The Other Six Days

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit” (Luke 6:43).

Jesus is Lord. That means we dig deeply and lay our foundation on solid rock so when there’s a flood, we’re not shaken. It’s like a test to know if we’re applying what we know–am I frazzled and frantic? I dig deeper and check my mooring. Fasten it again. Hold on tighter.

Any sudden disruption is that flood. Any unpleasant surprise shows us how solidly we’re tethered. React? Or respond? The moment before we react or respond is the moment to check in and breathe and remember who is Lord

It’s the same as the bearing fruit analogy just before. We check the results and know where it came from.

Not for the sake of beating ourselves up. God’s voice isn’t a voice of condemnation or shame. But for an opportunity to reset and reconnect and try again and keep practicing. As long as we’re alive, we’re called to that asymptote: Be a little better human each time we strap on our boots. Have grace for ourselves and others along the way

Being a Christian isn’t about doing good to get to heaven. A friend explained his understanding of Christianity like that to me the other day and I was amazed that that type of misunderstanding still exists.

Being a Christian means accepting the radical love of God. Just receive it. and then see what happens.

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?” Luke 6:32

Loving enemies means when someone slaps you, respond with the other cheek to shame them; when someone steals your coat you give more of your clothing to shame them. Disciples are a countercultural force in society: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (6:31).

Two warnings: first, this is not about tolerating abusive behaviors (verbal, physical, social, sexual) and, second, this is not an economic theory of giving up all your possessions. This is loving the most difficult people, and not to be retaliators.

“Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? (Luke 5:32-33).

Luke 5:1-26 Salvation through Jesus is so much more than forgiveness of personal sins so we can go to heaven when we die. In the Gospel of Luke salvation is holistic: forgiveness (check), healing (check), exorcisms (check), restoration to society (check), future kingdom (check).

Not just one or two but each and more than even these. Peter is forgiven and called, the leper is cleansed and sent, and a paralyzed man is cured and praises God. No one is left where they were. Christ’s salvation draws people into the mission of Jesus.

Jesus healed by rebuking the fever (4:39) like he rebuked the demon in 4:35. Physical sickness is also spiritual attack that limits our usefulness or effectiveness

It makes sense that God’s original intent was not for us to suffer with sickness, so it makes sense his will is for our healing in any way we need it: demons sent away, fevers cast out, grumpy moods challenged, pridefulness, bitterness, anger… Transformed. It also makes sense that God is up to something with whatever is the way it is.

Step one, to notice what is contrary to God’s will. What is out? And offer it for healing. Be willing to be healed.
Step 2 is to trust his wisdom, love, and timing while we experience the process of healing

Let me cooperate with humility and gratitude as you work your healing in me. Give me awareness of blind spots. Make me moment by moment into a closer reflection of you

Jesus is filled with the Spirit. Three temptations before his ministry begins, then he returns to Galilee to preach. He mic drops after reading the Isiah scroll and they’re all positive towards him.

He could stop there, but he doesn’t. He clarifies that he’s not here just to people-please and make everyone happy.he is like, “I know I’ll offend you” and then he starts offending. He reminds them Elijah and Elisha ministered to non-Jews and maybe found more faith there too.

They didn’t like that. They wanted to throw him off a cliff.

It’s interesting that v26 Elijah was sent to none of [the widows in Israel] except to the widow at Zarephath in Sidon and V27 none of the lepers [in Israel] was cleansed except naaman the Syrian

It’s a confusing testimony that the glory of God is revealed in the miracles amidst the suffering of the other people not experiencing the miracles. And an infuriating testimony, apparently, that the chosen ones would be non-Jews.

Jesus shakes up what they think they know. Their confidence is poorly placed if it’s in their genealogy.

Jesus scoots on by. Not today, Satan.

“His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” – Luke 3:17

The right response to John’s message was actions. Sure, he had ideas and thought things out, but the expectation was that mindset and behavior would be transformed. Repentance is the right response, but it means nothing until we see it turned into conduct.  John had a sharp-edged message landed, so it’s no surprise he ended up in Herod’s prison. I’m thinking of what Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote about following Jesus: 

“Cheap grace is preaching forgiveness without repentance; it is baptism without the discipline of community; it is the Lord’s Supper without confession of sin; it is absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without the living, incarnate Jesus Christ” (The Cost of Discipleship).

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. – Luke 3:8

John is preaching with warnings to bear fruit that demonstrate that the people are repentant. We can’t know someone is transformed; we can see only what they do, which should reflect that transformation

Be transformed first. Let actions follow. Don’t do good to show you’re transformed. That’s doing for ego. Be transformed. Have the connection to God and you can’t help but let love express itself in actions

Second interesting thing is Joseph’s genealogy. This story is rooted historically in documented imperfect people and God is involved using our contributions for his ultimate purpose

“She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them (Luke 2:7).”

The traditional “no room in the inn” is a mistranslation that makes for some dramatic Christmas pageant material. Mary is in labor. Joseph sees the ‘no vacancy’ sign on the inn, so his frantic search leads him to the best he could find: a dark, dirty stable. Maybe family and friends turned them away because of their moral impurity (a child out of wedlock).

Nope: The New Testament Greek is not an inn, but a guest room. It was too small for a birth, so Mary and Joseph went downstairs to the stable where the animals were kept, and she laid her son in a feeding trough.

This is a story of hospitality by the poor for the poor. Seeing our resources through an attitude of abundance, not scarcity. What looks like a little is really a lot.

Today’s Reading: 1:67-2:21

The juxtaposition of the mountaintop experience and the grind and suffering and routine of everyday life–spirit and body, the kind of absurdity we live in, functioning in physical reality with the ever present God of the universe by our side.

First the skies are filled with angels and the glory of God around the shepherds. They go tell Mary and Joseph and maybe some others. Then Mary takes Jesus in for a circumcision.

We live this too. I guess the trick is to not judge it. To allow the glory of God to fill us and also to chop wood carry water.

“He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble” (Luke 1:52).

Mary sings about God who saved a group of slaves from Egypt, who scatters the proud. The high are brought low and the low are brought high, the first will be last and the last will be first. This kind of language encourages rebellion and is a danger to the oppressive state.

The Mary we imagine at Christmas wears a Carolina blue robe, has a somber, pious face and barely makes eye contact.