Meditations

Luke 2:6-35 — Baby Jesus has grown up, OK?!

Imagine celebrating your birthday the way Christmas is celebrated. We would hang up pictures of you in your crib — to show we know who this is all about, you know. Generally, though, we would disregard you in favor of other festive and seasonal activities. If anyone would get around to remembering you, it would be to reminisce about your birth and baby days. We would give each other gifts we think we would enjoy…and maybe give you a baby rattle. You would probably say “bah humbug” on birthdays, at least yours.

In the US, the birthdays of certain Presidents rate a national holiday of sorts. That is appropriate for any country to do. But how inspirational would it be for the citizenry to remember these men only as newborn infants?

Has Baby Jesus grown up yet?Read it all

Luke 7:36-50 — to whom much is forgiven

“And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat” (Luke 7:36). Did this man need to be forgiven?)

• Jesus knew what would happen in that house. He had two messages to deliver to two individuals at opposite ends of the societal totem pole…and at opposite ends of the spiritual spectrum. Each person got to hear both messages. Notice how this compares with Jesus’ parable in Luke 18:9-14.

“And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment” (Luke 7:37).

• She was a sinner with many sins.
• Apparently they were sins of immorality, though we aren’t told that explicitly.
• Apparently she was accustomed to men holding her in contempt, and using her for their gratification.

“And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment” (Luke 7:38). Read it all

Luke 6:37-49 Good fruit from the heart treasure!

“Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:” (Luke 6:37).

• Plant for the harvest you want.
• We offer to others from the treasure of our hearts.

“And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?” (Luke 6:39).

• As a blind person cannot safely lead another blind person, so those with evil treasure in their hearts cannot seek out the best for others (forgiving and giving).

• Is that a true statement? What about the noble unbeliever?

“The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.” (Luke 6:40).

• This is the key to having good treasure in our hearts.

Read it all

Luke 4:14-32

Earlier this week I jotted down a few observations about verses in this passage. Here are some of them:

14 — Remember: This comes right after the record of His 40 days of fasting and the temptations which followed.

15 — His message was well-received through-out all Galilee, until He arrived in Nazareth, where they had known Him for a long time. He soon experienced murderous rejection there.

21 — What a stunning message He had for the people of His hometown! He told them they were witnessing, right then and there, the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy about the Messiah.

22 — The Greek term translated gracious is far more often translated grace. They marveled at the words of grace than came out of His mouth. May grace-giving words come from our mouths!

29 — It seems He was telling them that they were rejected whereas the people of Capernaum were accepted. Whatever the case, He allowed Himself to be manhandled for a while.

30 — Did they suddenly lose sight of Him? Did He abruptly make it so they could no longer hold Him? We aren’t told, but it all sounds so matter-of-fact. One good lesson for us: All our interactions with Jesus are on His terms.

32 — Back in Capernaum, the people also responded to the wonder and authority of His teaching.

Here are some excerpts from older material of mine: Read it all

2 Peter 3

“Where is the promise of his coming?” (4) “You have a dumb hope. A numbing hope. An opiate hope. Ignorant, really. Regressive.”

• This scoffing led the world to the days of Noah.
• and Sodom and Gomorrah to the days of Lot.
• and the United States to the days of Mark.

Notice the Noah connection in verse 6 and the Lot connection in verse 7.

At the time 2 Peter was written, some 4,000 years had gone by since Creation. To the Lord, that would have been as four days. In four thousand years are over a million days. The scoffers have a problem with God’s “delay.” Four days out of a million just isn’t a troubling delay to me!

God is not slack, late, careless, or forgetful about His promise (9). We are the cause of His “delay.” Actually, it’s His longsuffering that’s the cause. It is of His mercy and compassion that we are not consumed (Lamentations 3:22).

Knowing of the coming day of the Lord (and the end of the heavens and the earth and all the works in the earth) should have an effect on our manner of being (11). How we are and how we live reflect our eternal perspective. May it be the perspective of our hope! Read it all