Scripture Reflections

At some point most of us have realized after a meeting or presentation that we left something out—like there was an important point to make, and it slipped your mind. I felt like that as soon as I sat down after Sunday’s sermon! Here’s what I wish I realized at the time, and why it’s so important to remember:

I mentioned how in Luke the disciples have a hard time grasping what Jesus taught them about wealth and status (as we all do). However, in Acts we see a huge shift. Suddenly they’re selling their possessions and pouring their lives out as the church grows. What changed? As I said Sunday, they had seen their Lord humble himself all the way to death, and they had seen him rise from the dead and ascend to heaven. In other words, they saw Jesus live out what he taught, and they realized that the reward the risen Jesus offered them was greater than anything they could get in this life. That’s all true, but here’s something crucial that I left out…

Pentecost. Yes, the disciples saw Jesus suffer, die, rise, and ascend. They had Jesus’ example, and the promises of his return, but they didn’t have the power to actually follow him until the Holy Spirit was poured out. You can think of Pentecost as the birth of the church—when God breathes Jesus’ resurrection life into the lives of Jesus’ followers. The results in Acts 2:42-47 were immediate—thousands of people heard the gospel and believed, and these new Christians were growing in knowledge and love. One of the chief evidences of this growth was their care for the poor, and their willingness to part with their worldly goods to help anyone in need.

Our experience of the Holy Spirit may not be as spectacular as Pentecost, but his presence and power in us is just as real. That’s part of the beauty of Jesus’ parable in Luke 17:5-10. There’s no reward to chase after, because everything has already been given. Our Lord became a servant to bring us to the master’s table as sons and daughters, and he sent us out to follow him as servants in the world. He also poured out his Spirit so we could be empowered for that calling, and so we ourselves could be transformed into the image of our Lord. If that’s true, then we are free to love, give, and serve without worrying about what we might lose. The gift we have received cannot be taken away from us, and it makes all the wealth, status, and power in the world seem like nothing in comparison. Praise God for the gift of the Spirit. May he who fills us with Christ’s life plant this truth deep in our hearts.

Justin+

Scripture Reflections

The rich man said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” (Luke 16:30-31)

Jesus’ parable about the rich man and Lazarus includes an intriguing interchange at the end. While the main point of the parable is about our use of wealth, he ends it on a different note: if a person does not believe the word of God, a miraculous sign won’t convince them of anything.

Even though this seems unrelated to the parable (it actually isn’t, because “Moses and the Prophets” had a lot to say about caring for the poor!), it isn’t surprising that Jesus would say this. After all, he was asked for signs multiple times (see Mt. 12:38 or Lk. 23:8), and Paul claims that the desire for a sign from God was a distinct part of the Jewish culture (I Cor. 1:22). This desire for miraculous signs was rooted in the fact that God gave Moses specific signs to prove that he was sent by God (Ex. 4), as well as the prophets’ declarations that the Messiah would also perform signs. Jesus’ point, though, is clear. Unless you already trust the word of God, a sign won’t cause faith. Like Pharoah, seeing a sign with a heart of distrust does not bring a person closer to God. A skeptic, in other words, will likely not be convinced by a miracle.

What does this have to do with us?

While God’s power is always on display in the natural world (Ps. 19:1-6; Rom. 1:20) and while he at times displays his power in supernatural ways, at the end of the day, God’s desire is that we would trust his word. Reading between the lines in this parable, we are forced to come to the stunning realization that he cares more that we trust his word than he does about our material comfort and health! It isn’t that those things don’t matter to him—they absolutely do, which is why we are told to pray for daily bread and healing—but the most important thing in life is that we trust him.

And that is the point. “Trusting his word” is another way of saying “trusting him,” and God’s overriding desire is that we would trust him, because only in him will we find life. This matters more than material comfort, it matters more than displays of power, it matters more than having our prayers answered in the ways we desire. God is the source of life, and his desire is that we trust him.

Steven+

Scripture Reflections

Over the last few weeks, we have encountered a couple moments in Luke that revolve around who receives an invitation to the dinner table:

Jesus said also to the man who had invited him, “When…you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. (14:12-14)

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” (15:1-2)

I doubt that most of us think often about the relationship between our tables and the kingdom of God, but the Pharisees and Jesus did! Their thoughts, though, couldn’t have been more different.

For the Pharisees, the table was a fence, a way of reinforcing the boundary of who was, and who wasn’t, in the kingdom. Sinners? Out, so don’t eat with them! The lame or blind? Unclean, so don’t eat with them! The poor? Clearly not favored by God, so don’t eat with them!

Jesus had a very different perspective. Rather than viewing the table as a fence, he viewed it as a bridge. Sinners? They should be brought into the kingdom of God to receive forgiveness and new life, so eat with them! The blind and lame? The kingdom is a place of healing for them, so invite them in by eating with them! The poor? They are rich in the kingdom, so bring them to the table!

As you pray for your friends and neighbors to enter the kingdom of God, remember the power of your table. Although an entire theology of eating is more than one little newsletter can bear, eating is more important than we realize. From the garden to Passover, from manna to Jesus eating with sinners, from the Eucharist to the heavenly banquet, eating is integral to God’s redemption of creation. Use your tables for those who are lost, lonely, and hurting!

Steven+