Burunche’s Blog

Luke 7:36-50 Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman

“When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Even though the religious leaders have been muttering imprecations against Jesus, Simon, a Pharisee, has invited Jesus to dine with him. But Simon has demonstrated his scorn for Jesus in several ways. In a country where everyone walks and people’s feet become filthy, one of the first tasks of a considerate host is to ensure that a servant washes guests’ feet as they arrive. Simon hasn’t bothered. Invited guests are also greeted with a kiss of fellowship. Special guests also receive fragrant anointing oil poured onto their heads. Simon has deliberately neglected to carry out any of his normal duties as a caring host. Why? Does Simon feel he’s socially superior to Jesus? Does Simon want to test Jesus’ legitimacy as a prophet?

Meanwhile, one of the town prostitutes has learned that Jesus is eating with Simon. While Jesus is reclining at table, this woman enters the room. Before Simon can have the woman expelled, she has begun washing Jesus’ feet with her tears, drying them with her hair, and anointing his feet with costly perfumed ointment. Simon is watching and assumes that Jesus has no idea of the identity of this woman or her way of life. Jesus actually knows exactly who this woman is, for he just ministered to her yesterday when she came to him in tears under the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

As Simon is lying there at table thinking Jesus is too stupid to recognize this woman and her profession, Jesus begins gently correcting him. Jesus poses a question: if two men are forgiven debts, which one will love the man who forgave him his debt more, a man who owes a little or a man who owes a lot? “Well, I guess, the one who owes a lot,” muses Simon, unsure where this conversation is headed. That’s when Jesus brings home his lesson.

“Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

As a Pharisee, Simon assumes that he is in good favor with God and has no need of repentance or forgiveness. All the time Simon is congratulating himself, he is busy judging this poor woman, condemning her in his heart. While Simon is lying there at the table basking in self-admiration, this woman of low status not only touches Jesus but ministers to him, doing all the things Simon should have done as a good host and has failed to do. Recognizing the lady’s repentance, Jesus assures her that her sins are forgiven and that she may go in peace.

Jesus knows that he has come into the world to teach, to preach, to love, and to eventually die for the sins of the whole world. Here Jesus demonstrates God’s forgiveness of anyone who will come to Him, confessing their sins. The Pharisees don’t see God as a forgiving God but as a Supreme Judge who evaluates people based on their merits. The Pharisees are trying to earn God’s favor by following an enormous number of rules; however, they have no concept of God as a God of love and mercy. Simon is not being merciful to this woman; she has simply slipped into his home so rapidly that he hasn’t had time to get her out. Simon feels neither loving nor merciful toward this woman; however, Jesus does.

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, he demonstrates the Nature of his Heavenly Father, a God of mercy, love, and grace. Reading this story, we might identify with Simon. Perhaps we are faithful church members, active in several outreaches at our churches, and well-versed in the Scriptures. But what about our hearts? Are our hearts as hard as that of Simon the Pharisee and his other guests? Do we think that God grades on a curve and that our sins are not nearly as serious as those of others? If we really feel this way, we are lost, for our sins are just as evil as anyone else’s. Romans 3:23 tells us, “For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.” The only basis for God forgiving our sins is the blood sacrifice Jesus has made for us on the cross at Calvary.

Simon the Pharisee might not realize it, but he is just as sinful as this woman upon he is heaping his disdain. May we not copy Simon, but may we humble ourselves, confess our sins, and beg God for His Forgiveness and Grace!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are sinners and nothing we do is good enough to earn our way into heaven. Please forgive our sins. Thank You for sending Jesus to die on our behalf at Calvary so that we might be forgiven. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Luke 7:11-17 Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son

“Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

Luke 7:18-35 Jesus and John the Baptist

“John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses, and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So, he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written:

“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’

I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

 Jesus went on to say, “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.’ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”

Jesus is walking toward the village of Nain when he meets a burial party. A tragedy has occurred; a poor woman has lost her only son, her sole source of support and encouragement. Now this poor woman is in despair. Luke tells us, “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

Jesus has raised a young man from the dead, and his ministry is about to explode. By this point, John the Baptist has been thrown into prison by Herod for criticizing Herod for marrying his brother’s wife. John is desperate; he’s been announcing the coming of a Messiah but where is this Messiah? Has he come or not? Has John’s entire ministry been in vain? John is extremely worried, for he knows that any day, Herod could have him killed on a whim. John sends two of his disciples to investigate Jesus.

John’s disciples query Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses, and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So, he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

John’s disciples rush back to reassure their teacher that his ministry has not been in vain and that Jesus is the longed-for Messiah. Meanwhile, Jesus instructs the crowd about John the Baptist, assuring them that John is the messenger promised by the prophets. For the common people, Jesus’ assurances are no surprise, for they have already realized the validity of John’s teaching. But the religious leaders can’t make up their minds, criticizing John for being an ascetic while they also criticize Jesus for associating with undesirables and eating and drinking with them. As Jesus is saying these things, he is likely smiling and shaking his head over the foolishness of these self-styled religious experts.

Recently, I’ve been re-reading some of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books detailing miracles experienced by regular people. These stories describe miracles very similar to those listed by Luke. But what about raising someone from the dead? A pastor friend once told us of how he left the hospital after a young man had died, only for the Holy Spirit to order him to return to the hospital, lay hands on that young man, and pray for him. Feeling totally ridiculous, our friend obeyed. By this point, the young man’s body was being sent to the hospital morgue. Our friend stopped those pushing the stretcher, laying hands on the patient, and praying for him. The young man began breathing, coughed, opened his eyes, and began to speak. Our friend testified that after that, he never refused to pray for “hopeless” cases, for he never knew when God was going to do miracles!

As we journey through Lent, may God help us to remember that Jesus is Messiah and that he has lived, died, and has risen from the dead to bring in the Kingdom of God. Let us never lose hope but let us take hope that Jesus will continue to work in our lives just as he has in the past.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust that You can work miracles and that You will do so. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.  

Luke 7:1-10  The Faith of the Centurion

“When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them.

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.”

Jesus has been preaching in the countryside beyond Capernaum. After several hours of public speaking, Jesus enters town to get water and a meal. As Jesus is walking down the main street of town, some of the most respected men in Capernaum come up to him with a request. “Lord, Titus, the centurion, has a servant whom he loves dearly like a son. Now this young man is at the point of death. Won’t you please come and heal this servant? This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.”

“Certainly,” Jesus replies, and follows the elders.

Luke describes what happens next. “He (Jesus) was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

Jesus stops in amazement. All morning Jesus has been speaking and the power of the Holy Spirit has been going throughout the crowd, healing people. When the Jewish elders arrive, Jesus might well assume that Titus the centurion is too proud to come; however, now it appears that Titus is far more humble than the average Roman. Most of the Romans despise the Jews; however, Titus believes in the One True Living God. Jesus is amazed. Turning to the crowd following him, Jesus says, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” The elders continue down the street; however, now one of Titus’ other servants is running out to meet them. “It’s a miracle! That man who was about to die is healed! He’s just gotten up from his bed and is going about his duties as if nothing was ever wrong with him!”

This story is so short and so simple that it’s easy to miss some of the main points. As a Roman centurion, Titus is accustomed to a strong authority structure and has 100 men who answer to him. Obedience to orders is total. There is a story about a Roman soldier who was being sent into a dangerous situation. When asked why he was going, the soldier replied, “It is necessary for me to go. It is not necessary for me to survive.” When Titus the centurion describes the response of his men and his servants to his orders, he is only telling the truth.

Not only is Titus a man under authority, but he also recognizes that Jesus has authority and is also under the authority of God. Both Titus and Jesus know that authority is not to be abused but to be handled carefully, thoughtfully, and sensitively. Jesus has just been teaching the crowds that the measure they give out is the measure they will receive. Now Jesus must demonstrate that same principle, for he must demonstrate how he handles his God-given authority in this situation.

Why does a Roman centurion send Jewish elders to plead on his behalf? Face it, the Romans don’t enjoy a good reputation with the Jews. The vast majority of the Romans feel they’re far superior to the Jews, despising the Jewish religion and lording it over the Jews whenever possible. Even lowly Roman soldiers swagger down the street, overturning market tables and swiping things from merchants who have no means of protest. Titus and Jesus have never met, and Titus’ beloved servant is dying. There’s no time for long explanations, so Titus begs his friends who lead in the local synagogue to plead for him.

We might read this story and marvel at Titus’ faith and Jesus’ response. But how much do we respect authority? How much do we respect God? In an earlier age, to be God-fearing was an admirable trait, something notable for which men and women would be praised. But many times, people now have no fear of God unless and until something bad happens in their lives. That’s when they blame God, even though they have been ignoring and disrespecting Him.

When reading this story, we need to ask ourselves about our attitudes toward God. Do we respect and fear God, or do we do whatever we wish, assuming that an all-seeing, all-knowing God is blind and stupid? Do we think we can cut God out of our lives and establish our own little kingdoms where we alone are rulers who can do whatever we wish?

Isaiah 40:21-28 tells us, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.”

“To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.

Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.”

The Roman centurion believed, and Jesus honored that faith and healed his beloved servant. What might Jesus do for us if we will only believe and honor God’s authority? May God help us, so that we honor Him in everything we think and everything we do!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to always fear and honor You in everything we do. And help us to remember that You are far more willing to help us than we are to ask for help. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Luke 6:37-42 Judging Others

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.

 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Luke 6:43-45 A Tree and Its Fruit

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Luke 6:46-49 The Wise and Foolish Builders

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Now Jesus is getting down to the nitty gritty! Some of the laws of the Kingdom of God appear so simple when they are actually so profound. Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that pushing on an object causes that object to push back against you, the same amount but in the opposite direction. There’s also a saying that “What goes around comes around!” While God sends rain on both the just and the unjust, if we want God’s richest blessings, we must bless others also.

 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Are we really qualified to be sawdust inspectors? We love to pounce on others’ shortcomings, no matter how tiny they might be, conveniently ignoring the glaring failures in our own lives. One Christian writer has suggested that Jesus has based his illustration about a man with a beam in his eye on some real incident in which a man known to be a sharp critic of his neighbors is walking down the street, failing to pay attention while a carpenter coming the other direction is carrying a beam of wood over his shoulder. The local critic winds up with the corner of the beam striking his eye, forcing him to wear an eye patch for months.

What about fruit inspection? In Ghana, the Ashantis have a saying that it’s not the man who is cutting the path who knows whether or not the path is straight, but only the man coming behind. Steve Green has a song entitled “May Those Who Come Behind Us Find Us Faithful.” Want to know what kind of fruit you are bearing? Ask your family and friends, but be prepared for a shock. You might think you are doing very well, only to find that others feel your “fruit” is rotten and worm-eaten.

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

Why does Jesus seg into talking about wise and foolish builders? If we are unwilling to recognize our shortcomings and persist in judging others mercilessly, we are as foolish as a man who builds his house on a sandy watercourse where flood waters will rapidly tear it apart and carry it away.

Regarding judgement: God is the only One who truly knows the human heart. The rest of us are merely playing guessing games. We are currently on the edge of a situation in which some people have told vicious lies about others who have worked whole-heartedly and honestly for years. Authorities have listened to the lies instead of praying. Anybody can make the same mistake. Leave judgement to God and concentrate on loving and forgiving instead. What if you aren’t certain someone has done something wrong? You can always pray like this: “Dear God, only You know the facts of this situation. Please send Your light and Your truth into it so that the facts will come out. If someone has sinned, help me to forgive them, for I also need forgiveness for the many times I sin each day. Let Your Kingdom fully come and Your Will be fully done in the lives of all those involved. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.” Remember to pray for others as you hope they will pray for you!

Abraham Lincoln once said, “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” No matter how hard we try, those around us will know if we are hypocrites bearing rotten fruit or if we work whole-heartedly and passionately for God. May God help us, so that we leave off judging and criticism and concentrate on bearing Godly fruits that will stand the test of time. If we persist, we are as foolish as the man who built on sand.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are always eager to criticize others while we ourselves may be doing something worse. Help us to leave off criticism and judgement and concentrate on fulfilling Your perfect Will for our lives. Help us to remember that the measure we give out is the measure we will receive. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Luke 6:17-26 Blessings and Woes

“He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.”

Love for Enemies

Luke 6:27-36 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

This morning people are SWARMING FROM EVERYWHERE! The word went out last night that Jesus, that preacher from Galilee, has come to town and will be teaching this morning. Some people have traveled far distances, sleeping overnight in the center of town for safety. Some are struggling to carry cripples or to lead the blind or to climb the hill themselves. These people have already heard that when Jesus comes, the power of God is there to heal, to deliver, and to restore. Nothing like this has ever happened before, not in all the history of Israel, and people are desperate to reach Jesus by whatever means possible. Those who cannot walk well beg those who can to assist them, for they have heard that when Jesus speaks, power goes out from him.

A huge crowd gathers around Jesus and his disciples. Although Jesus is primarily teaching his closest followers, he projects his voice so that everyone in the crowd can hear him. Jesus is standing in a level area with a cliffside behind him that helps amplify every word he speaks, so that all listening might understand. How many people might be in this crowd? Benjamin Franklin actually studied the crowd density when George Whitefield, one of the most famous outdoor preachers in history was preaching. Franklin determined that between 30,000-50,000 people might be able to hear Whitefield, depending on weather conditions, background noise, etc. (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-science-of-sound-whitefields-massive-crowds/ ) It’s possible that even if some at the back of the crowd fail to hear Jesus clearly, those closer to Jesus might be repeating everything Jesus says, allowing the word to go out through the entire crowd.

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.” Jesus is teaching radical stuff! Up to this point, people have believed that the Kingdom of God likely belongs to the rich; after all, they already own everything else. And the idea that to be poor and hungry and hated and insulted are good things is revolutionary. Certainly, none of the teachers in the temple is saying anything like this. And if those statements sound shocking, Jesus’ next statements are even more so.

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.” Jesus is warning all those who have been sitting on their wealth and enjoying public acclaim that they are already receiving their rewards. And as if that isn’t enough, Jesus begins teaching stuff that is even more radical.

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.” “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

By now, many in the crowd are confused and scratching their heads. Sure, God is kind to everybody; after all, He’s God and that’s His job. But now Jesus is advocating for common people to copy God. Whew! That means that the crowd must be kind to the arrogant Roman soldiers who thrust their way through the streets, upsetting market tables and causing havoc. Those poor people who have been secretly envying and hating the rich religious leaders are scandalized. These people have depended on their hate to fuel their actions; if they leave off hating, what will they have left for motivation?

When we read these accounts, it’s as if we stand at the back of the crowd, straining to hear Jesus. We can only guess at the number of healings and deliverances that took place when Jesus was teaching, for Jesus never worried about numbers. But what of the principles Jesus is teaching? Are we doing good to those who hate us, refusing to worry whether or not they will respond? Are we being merciful as our Heavenly Father is merciful?  

Isaiah 58:6-14 tells us, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.”

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, ^and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

The Word of the Lord is not merely to be listened to or to be read; it is to be obeyed. Throughout the Bible, God emphasizes that obedience is the key to Kingdom living. If we read Jesus’ words and then claim that these only apply to someone else but not to us, we are flagrantly disobeying God. As we read, the Holy Spirit will convict us, highlighting particular things we need to work on right now. May God help us, so that we gladly and swiftly obey Him when He speaks to us through His Word!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives and to obey when You speak to us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Luke 6:12-17 The Twelve Apostles

“Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.”

Jesus knows that he has only a short time on earth and that he must thoroughly train a few men who will pass on his teachings. Even though Jesus has already called some men to be his disciples, now he wants a select few to become apostles. The term “disciple” means “a believer,” while the term “apostle” means “one who is sent.” Although sometimes writers of the Gospels use the terms interchangeably, Jesus has many disciples but only twelve apostles. Jesus doesn’t simply look around his disciples and begin making random choices but goes out to a mountain and prays all night to make certain he will choose the right men to become apostles.

If Jesus has devoted all this time to prayer, why does Jesus choose Judas Iscariot? Doesn’t Jesus know ahead of time that Judas will steal from the offerings for the poor and will eventually betray him? We won’t actually know the answer to that question until we reach heaven; however, it’s quite possible that God the Father warns Jesus and tells him to choose Judas anyway. Just as God the Father knows all the earthquake faults along the Jordan Valley, He also knows all the breaking points of Judas’ character. But Judas will have the same opportunities as all of the other apostles to preach, teach, heal, and proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God. When Judas chooses to break bad, it will be his free choice, not anything that is forced upon him.

How does Jesus know whom to pick? After praying all night, Jesus greets his disciples in the morning. As Jesus looks at these men, the Holy Spirit quietly speaks to him, causing these men to come forward in Jesus’ mind while the others fade into the distance. How am I so certain that this process occurs? At many points in my life, I have had occasion to pray for guidance. Each time, one choice will suddenly become right while all other choices will retreat into the distance so rapidly that I can’t even grab them mentally. Throughout God’s Word, He promises to lead us and guide us if we will only allow him. God will guide anyone who asks for wisdom as long as they are serious about the request.

Jesus Heals a Great Multitude

Luke 6:17-19 “And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.”

Jesus has prayed all night, and the power of the Holy Spirit is upon him to heal all who will come to him. At some point, Jesus might not even have to touch people, but merely wave his hand over the crowd. As Jesus does so, cries of delight ring out! “My eyes! My eyes! I can see! I can see!” “Look, I’m leaping!” “My leprosy, it’s gone!” “The demons are gone! My daughter is free!” “My mind is clear! I am no longer having fits!” Thousands of people are healed in a single moment as God’s power moves through the people.

Later, after Jesus has briefly joined Moses and Elijah on a mountaintop, Jesus will descend and heal a demon-possessed boy who has repeatedly fallen into fire and water during epileptic fits. When the disciples ask why they have been unable to cast out the demons, Jesus will tell them that “This kind only comes out by prayer and fasting.” Although Jesus spends a great deal of his time ministering to huge groups of people, he also spends hours and sometimes entire nights praying. These long hours of prayer prepare Jesus for continuing his ministry. Jesus doesn’t urge his disciples to fast a great deal; however, he fasts privately. Jesus also advises his disciples that when they fast, they should do so privately, avoiding making a show of their self-denial.

How many times do we actually devote to praying over critically important decisions? Sadly, many of us make judgements based on superficial qualities without asking God for His Wisdom. A phenomenally successful Korean minister described the secret of his achievements succinctly: “I pray and I obey.” But if we don’t pray in the first place, how do we know what orders we are obeying? Only when we get quiet before God can we possibly know what God wants us to do.

May God help us, so that we will continue to seek His guidance and then obey. May we “pray and obey!”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to continually and persistently ask for Your leading. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Luke 6:1-11 Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

“One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

 Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there.

Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

 He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.”

Once more, Jesus is literally setting Pharisaic teachings on their ears. The Topical Encyclopedia tells us, “The concept of the Sabbath is deeply rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition, originating from the creation narrative and extending through the Mosaic Law. The Sabbath is a day of rest and worship, observed on the seventh day of the week, and is a sign of the covenant between God and His people.

“The Sabbath is first introduced in Genesis 2:2-3 : “By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on that day He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished.” This passage establishes the Sabbath as a day of rest, reflecting God’s own rest after creation.

The formal institution of the Sabbath is found in the Ten Commandments, given to Moses on Mount Sinai. Exodus 20:8-11 states: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God; on it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the foreigner within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”

The question is this: What constitutes work? People and animals must be fed and watered. It might be necessary for people to walk to the synagogue to worship; how far can someone walk on the Sabbath without breaking the Law? Over the centuries, religious leaders have debated these points. The permissible distance for a Sabbath day’s walk is roughly 1 kilometer. Housewives are expected to prepare food ahead of time so that they will not be working on the Sabbath. Even in America in the 20^th century in New York City, gentiles have arrangements with their observant Jewish neighbors to do work such as lighting lamps or stoves.

The Pharisees have perfected the art of keeping the Sabbath to a science and harshly judge anyone who fails to meet their standards. In Mosaic Law, Sabbath breakers can be put to death. First, the Pharisees try to catch Jesus out when his hungry disciples walk through a field, rubbing the husks off kernels of grain and feeding themselves. But Jesus reminds them that David even fed his men with show bread from the temple and informs them that “the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” The nerve of this man! How dare he describe himself this way? Why doesn’t he just force his disciples to fast? Who cares if they are hungry?

Now Jesus is teaching in the synagogue. While common people are listening attentively, the Pharisees are secretly chortling. Old Abner is standing at the door of the synagogue. As a cripple, he is not allowed to enter; however, he may remain outside and listen. What’s Jesus going to do now?

Jesus scandalizes the religious leaders by asking Abner to stand before them and then saying, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” How dare this upstart carpenter embarrass temple leadership in this fashion? What answer can they possibly give? While the leaders are fuming behind their beards, Jesus proceeds to heal Abner, restoring his withered hand. Abner is overjoyed, but he’s also careful to hide his elation; after all, these leaders are so vengeful that they might put him out of the synagogue simply for having been healed on the Sabbath.

The question Jesus posed in that synagogue is one that all of us must confront daily. Will we be merciful or vicious? Will we hide behind regulations or will we be kind and loving? Jesus always comes down on the side of kindness and mercy, but do we? Are we secretly delighted when people break rules so that we can catch them out? Are we more interested in proving how righteous we are than in helping others?

May God help us, so that we will do His work His way!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to be merciful as You are merciful. And help us to be compassionate as You are compassionate. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Luke 5:33-39 Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting

“Then they said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?”

And He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days.”

Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise, the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’”

The Mosaic Law only orders fasting once, during the Days of Awe (Leviticus 16:29-31.) But somehow by the time of Jesus, regular fasting and prayer has become a mark of outstanding religious observance. In Jesus’ story of the Pharisee and the tax collector in the temple, the Pharisee boasts that he fasts twice a week. (Luke 18:12) We don’t know how many times a week John the Baptist’s disciples were fasting, but if John came out of the Essene sect, his disciples might have followed the strict diets and fasting prescribed by the Essenes. Disciples of the Pharisees are evidently following similar practices.

Now Jesus and his disciples show up, and while they might be praying, they certainly aren’t having regular fasts. Jesus and his disciples are feasting with tax collectors and money lenders and never turn down a meal when someone offers. The Pharisees are scandalized! Can it be that all these years they have been afflicting themselves needlessly? Certainly not! Jesus and his disciples must be ignorant unbelievers!

The Pharisees have conveniently forgotten the many times God has addressed His people, admonishing them to eschew ritual fasting and change their behavior instead. Isaiah 58:6-11 says, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”

Even in Jesus’ day, marriage ceremonies are marked by extravagant feasting with plenty of wine. Jesus’ first miracle is to change water into wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. Nobody is going to come into the marriage banquet and drive everyone out, ordering them to fast. Jesus is comparing himself to a bridegroom, telling those questioning him that his disciples will celebrate while he is with them and fast once he has left them.

First, Jesus compares his teaching to that of new material that has not yet shrunk to a permanent size. If new material is used to patch an old garment, the material will tear away when it shrinks in the wash. In the same fashion, the Good News of the Kingdom is so much greater than the Mosaic Law that it’s impossible to join the two together and expect it to work.

Jesus compares his teaching to that of new wine which must be stored in new wineskins that are still flexible and can stretch as the new wine ferments and expands. The old wineskins of the myriads of observances that have been developed since Moses cannot hold the Good News of the Kingdom of God, for that Good News will cause those old wineskins to burst. It is not the teachings of Moses and the prophets that are the problem. Some Christians want to ignore the Old Testament as if Jesus’ coming has made that unnecessary; however, Jesus will later tell his disciples that he has not come to do away with the Law but to fulfill it. Repeatedly, Jesus demonstrates his respect for the Law and the Prophets, reading in the synagogues when invited to do so.

The scribes and Pharisees have developed ritual fasting to a fine art, scorning all those whose lives cannot accommodate such practices. But in the process, the hearts of these men have become as rigid as those old wineskins that have no more stretch in them. Fascination with observances has caused many of these men to lose sight of God and His Mercy completely.

What about us? In Lent, Americans give up chocolate or potato chips or some other favorite food during the Lenten season; however, much of the time, they also complain bitterly about their “suffering.” Such practices make a mockery of denying oneself. Instead, why not give up anger, bitterness, conceit despair, estrangement, falseness, guilt, hatred, insincerity, and jealousy and take up happiness, joy, humility, hope, closeness, truth, grace, love, honesty, and trust?

Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that the fruits of the Holy Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Why not pray that God will help you to repudiate everything that is not of Him and that He will bring in the fruits of His Holy Spirit instead?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are sinners and our hearts are hardened. Please break up the stoney places in our hearts and give us hearts that are tender toward You. Let our lives demonstrate all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Luke 5:27-32 Matthew the Tax Collector

“After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.

Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Jesus is having a day of it. After ministering forgiveness and healing to Eli, Jesus leaves that houses and walks down the street toward the tax office. A huge crowd follows Jesus-after all, he’s just healed a paralyzed man. What might Jesus do next? This is the most entertainment these folks have had in years, not to mention the fact that they are awed by the power of God.

Tax officers are feared, hated, and regarded as turncoats, spies, and traitors who serve the Romans as they extort more than their due from the suffering public. When tax collectors come to be baptized by John the Baptist, he tells them not to collect more than is due them. Although tax collectors generally are wealthy, they are also hated and feared by their fellow citizens. Given the horrible reputation of tax collectors, religious authorities assume that Jesus will never call someone like that to become a disciple…..but they’re wrong!

Following the leading of the Holy Spirit, Jesus walks down to Levi’s tax office and issues a simple invitation, “Follow me.” What’s amazing is that Levi does exactly that; Levi rolls up his scrolls, hands his money box over to one of his fellow tax collectors, and walks out of the office and down the street with Jesus. Levi and Jesus go to Levi’s house, where Levi swiftly organizes a sumptuous banquet, inviting other tax collectors and their friends to come meet Jesus. The guests at this banquet are some of the richest and most hated men in town. Many of the religious authorities have followed Jesus at a distance, watching to see if he will make a mistake so they can criticize him or even have him arrested. Now the banquet is going on and the scribes and Pharisees are gathered outside Levi’s house, talking with Jesus’ disciples and shooting angry looks toward Jesus, whom they can see through the open door. When Jesus looks out the door at the Pharisees and lifts a goblet of wine in their honor, they are scandalized!

“Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”the Pharisees demand. “Jesus answers them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” The religious authorities are fuming! How dare Jesus call these SINNERS to repentance. If these men want to repent, let them do it on their own. If they don’t choose to repent, let them go to Gehenna, to hell. These men have free will and can choose to do what’s right, so why coddle them?

Meanwhile, inside Levi’s banquet hall, Levi and his guests are hanging on every word Jesus utters. After years of scorn and verbal abuse, these tax collectors and money lenders are thrilled as Jesus speaks to them lovingly. Hard hearts are melting, the Holy Spirit is moving, and none of these men will ever be the same again. The longer Jesus speaks to these men, the softer their hearts become until all of them are reduced to tears of repentance. Jesus waits, giving them time to consider their wrong-doing and to confess it. Then Jesus says to these men the same thing he has already told Eli the former paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven you.” For the rest of their lives, the guests at Levi’s banquet will be Jesus followers, and Jesus will welcome them into heaven when they die.

Reading the account of this banquet, we might feel a bit smug. After all, we have never cheated anyone or extorted money from them. But have we gossiped? Have we criticized? Have we misjudged others without knowing their motives? Have we over eaten or gone on shopping sprees or gotten drunk or gambled? Do our children fear us because we criticize them so severely? Romans 3:23 tells us that “All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.”

No matter how we might try to explain our shortcomings and failures at righteousness, the fact remains that each one of us is a sinner. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The ground is level at the foot of the cross. To a Holy God, all sins are equal, and none of us in and of ourselves is righteous. All of us need a Savior just as much as did the tax collectors and money lenders at Levi’s banquet.

The tragic part of this story is that while tax collectors and money lenders were repenting and entering the Kingdom of God, many of the religious authorities were trusting in their own righteousness and their rigid observation of minute rules. These men had hardened their hearts against all those around them who had neither the time nor the finances to observe such rules. When Jesus lifted that goblet in salute to the religious leaders, he was silently inviting them to enter the banquet hall, to join the tax collectors and money lenders inside, and to repent as they were doing. But the religious leaders firmly believed they were far superior to these men and spurned Jesus’ invitation.

None of us is superior. All of us have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. The question for us is simple: Jesus stands at the doors of our lives, inviting us to abandon our own efforts at justification and to receive his free gifts of forgiveness and salvation. The choice is ours. Will we freely choose to confess our sins and to abandon our own efforts, or will we insist on persisting in futile efforts to earn our way into heaven? Choose rightly, for you are choosing for eternity!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are sinners and nothing we do is sufficient to blot out our sins and to earn our way into heaven. Please forgive us our sins, cleanse our hearts, and help us to trust in the blood sacrifice You made for us on Calvary. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Luke 5:17-26 Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic

“Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.

When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”

Well, Jesus is at it again, scandalizing the religious elite. A large crowd of religious leaders has gathered to observe Jesus, and the power of God is healing people, including, presumably, the religious leaders. Great stuff, right? As Jesus is sitting there teaching, noises can be heard up on the roof of the house, and suddenly plaster is falling from the ceiling. But if that isn’t enough, a hole appears in the ceiling with men on the roof scooping out the plaster with their hands and chipping away at it with a sharp hoe until there’s a hole large enough for them to lower down a man on a pallet.

People in the crowd gasp, “That’s Eli! He’s been paralyzed for twenty years! What’s happening?” But what happens next is even crazier, for Jesus looks intently at Eli and proclaims, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” Now the onlookers are really confused! Eli’s friends are hoping that Jesus will heal him, but why is Jesus pronouncing forgiveness of sins? Jesus and Eli know something the crowd does not, for Eli first became paralyzed from a stroke after losing his temper and nearly beating someone to death. In the years since, Eli has bitterly regretted his actions and has longed for God to forgive him. Finally, Eli has reached the point of telling God that if God will only forgive his sins, Eli will be willing to remain paralyzed for the rest of his life. Eli’s afflictions have made him far sweeter and more humble than he was when he was healthy.

When Jesus pronounces forgiveness over Eli, everything in Eli’s body relaxes. Eli feels as if a huge burden has been lifted from his shoulders, and he has peace for the first time in twenty years. But Eli is about to get even more.

“And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”

Eli has not only received full pardon for his sins but now he is healed. As Eli’s neighbors gape in astonishment, Eli, picks up his mat and practically dances out of the room and back to his own house. Down the street, onlookers are crying and shouting, “Eli, what happened to you?” And Eli is answering, “MY SINS ARE FORGIVEN AND I AM HEALED!”

Meanwhile, back at the house where Jesus has been teaching, everyone in the crowd is awe-struck and praising God. After all, what other reaction can there be? When Eli was let down on his mat, everyone saw the shrunken limbs, the contractures in the joints. Now Eli’s legs and arms look whole and healthy and they obviously work, for Eli is bounding down the street waving his mat over his head as he shouts out his thanks to God.

The religious leaders are left scratching their heads in astonishment. Never before in the history of the world has someone claimed to forgive sins. Who is this Jesus and on whose authority is he proclaiming such forgiveness? But if Jesus does not have authority to forgive sins, how has he managed to heal a paralytic? While the religious leaders are puzzled, the common people have no such problems. Everyone in town knows that Eli has bitterly regretted his hasty actions of twenty years ago. Now God has heard Eli’s prayers and has answered them completely and satisfactorily. All Eli’s neighbors are shouting “Hallelujah!” Some local musicians have shown up at Eli’s house, Eli’s wife has begun fixing food, and Eli’s family is throwing an impromptu party.

While Eli’s family is celebrating, let’s step out of the scene for a little bit and look at ourselves. Lent is a time when we are to examine our hearts and confess any sins we find there. Although we might not have committed any gross sins, remember God doesn’t grade on a sliding scale of sins. To a Holy God, all sin is equally wrong and deserving of punishment. Many of us commit sins of omission, refusing to do what needs to be done to help others. Others of us are very polite, but rub us the wrong way and see what we will say then! I have the misfortune to have some family members who could reduce others to rubble with one or two sentences and a lifted eyebrow. Our tongues should have been registered as deadly weapons. And I learned early how to politely destroy someone with a few words.

My confession should cause those reading this to check their own hearts. Do you indulge in unkindness and cloak it with some socially acceptable name? Do you leave a trail of offense as you go through life? Even the best and most gracious people still sin and all of us are in need of forgiveness. The ground is level at the foot of the Cross of Calvary. Perhaps we don’t suffer from physical paralysis but from emotional paralysis. No matter. Jesus has come to save us and forgive us if we will only confess our sins and ask for forgiveness.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we have sinned against You and against those around us, both by what we have done and by what we have left undone. Please forgive our sins, cleanse our hearts, and help us to live for You from this day forward. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.