesus tells his parents he had to be about his "Father's" business, making implication he was the son of God.

Miraculous born, Holy Spirit filled, God-fearer preaches radical messages.
People see his extraordinary nature and thing he is the Christ.  He says no.
But one who is coming so far greater than I am not worthy to untie his shoes.

Jesus is baptized and Father blesses with the words, "You are my Son."
Lineage of Jesus goes all the way to "Son of God."

Satan tempts him:
"If you are the Son of God..."
"If you are the Son of God..."
"If you are the Son of God..."

 Jesus begins his ministry by reading Isa 61 and saying,

"Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
-----
Clearly Luke is building up very openly that this Jesus is the Son of God and that He is the Messisah, attested to by miracles, wonders and signs as well as prophets, priests, and angels and the satan.  Maybe something obvious for us who have read it a number of times but for the ones who hear and/or read it for the first time, it would have made quite an impact.

They Didn't Understand--Luke 2:50

Jesus.  Age 12.  Have been lost for several days and facing perturbed parents.

""Why were you searching for me?  he asked.  "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"  But they didn't understand what he was saying to them."

But how could they not understand?  Was the angel not scary enough?  The dreams not memorable enough?  The virgin birth not...bazaar enough?  How?  Ryker.

Ryker is a little boy I've been praying for this week.   Never met him but a few days ago a friend put out the call to pray for his family.  A virus and subsequent stroke had hit baby Ryker's brain and he had only 24 hours left to live.  Death was inevitable.  The family was devastated and struggling.  We prayed.  The world prayed.  Then this on Tuesday:

"Chris just got a phone call!!!
Swelling gone!
Virus gone!
No more risk of death!!!!

Obviously there is still a serious question of how much damage is done, but this is the best result they could gave gotten considering, our hearts our full to bursting with praising God!!!"


Then today this:

"Ryker Update: Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Ryker's brain scan this morning shows definite reduction in swelling, meaning that the damage done by the infection is now healing. The left side is still very swollen (right side in the pictures), but progress is being made and Ryker is making slow but steady movement towards recovery. Just writing those words brings tears to my eyes! 

Ryker is relatively alert, active, and playing with his mommy in a limited way by lifting his left foot to her face. We are certain that he smiled, and for the first time we are seeing our son when we look into his eyes. God is so good. We are overjoyed and so thankful to our faithful God for preserving our son's life. He has another MRI scan scheduled for Tuesday, and if all is well, we'll take him off the breathing machine sometime early next week and move into rehabilitation. Thank you for your overwhelming and continued prayers and support. Please take at least a few minutes to praise God for this miracle and His faithfulness to Ryker and our family."

—
 And prayers continue.  And I pray that in a couple of years that Ryker is fully functional, no problems, and that this is merely a memory.  It would be the greatest gift.  (Please pray with me for this end as he is not out of the woods yet).

But oftentimes even in the most traumatic moments, the mundane of life can dull our memories.  How many near death moments in my life have I forgotten?  How it seems just normal that I'm not maimed, disabled or dead when I've had numerous opportunities to be just that? The dulling of time is a grace.  But it makes it also easy to forget.  So with that I understand Mary.  It's been a number of years since those amazing things happened.  Life has gloriously become about dishes and diapers, schooling and skinned knees. 

He Remembers--Luke 1-2

"Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you; I have made you and I will carry you."  (Is 46:4)

Forgotten.  That's what more than one elderly person has felt and oftentimes when you visit a nursing home, it's a reality.  A sad reality.  But God doesn't forget.  An elderly person has often had YEARS of prayers stored up.  And God remembers.

God remembered the prayer of Zecheriah and Elizabeth.

God remembered his promise to Simeon.

God rememeber the faithfulness of Anna.

God has not forgotten even when a person's head is full of gray hair and their mind perhaps full of fuzz.  So we might want to hang around these folks because in their last days, God may just do things beyond what we could beleive unless we drew near.   Seriously.  How many people probably wrote off that 'Old Woman Anna' in the temple courts when she told everyone about the Messiah?  Would you have believed? 

Undaunted--Women of Great Fortitude. Luke 1-2

 I’m amazed at the strength found in the women of Luke.  We open with Elizabeth who was the shame of the village for her barrenness yet did not waver in her love and devotion to the Lord. 

Then we get to Mary who believed that what the Lord  said to her would be accomplished, even as she entered into the shame of being an unwed mother and a life of promised heartache.

Then we have Anna who lost her husband young.  She didn’t roll over on life but became a prophetess and prayed and fasted night and day for over a half century.

Life doesn't always turn out the way you desire or hope for.  Singleness is not often chosen.  Nor is barrenness.  Or a strained marriage.  Or difficult children.  Or dreams unfulfilled.  But these women show us to always trust because His goodness will carry us.  Because He cares.

Simeon, One Cool Dude--Luke 2:25-32

I find myself thanking God on my knees for men like Simeon.  Seriously.  He was the bomb.  He was a radical lover of the Lord and walked with the Holy Spirit.  We don't think much of this now but the Holy Spirit, while very active in all of human history, was not as obvious just as Jesus, while active, was not yet made obvious.  Yet the Holy Spirit was upon him in radical ways.  And why wouldn't He be?   Simeon honored the Lord.  He was righteous and devout and was in expectation of the promises of God.  When the Holy Spirit moved him, he was responsive with his actions.  When the Scriptures said there would be a Comforter for Israel, even though it had not come to pass in hundreds of years, Simeon believed.  And when the Holy Spirit revealed that he would see the Messiah, even though He was old he kept on waiting though not seeing.  Simeon and God's Holy Spirit had such a beautiful relationship--trust, leadership, responsiveness, conviction.  Oh how I want to be like Simeon! 

Jesus Who Prays

By Robert Velarde

Jesus and Prayer

Jesus prayed for others. In Matthew 19:13, we read, "Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them." Despite the fact that "the disciples rebuked those who brought them," Jesus said the children should not be hindered "for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these" (v. 14). In John 17:9 we read, "I [Jesus] pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given Me, for they are Yours." This underscores the need for intercessory prayer.

Jesus prayed with others. Luke 9:28 reads, "[Jesus] took Peter, John and James with Him and went up onto a mountain to pray." Jesus prayed alone, as we'll read below, but He also knew the value of praying with others. Acts 1:14 underscores the importance of Christians praying with one another: "They all joined together constantly in prayer …"

Jesus prayed alone. Luke 5:16 reads, "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." As much as Jesus understood the value of praying with and for others, He also understood the need to pray alone. Psalm 46:10 reads, "Be still, and know that I am God." Sometimes it's important for us to "be still" before God, but the only way to do this, especially in our hectic culture, is to do so alone with God.

Jesus prayed in nature. Psalm 19:1 reads, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." What better place to commune with our Creator than among the wonders of nature? Luke 6:12 says, "One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray ..." He could have gone to a home, a synagogue or if He were near Jerusalem he could have gone to the temple to pray. But there were times when Jesus made the decision to pray where He was, which often happened to be in nature. We are surrounded by so much that is "man made" that sometimes it's difficult for us to remember that this is not our world, but God's world (Genesis 1:1, Psalm 24:1) full of wonders for us to enjoy.

Jesus could pray as a sprinter or a marathon runner. The Lord's Prayer is full of wisdom, but it is short enough to be easily memorized and serve as an example of a sprint rather than a marathon prayer. But Jesus also knew how to dedicate long periods of time to prayer. As we read in Luke 6:12, Jesus "spent the night praying to God." We, too, need to be able to offer short prayers, as well dedicate long periods of our lives to prayer.

Jesus prayed regularly. This insight is gleaned from a passage cited earlier, Luke 5:16: "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." The word "often" is not hidden, but makes it obvious that Jesus prayed regularly. Throughout the Gospels whenever we read of Jesus and prayer, it comes up regularly and naturally. It was simply a part of His worldview, integrated into every aspect of Christ's life. Can we say the same about prayer in our life?

The prayers of Jesus were heartfelt. Jesus did not pray in a cold, distant manner, but in heartfelt supplication, demonstrating empathy and a genuine love for God. This is demonstrated clearly in John 17, where Jesus prays for Himself, His immediate disciples, as well as for all believers.

Jesus prayed based on His knowledge of God and His truths. The prayers of Jesus were based on God's revealed truths and, as such, were in line with a solid biblical worldview. In John 4:24 Jesus said, "God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." He also said, "the truth will set you free" (John 8:32), underscoring the importance of truth in the life of Jesus and, in turn, our lives. Proper prayer requires us to have a truthful understanding of God and what He has revealed to us through His Word.

Jesus taught persistence in prayer. "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up" (Luke 18:1). The parable Jesus shared is not meant to depict a pestering disciple who finally bugs God enough that He chooses to respond, but about persistence in prayer and waiting on God and His timing.

Jesus knew that not all his prayers would be answered as expected. This is a difficult prayer lesson to learn, but the fact of the matter is that not all our prayers are answered in ways we expect. Even Jesus knew this hard lesson as he cried out to God the Father from Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-44). Three times Jesus prayed for God to allow an easier path, but Jesus knew, "Yet not as I will, but as You will" (26:39). Unanswered prayer is such a challenge to the Christian life that we'll address the matter in more detail in another article in this series.

As You Will

When Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, "Yet not as I will, but as You will," He offered a tremendous but seemingly simple insight into prayer: God is in charge. As we learn from the prayer life of Jesus – and there is much to learn – we need to keep this overarching principle in mind. A disciple asked Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray," (Luke 11:1) and in response was taught the Lord's Prayer. But by studying the prayer life of Jesus, we can learn not only the important truths of the Lord's Prayer, but so much more.

Robert Velarde is author of Conversations with C.S. Lewis (InterVarsity Press), The Heart of Narnia (NavPress), and primary author of The Power of Family Prayer (National Day of Prayer Task Force). He studied philosophy of religion and apologetics at Denver Seminary and is pursuing graduate studies in philosophy at Southern Evangelical Seminary.

[1] Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are from the New International Version of the Bible.

Copyright 2008 Robert Velarde. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

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Disturbed--Luke 3:7-14

Today was a real meditation day on John 3:7-14 and it's been unsettling a little bit more than I expected.  The other day I made the surprising connection that all of the exhortations that John the Baptist makes for how to express repentance dealt with a relationship to money/possessions.  I'm sure there are many things in which we show repentance but this is a clear one.  As the Scripture says, "The love of money is the root of all evil."

I don't feel like I'm dishonest with how I handle funds like the tax collectors or soldiers, but when it comes to sharing possessions, I do have extra.  I want to save things for the next time I set up an apartment so I don't have to buy them all over again.  So they sit in a basement in storage when they could go to helping someone.   There are places where I could donate it so I'm thinking I will.  Maybe the annual Garage No Sale that the church puts on for the community.

But I think what bothers me most is the force of John's words.  "The ax is ready" to put the trees "into the fire."  The ax is also going for the "root," not just for the base of the tree.  I know there are many nice Scriptures like that one fig tree that keeps getting a chance to bear fruit.  But on the other hand it is necessary that we hear the hard truths of Scripture.

We make levels of sin and keeping excess in storage is just not hardly on our sin radar.   In fact, this nation has storage units to deal with all of our stuff.  I have closets.  Do I not trust the Lord to provide if I give it away?  Do I take it with the seriousness that John says?  Not unless I obey.   Not unless I bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

A part of my challenge is knowing the needs of my neighbors.  Or the ones that need help allowing others to give it so they can receive it.  But I do know that I have an excess.  And even in grace I don't want to take lightly that which He calls for repentance.

A Theme in John's Preaching, the Specifics of Repenting--Luke 3:7-14

Money.  Is there every a stronger mirror for what is in the heart?  As it has been said, "Show me your bank account and I'll show you what you really believe."

The message of John the Baptist was strong and clear, "Repent!"  "You brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee form the coming wrath?  Produce fruit in keeping with repentance!"  There was no ambiguity.

Three different groups asked John what that looked like for them.  "What should we do?"

To the crowds he told them that the man with two sets of clothes should share with the one who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."

To the tax collectors he told them to not collect more than they were required. No skimming off the top as was the custom.

To the soldiers who were frustrated with their minimal paychecks he told them to stop using their position to justify extortion and accusing people falsely to get a few extra dollars, but rather to be content with their pay. 

Bearing fruit means visible change.  In particular it meant changing their relationship with money and their issue with greed. Money was a mirror that was reflecting them all and it wasn't pretty.  But it was an opportunity to repent, to change their ways.  And this call to repentance still remains.

We seem to think we're not like those scheming soldiers, government officials or nasty tax collectors.  Or so we think.  And yet how many of us keep things in storage in storage units, attics or basements year after year so we can have it for "some day" in the future?  Can not God provide again later?  Have you ever heard of someone cheating on taxes or justifying an action for selfish gain?  Doesn't every reality show teach us this is how you get ahead?  And how many have been discontent with their pay and find ways to squeeze a few dollars extra from unjust means?  Or even just grumbled against and slandering our employers and jobs?

"Repent!"  John says, and "produce fruit in keeping with repentance."