The Other Six Days

V24 – says we are to strive to enter through the narrow door, for many will try to enter and will not be able.

I’m reading a book that relates to this, what got you here won’t get you there–it talks about how upper levels of a corporation are made up of equally competent people. They are distinguishable not by their technical knowledge or skills but by their character. The hard part is to convince a ceo that his/ her character is holding him/her back

We accept Christ and he goes to work on transforming us and we cooperate. And at first it’s obvious surface level stuff. And then we’ve pretty much mastered that. we get to a level where it’s deep deep work in awareness of what we lack and discipline and humility to let the work happen there too.

We keep working and keep allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us. Let’s be soft and teachable.

Be ready! Are we active daily anticipating what is required of us?

I have read this so many times and have never noticed v48. The one who did not know and deserved a beating will receive a light beating — in contrast to v47. What is the non metaphorical expression of that, I wonder

Jesus says he has not come to bring peace. Households will be divided over him

We have the benefit of 2000 years of processing Jesus. I keep putting myself in these pages and hoping I would get it if I were there. I’m sympathetic to the hearers too though. Some of what he says is not easy to understand.

Hypocrisy is when we focus on external appearance, and it comes from a desire for recognition and our internal reality. Hypocrisy is finding faults with others, and according to Jesus results in leading others into a false life. Jesus teaches transparency. That is, be who you are, be honest about yourself, avoid curating your public image, and don’t drag people into your own corrupted teachings and behaviors.

These verses are not a criticism of all Jews or even all Pharisees. There’s nothing in these “6 woes” that cannot be witnessed in Christians. Which means these accusing words are not peculiar to Pharisees or Jews but are endemic to religious people.

Jesus was irritated by the culture the Pharisees created. The Greek word translated “Woe” for some is something like “A “God will damn you to hell.” Instead, it is more like a warning, and perhaps the best equivalent is “Oy!” It is a way of saying, “Be warned, guys.” Still, he has some pretty bold words for a dinner guest.

Good Samaritan — I’m always looking for the new lesson. It’s such a familiar story. What’s powerful and applicable this reading this time?

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart , and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind ; and your neighbor as yourself

Is the reminder from this part. Again. Live it out! It isn’t necessary to have something new. It’s just necessary to become it and to do it.

The second part relates — persistence about becoming the person who loves God and people in that way — 11:13 promises that God will give the Holy Spirit to people who ask.

Minute by minute by minute by minute.

Let us not be discouraged. Let us recommit again to be transformed and so to love.

Practice practice practice

The tendency today is to build a bigger church with a bigger platform, and then to convert that platform into conferences that expand that church’s ideas to other churches. And the next thing we know, we’ve got an association or even a new denomination, and then we have centralized powers and structures and institutions that eventually become the standard for success. What’s considered a successful church today is “the bigger, the better.”

Jesus commissioned his followers to form small groups. Luke 9-10 is about Jesus’ 2 missions: in chapter nine the sending out of twelve of them, and in Luke 10 an expanded group of, seventy. Jesus’ mission was not large, centralized institutions that resemble corporate like structures.

He gave them power to drive out demons and cure diseases

Is it possible that the manifestations we see as diseases are spiritual at base? That healing negativity and unforgiveness and anger will result in physical benefits? We know it does, but is thinking this way too limited?

Could casting out demons be equally powerful even if it’s not so theatrical?

He is trying to share that he is preparing to suffer and no one understands or asks for clarification
V23 if any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

They I would do that. That I would remember to check myself. That id be paying continually so that id remember.

What an amazing world if we really did this

V.16 we receive the light of truth so that we can spread it for others to see

V.17 things that are hidden will be exposed–i think of the spiritual dimension to reality. I think of how often i don’t recognize the spiritual underpinning of what I see. If I’m listening attentively, will I better understand? Will I be less likely to be caught up in what I see and less likely to mistake physical reality for real?

The man who was healed from demon possession is one example of both sharing the light and of a deeper spiritually reality bring the real issue — after he is healed he wants to accompany Jesus, but v.39 Jesus tells him to return home and declare how much God has done for him. So he does

Next story is just about the best story. Crowd is pressing in on Jesus. Woman touches him and he feels power leave him. He asks who touched him. Everyone is like–everyone is touching you. He’s like no but someone took power from me

It took power-energy? God something to resolve her chronic health condition.

Healing happend. She had tried all the doctors and they were useless. Jesus acknowledges “your faith has made you well”

Presumably faith properly placed made her well.

Last story– Jairus’ daughter is sick and finally dies. jesus, “do not fear. Only believe and she will be saved” and her “spirit returns” and she’s given food. Jesus says to tell no one.

There are two messages, sometimes to share what God has done and also sometimes not to share. There’s wisdom available to know which choice to make in which situation.

Jesus says, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:

“‘We played the pipe for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not cry.’ – (Luke 7:31-32)

Some love the message of John and Jesus while while others rejected it, Jesus describes the rejection in poetic terms. Jesus’s music is too upbeat, John the Baptist’s music is too depressing. You can’t please everyone in a consumerist culture. Sometimes the Gospel means pleasing no one.