Week of 3 Pentecost - C - 06/05 - 11/2016

Week of 3 Pentecost - C
This is a Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of Worship 3-year Lectionary (for public worship), "Prayers of the Day..." (Propers), p. 13-41, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978. It is based, with only minor variations, on the Revised Common Lectionary, used by many denominations, including the Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches:

http://www.commontexts.org/

and:

http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/usage.html

The daily readings are the Propers (Lections) for the following Sunday, so that the daily devotions can prepare us for worship. Additional Lections are from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, "Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers," United Lutheran Church of America, General Rubrics VIII. Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers, p. 299 - 304, Philadelphia, 1918.
  
The previous 2- year Bible Study based on the Lutheran Book of Worship, Daily Lectionary for personal devotions p.179-192, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978, is available at:

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To get the most from these studies, it is suggested that you first read the scripture texts for the entry, and then the paraphrase and commentary. It is also recommended that you look up the scripture references, unless you recognize and recall them from memory.

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Podcast Download: Week of 3 Pentecost - C
Sunday 3 Pentecost - C
First Posted June 13, 2010;
Podcast: Sunday 3 Pentecost - C

1 Kings 17:17-24 – Widow's Son Raised from Death;
Psalm 30 – Restoration from Death;
Galatians 1:11-24 – Paul's Apostleship;
Luke 7:11-17 – Widow's Son Raised from Death;

1 Kings Paraphrase:

Elijah had boarded with a widow of Zarephath (in Phoenicia) during a drought (1 Kings 17:1-10a). During his stay, the widow's son became ill and stopped breathing. The widow accused Elijah of bringing this calamity upon her because of her sin. Elijah took the son upstairs to his room and accused God of bringing calamity upon the widow with whom Elijah was staying. Then Elijah stretched himself upon the son three times and prayed that the Lord would cause the son's soul to return to him, and the son revived. Elijah took the child down to his mother and assured her that the child was living. The widow replied that now she was certain that Elijah was a man of God and that the Word of God which he spoke was true.

Psalm 30 Paraphrase:

The psalmist (David, the shepherd-king of Israel) praised God for healing. The Lord had not allowed the psalmist's enemies triumph over him. He had cried to the Lord for healing, and the Lord had brought him up out of the land of the dead, and restored him to life from among those in the grave.

Let all those who are consecrated to the Lord's service praise him and give thanks to his holy name. “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

When he was prosperous, the psalmist thought he was secure in himself, but it was by the Lord's favor that he had become established and strong; when the Lord took away his favor, then the psalmist was dismayed.

Then the psalmist cried to the Lord and pleaded. He asked what would be gained by his own death; then he would no longer be able to praise the Lord and testify to his faithfulness. He asked the Lord to be gracious and help him.

Then the psalmist declared: “Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; thou hast loosed my sackcloth (garb of ritual mourning) and girded me with gladness, that my soul may praise thee and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to thee for ever” (Psalm 30:11-12).

Galatians Paraphrase:

Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was not preaching a Gospel devised by mankind. He hadn't received it from humans nor had he been taught by them; he received it directly by revelation from [the risen and ascended] Jesus Christ. The Galatians had heard of Paul's former life in Judaism; how he had persecuted the Church in an attempt to destroy it. Paul was advanced in Judaism far beyond his peers because of his zeal for Jewish tradition. But God had designated Paul before his birth to be the one to preach Christ to the Gentiles, and in his timing, God revealed Christ to Paul. Paul didn't go to Jerusalem to confer with the apostles designated by Jesus during Jesus' physical ministry. Instead, Paul went straight away to Arabia, and then returned to Damascus.

Only after three years [of preaching the Gospel] Paul went to Jerusalem and spent fifteen days with Cephas (Peter; not enough time to be taught). The only other disciple he saw was James, the Lord's brother. (Paul testifies that this is the truth.) After that, he went into [the Roman province of] Syria and Cilicia. Paul was still not recognized by sight in the churches of Judea; they had only heard of Paul as preaching the Christian faith he once persecuted and tried to destroy. So they glorified God because of Paul's conversion.

Luke Paraphrase:

Jesus went with his disciples to the city of Nain (on the southern border of the Roman province of Galilee), and a great crowd followed him. As he approached the gate he encountered a funeral procession of an only son of a widow. A large number of her fellow residents accompanied her. The Lord [Jesus] had compassion on her and told her not to weep. He approached the bier and touched it, and the bearers stopped still. Jesus commanded the son to arise and he did so, and began talking.

Everyone who witnessed this was terrified, and all glorified God. They acknowledged Jesus as a great prophet, and that God had visited his people. This news spread throughout the entire country of Judea and the surrounding region.

Commentary:

God has always intended, from the beginning of Creation, to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey him. This lifetime is our one and only opportunity to seek, find, and come to know and have fellowship with God, our Father, our Creator (Acts 17:26-27), and our only opportunity to be spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life.

We are all born physically alive into this world, but spiritually “unborn.” This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “born-again.” Finding and having fellowship with God, and spiritual rebirth, are only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (John 14:6), by the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a personally discernible ongoing daily event; it is impossible to be “born-again” and “hardly know it” (Acts 19:2). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

God has been progressively revealing his plan for Creation in the Bible through his dealings with Israel. Elijah was deliberately intended by God to be a forerunner and illustration of Christ.

Jesus Christ has been designed into Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14). God has designed this world to allow for sin (disobedience of God's Word). We have all sinned and fall short of God's righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). The penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). God loves us and doesn't want anyone to perish eternally (Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17). Jesus is God's one and only provision for forgiveness of our sin, and salvation from eternal death (Acts 4:12; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right, home).

David was deliberately intended by God to be the forerunner and illustration of the Christ. Jesus is the “Good Shepherd” (John 10:11), the “Son of David”  (Matthew 1:1; 21:9; 22:42), and God's “anointed” (Messiah and Christ each mean “anointed” in Hebrew and Greek, respectively) eternal savior and king.

Our spiritual enemies are sin, death and Satan. Only Jesus can deliver us from our spiritual enemies. I personally testify that when I was beset by my spiritual enemies, I cried to the Lord and he delivered me; he healed me spiritually and delivered me from spiritual death to eternal life.

I had trusted in my own ability, and I thought that my success was my own achievement, not realizing that it was only by God's favor. When he withdrew his favor, I suffered. That was a great blessing, because I came to know that I needed God's favor. I was able to repent and turn to the Lord in faith (obedient trust). The Lord heard my prayer and my supplication. He was gracious to me and helped me. He literally turned my mourning in dancing and girded me with gladness.

Paul was deliberately intended by God to be the forerunner and illustration of a “modern, post-resurrection, born-again” disciple (student) and apostle (messenger; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ, as all of us can be. Paul was God's choice to replace Judas Iscariot, Jesus' betrayer (not Matthias: Acts 1:15-26).

I claim to be the fulfillment of the promise of God through Paul. The Gospel that I preach is by revelation from the risen and ascended Jesus Christ, who confronted me with my sin on the road of life and converted me. My Gospel is not devised or taught me by mankind but by revelation by the risen and ascended Jesus. I haven't conferred with leaders of the Church, nor been validated by them. The Bible is my validation: Read it!

Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise foretold in Elijah (Luke 7:16). Jesus is the only one who can restore us from physical death to eternal life. The widow of Nain (and the witnesses) realized that God was present in Jesus. The widow of Zarapath believed that Elijah was a man of God (1 Kings 17:18), but her faith became certainty as she trusted in him (compare John 6:68-69).

Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Monday 3 Pentecost - C
First Posted June 14, 2010;
Podcast: Monday 3 Pentecost - C

Psalm 32 – Thanksgiving for Healing;

(This psalm is attributed to David, the great human shepherd-king of Israel).

Paraphrase:

The psalmist testifies that those whose sin is forgiven and forgotten are blessed. Those who the Lord does not judge as sinful and deceitful are blessed.

The psalmist testifies that he was afflicted with suffering and wasted away when he did not acknowledge his sinfulness. God's hand was heavily upon him, causing him to groan day and night; his strength was  dried up [like dew] by the summer heat.

Then he acknowledged his sin and did not conceal his iniquity. He decided to confess his sin to the Lord, and the Lord forgave him of guilt for his sin.

So let all who are godly (who emulate God's nature) pray to the Lord. In times of troubles, when assailed as in a flood, they shall not be swept away. The Lord is a hiding place and refuge for us. He preserves us from trouble and surrounds us with deliverance.

Let me instruct and teach you in the right way; I will keep my eye on you and offer you my counsel. Don't be like a mule or a horse which doesn't understand; which must be restrained by bit and bridle, or it will not cooperate.

Many are the pangs of the wicked; but those who trust in the Lord are surrounded by his steadfast love. Let the righteous (those who do what is good, right and true, according to God's Word), and those who are upright in their innermost selves, rejoice and be glad; let them shout for joy [in the Lord].

Commentary:

David was deliberately intended by God to prefigure and illustrate the Messiah (Christ), God's “anointed” eternal Savior and King, Jesus Christ. I concur with my namesake's testimony; it has been my own personal experience. The Lord is willing and abundantly able to forgive and forget our sins [disobedience of God's Word in the Bible and in Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment, embodiment, and illustration of God's Word lived in human flesh in this world (John 1:14)].

We have all sinned and fall short of God's standard of righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10) and the penalty for sin is [eternal] death (Romans 6:23). If we deny our sin we will only go from bad to worse. Only when we recognize and confess our sin can we be spiritually healed and restored to eternal life and fellowship with God our Creator  (Acts 17:26-27). Jesus is God's one and only provision for our forgiveness and eternal salvation (Acts 4:12), and our only way to know divine eternal truth and have fellowship with God our Father (John 14:6; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right, home).

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only refuge that is eternally secure. In times of trouble we can call to him and he will protect, preserve and deliver us. I testify that this has been my personal experience.

Let me [or any truly “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple (student) and apostle (messenger; of the Gospel)] teach new believers. New believers are to be “discipled” by born-again disciples within the [true] Church (the modern equivalent of “Jerusalem,” the City of God: Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8 ), until they have been born-again [the Apostle Paul is the Biblical example (Acts 9:10-18)] before going into the world with the Gospel (Acts 9:20).

Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Tuesday 3 Pentecost - C
First Posted June 15, 2010;
Podcast: Tuesday 3 Pentecost - C


2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-15 – Speaking Truth to Power;

Background:

King David had committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, who became pregnant (2 Samuel 11:1-5). Then to avoid public censure, David had Uriah killed in battle (2 Samuel 11:14-21).

Text Paraphrase:

When Bathsheba heard that her husband was dead she mourned for him, and when the period of mourning was finished, David had her brought to him and she became his wife and delivered the son conceived in adultery. But what David had done displeased the Lord.

So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to David, and Nathan told David the parable of a ewe (female) lamb. There was a rich man who had many flocks and herds, and a poor man who had only a single ewe. The ewe was regarded as a member of the poor man's family; she ate and slept with the poor man. The rich man had a guest visiting, and was unwilling to take one of his own lambs to prepare for dinner for his guest, so he took the poor man's lamb. When David heard this he became angry with the obvious injustice, and he told Nathan that the man who had done so deserved to die, and should restore four lambs to the poor man for the rich man's deed and his lack of pity.

Then Nathan told David that David was that rich man. Nathan declared the Word of the Lord, that God had anointed David to be King of Israel. God had delivered him out of the hand of King Saul (David's predecessor) and had given David Saul's house and Saul's wives, (as was the custom of the time; 2 Samuel 16:21-22; 1 Kings 2:17-25). God had given David the house of Israel and the house of Judah; and if all that were not enough God would have doubled that. Why then had David despised God's Word and done what was evil in God's judgment? David had taken Uriah's wife and had caused Uriah's death by the sword of the Ammonites. So God declared that David's house would never be free of strife, because David had disregarded God and had taken Bathsheba as his wife.

Then David confessed to Nathan that he had sinned against the Lord, and Nathan pronounced David's absolution: God had forgiven David's sin and David would not die for it, but that the son born of adultery would die, because by that deed of adultery, David had utterly scorned the Lord. Then Nathan returned to his house. And the Lord struck the child of David's adultery and it became sick.

Commentary:

Speaking truth to power is a risky business. The king could have had Nathan killed on the spot.

Moreover, our human nature makes us think that whatever we do is alright. What we would recognize as obvious injustice in the behavior of others is not easy for us to recognize and acknowledge in ourselves.

No matter how much we have, we always seem to want more. Material possessions and worldly accomplishments can never truly satisfy.

Our eternal salvation depends upon God's forgiveness, and that forgiveness is only through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. The body and blood of Jesus shed on the cross is the only sacrifice acceptable to God for our forgiveness and salvation. God has appointed Jesus to be the judge  and the standard of judgment by which all will be judged.

We have all sinned and fall short of God's righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), and the penalty for sin (disobedience of God's Word, in the Bible and in Jesus Christ, the “living Word;” John 1:14), is (eternal) death (Romans 6:23). Jesus is God's only provision for our forgiveness and salvation (Acts 4:12; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right, home).

Unless we recognize and acknowledge our sinfulness, we cannot receive God's forgiveness. But too often in society and even in the Church today people are unwilling to hear talk about sin, death, and Hell. People were no different in Israel in the time of Jesus' physical ministry. Jesus spoke truth to the people in Nazareth, Jesus' hometown, and they thought his teachings were so offensive that they tried to throw him off a cliff (Luke 4:16-30). As a result Jesus moved to Capernaum. The people lost the benefit of the teaching and healing only Jesus can provide (Matthew 13:54-58).

Paul told Timothy that the time would come when people would not endure sound teaching but would get for themselves teachers who would “tickle their ears” with teachings to their liking (2 Timothy 4:3-4), settling for myths rather than truth. That time has come!

Jesus is Truth (John 14:6)! Unless we are willing to hear unpleasant truths about ourselves, we cut ourselves off from the source of truth and the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).

Like David, we all deserve to die eternally, but God loves us and doesn't want us to perish eternally (Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17) and he will forgive our sin and give us eternal life. But our sins may cause earthly consequences that cannot be undone and we may have to live with those consequences.

I didn't repent and come to saving faith in Jesus until midlife. Up to then, I had done a lot of things which seemed right to me at the time, but of which I'm now ashamed. How much better it would have been for me to have come to be spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) earlier in my life, so that I wouldn't have so many shameful regrets, and would have had more time to do the one thing in life which has eternal value: Proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Wednesday 3 Pentecost - C
First Posted June 15, 2010;
Podcast: Wednesday 3 Pentecost - C

Galatians 2:11-21 – Justified by Faith;

Paraphrase:

When Cephas (the Aramaic equivalent for “Peter;” the head of the Church) came from Jerusalem to Antioch (in central Asia Minor; present day Turkey) Paul rebuked him because Peter was guilty (of insincerity). Before certain men came from James (from the Church headquarters in Jerusalem; the leader of the question of Gentile converts: Acts 15:13-29: 21:18-24), Peter had been eating with the Gentiles (not according to Jewish dietary laws), but when the men arrived he withdrew from table fellowship with Gentiles, for fear of the “circumcision party” (Judaizers; a Christian faction who insisted that Gentile Christians must be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses). The other Jews followed Peter's example and also acted insincerely. But Paul rebuked Peter in front of the entire group, when he saw that Peter was not being honest about the Gospel truth.

Paul told him that if Peter, who was born a Jew, lived like a Gentile (not under the Law of Moses) how could he compel Gentiles to live like Jews? “We ourselves, who are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, yet who know that a [person] is not justified (reckoned righteous) by works (keeping) of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law will no flesh be justified” (Galatians 2:15-16). If in trying to be justified by faith in Christ, we are guilty of breaking the Law of Moses, does that make Christ an agent of sin? Certainly not! But we become transgressors if we rebuild the things which have been torn down (the restrictions of the Law).

Paul had died to the Law so that he could live to serve God. He (and we) have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives within us; we now live in the flesh by faith in God's Son, who loved us and sacrificed himself for us. Let us not nullify the grace (unmerited favor; free gift) of God, for then Christ will have died for no reason, if justification were by keeping the Law.

Commentary:

Judaizers were present in the first-century Church and they are present today. We can't earn our way into heaven by doing certain “good deeds.” Salvation from eternal condemnation is a free gift to be received by faith (obedient trust; Ephesians 2:8-10). Saving faith is acting upon what we profess in Jesus Christ according to the Bible.

Insincerity is contagious. If Church leaders practice insincerity so will their parishioners (Galatians 2:13). I have personally witnessed this phenomenon. Note that Jesus is truth (John 14:6; 15-17) and that we cannot have fellowship with Jesus unless we are committed to truth.

If we believe (trust and obey) Jesus, we are freed from the restrictions of the Law so that we live according to the guidance and empowerment of the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-13), which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Law was intended to restrain us by fear of punishment until the coming of the Holy Spirit. By the Holy Spirit we are enabled to fulfill the Law from love rather than from fear.

Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Thursday 3 Pentecost - C
First Posted June 17, 2010;
Podcast: Thursday 3 Pentecost - C


Luke 7:36-50 – Anointing at Bethany;

Background:

According to Matthew (Mt 26:6-13), Mark (Mark 14:3-9) and John (John 12:1-8), this incident took place in Bethany during the week before Jesus' crucifixion, at the home of Simon the Leper, a Pharisee, or at the home of Lazarus. John's account reports that the woman was Mary of Bethany. There's no evidence to identify the woman as Mary Magdalene.

Text Paraphrase:

A Pharisee asked Jesus to have dinner with him, and as Jesus sat at table, a woman of the city, a sinner, heard where Jesus was and came with an alabaster flask of ointment. From behind him at his feet, she wept and began washing Jesus' feet with her tears and drying them with her hair. Then she kissed his feet and anointed them with ointment. The Pharisee thought to himself that if Jesus were a prophet he would have known the sort of woman who was touching him, because she was a sinner.

Jesus knew Simon's thoughts and  began to tell him a parable (a fictional story of a common earthly experience to teach spiritual truth). Jesus said that a creditor had two debtors; one owed fifty denarii and the other five hundred. When neither could pay he forgave them both. Which debtor would love the creditor more? The Pharisee said that the one who had been forgiven more would be more grateful, and Jesus affirmed his judgment.

Then Jesus told him to look at the woman. Simon hadn't given Jesus water to wash his feet, hadn't greeted him with at kiss, or anointed Jesus' head with olive oil, as was the custom of honoring a guest. But the woman had washed Jesus' feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and anointed them with ointment. Her love expressed in these gestures indicates that she knows she has been forgiven much; but he who feels little need for forgiveness loves little.

Then Jesus told the woman that her sins were forgiven, and the guests at the table began to question among themselves who Jesus was, who presumes to forgive sin. Jesus told the woman to go in peace; her faith had saved her (from eternal condemnation).

Commentary:

Simon didn't feel that he needed forgiveness; he believed that he had “earned salvation” by keeping the Law of Moses; by doing “good deeds.” He didn't consider himself a sinner. There are people like that in the world and even in the nominal Church today. They think that they don't need forgiveness because they don't rob and murder. They think they can earn salvation by keeping the Jewish dietary and sabbath laws.

The truth is that we have all sinned and fall short of God's righteousness, exemplified in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), and the penalty for sin (disobedience of God's Word, in the Bible and in Jesus Christ, the “living Word:” John 1:14). is [eternal] death. God loves us and doesn't want any to perish eternally, but for all to live eternally in God's Kingdom restored to paradise in heaven (Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17). Jesus Christ is God's one and only provision for our forgiveness and salvation (Acts 4:12), which he designed into Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right, home).

The spiritual truth is that by attempting to earn salvation by doing good works (Galatians 2:16), one loses the benefit of Christ's sacrifice on the cross (Galatians 5:2-4).

Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Friday 3 Pentecost - C
First Posted June 18, 2010;
Podcast: Friday 3 Pentecost - C

1 Peter 5:6-11 – Exhortations;

Paraphrase:

Let us humble ourselves under God's mighty hand, so that in due time he will exalt us. Let us cast all our worries on him, for he cares about us. Our enemy, Satan, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for prey to devour, so let us be sober and watchful. Knowing that suffering will be required of all Christians, let us keep firm in faith, and resist him. After we have suffered a little while, God who is completely gracious toward us (freely giving us his undeserved favor) will personally restore, establish and strengthen us. May he reign eternally over all things. So be it.

Commentary:

If we understand who God is, and our proper relationship to God, we will humble ourselves to him. The problem is that mankind wants to be “like God” (Genesis 3:5 RSV). That was one of the temptations that led to the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden.

God is God alone; he will tolerate no other. But he is forbearing toward us. He gives us time to learn by trial and error that he alone is God and there is help in no other god. If we want to be our own “god” he will let us try, but sooner or later we will run out of resources.

Anything we worship as much or more than God is idolatry. Some modern idols are success, fame, money, power, home, family, and pleasure.

There are many things in this world we can worry about. If we try to establish our own security through accumulating wealth, material possessions, burglar alarms, panic rooms, gated communities, and so forth, we will discover that security always takes just a little more than we have. On the other hand if we trust in the Lord for our security we don't have to worry. Whatever happens, we and our loved ones are safe in the Lord. The Lord can bring us through whatever troubles we encounter.

We need to remember that our real enemy is Satan. He looks for an opportune moments to tempt us, so we have to be on guard. We need to be sober in the figurative sense of being serious, and we need to remember that our judgment and inhibitions are lowered when we drink alcohol. We need to persevere in faith and resist temptation. We need to be in daily fellowship with the Lord through devotional Bible reading, mediation and prayer, so that we have the spiritual resources to recognize traps set for us by Satan, and to resist temptation.

All Christians are going to have to endure suffering for the Gospel. The World hates Jesus, and his disciples cannot expect better treatment. God uses suffering to teach us that he is able and faithful to bring us through, and to develop our perseverance.

Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Saturday 3 Pentecost - C
First Posted June 19, 2010;
Podcast: Saturday 3 Pentecost - C


Luke 15:1-10 – Parables about the Lost;

Paraphrase:

Tax collectors and sinners were coming to Jesus to hear his teaching, and the Pharisees and scribes criticized Jesus among themselves, that Jesus was welcoming sinners and eating with them.

Knowing their criticism, Jesus told them a parable about a lost sheep. If a man had a hundred sheep and one got lost, wouldn't the man leave the other ninety-nine in the wilderness and seek the one lost sheep until he found it. And when he found the lost sheep he brought it back, rejoicing, carrying it on his shoulders. When he got home, he called his friends and neighbors together to celebrate that the lost sheep had been found. Likewise, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.

Similarly,  if a woman has ten silver coins and loses one, won't she light a lamp and sweep her house, searching diligently for it until she finds it? And when she finds it she will invite her friends and neighbors to celebrate with her, for having found the lost coin. So also there will be great rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner.

Commentary:

Tax collectors were Jewish collaborators with the occupying Roman government, and were detested by their fellow Jews. Pharisees were a strict legalistic party of Jewish leaders, and scribes were teachers of the Law of Moses on which the Old Covenant was based.

Scribes and Pharisees considered themselves righteous by keeping the Law of Moses, but they only kept certain parts of the Law (Luke 11:42-52). They thought they didn't  need to repent, and that they were justified in criticizing the perfect sinless Son of God (Hebrews 4:15). They didn't rejoice that “sinners” were coming to Jesus and repenting and being saved.

We are all lost sheep. We have all sinned and fall short of God's standard of righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). The penalty for sin (disobedience of God's Word) is [eternal] death (Romans 6:23). God loves us and doesn't want anyone to perish eternally (Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17). Jesus is God's one and only provision for our forgiveness and salvation (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right, home). In order to be saved we must acknowledge our sin, repent, and turn to faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.

Jesus personally seeks us in our “lostness” and he will lovingly carry us back to his “flock” if we allow him. I personally testify that when I was “lost” I considered myself “good.” Then in the wilderness of spiritual lostness, I experienced spiritual danger. I realized I wasn't so “good” after all. Jesus found me where I was, and was patient with me until I was willing to trust him to carry me back.

It isn't those who call Jesus their Lord who are saved (Matthew 7:21-27) but those who become obedient to God's Word (Luke 6:46), revealed in the Bible and in Jesus Christ, the “living Word,” God's Word fulfilled, embodied, and exemplified (John 1:14).

Calling ourselves Christians doesn't make it so. A Christian is a disciple who is “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit is a personally discernible ongoing daily event (Acts 19:2). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?