Author: missionspaul

Luke’s beatitudes – a hard read!

 

Luke 6: 20-26

“Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
²² 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.

²³ “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

²⁴ “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
²⁵ 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.
²⁶ Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.”

 

At the centre of Luke’s beatitudes is Jesus, the Son of Man.

There are 4 positive stanzas and 4 negative ones each giving an outcome or a consequence.

The reign of God, satisfaction, laughter and a reward in heaven v. no more comfort, going hungry, mourning and weeping and being like the ancient false prophets.

Blessings and woes.

And at the centre is Jesus.

The Blessings are raw, they are not easy to read like Matthew’s recording of them. Blessed are the poor, not in spirit, just plain and simple, the poor, the hungry, the weeping and the hated. Blessed. More than happy as how can you be happy whilst weeping? But they are right with God, this is the meaning of blessed. These are not beatitudes to achieve, this is painful reality, it is now. The woes are not dangers but again present evils, ‘well fed now’ and ‘laughing now’.

These are hard to read. What do they mean? If this is not about what we can become and if there doesn’t seem to be any instructions of what to do, then what are they saying?

Let me simply suggest this:

• With the Son of Man at the centre of life, everything is upside down. The kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God are polar opposite. How we view things is not how God views them. So though you may think you know what is happening is not necessarily what is.
• Let me qualify this point: (There are constant examples of the rich being wonderful benefactors of the kingdom). However, Luke is suggesting that the presence of God is with those you do not think He would be with, like the down-trodden and He is not with people you think He would be with, like the false prophets.
• To be in need (whether that be from poverty, hunger, hurt or pain) is better than not needing a thing (rich, full, happy and popular) especially when Jesus is at the centre of life, for it is in Him that we are blessed. It is hard for those who don’t need to recognise a Saviour, what do they need saving from? The needy do need and that is why they are blessed.
• When I look at the least in society in every nation of the world, when I look at their suffering and when I decide to help by feeding them, helping them, holding them, lifting them up then I also experience God is here, of all the stages of the world where God could be, He is here the most, with the broken, the bruised and the forgotten. He is not here in weakness but with power, glory and great joy. There is a richness that I have never experienced and have longed for all my life. It seems that God is found in the nothing of life.

Power for this Sunday

Luke 6: 18-19 “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.”

 

May those troubled today find your peace;

May those who are sinking find your strength;

May the sick be healed and the trapped freed;

The great need today is not a new song, a great preach or good fellowship. It is for your power to come from your body to everyone who comes to you.

Power to change;

Power to overcome;

Power to fix

Across the churches of the world, the churches of my nation and the church I will attend today, may power come from you Jesus. Amen

What level are you at?

Luke 6: 17-19

“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.”

Having appointed his apostolic team what would he do next? For the next steps would indicate how he would lead and how he would want them to lead.

It is such a beautiful sentence. “He went down with them and stood on a level place.”

“Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool” (Isaiah 66:1), the whole universe is where He is. But He seeks those who are humble and who depend on Him, this is home (66:2).

The higher your call the lower you must become. Pastor, you are never above your people. Teacher, true knowledge is found in community. Evangelist, you are not the judge. Prophet, you do not have the final say. Apostle, you are sent to the sick, to the impure, to the lost, least and last to help them, love them and resource them.

Tears flow so easily when I see the reverse of the above.

Jesus went down with them.

On a level place everyone could get to him. Jesus was accessible to everyone. There was no holding area, a filter of getting oneself right before they entered the presence of Jesus. The fact is outside of His presence they could not make themselves right.

We are all on the same level. We understand the complexities of life. We know the trials and temptations. We know the evils and the pain. We are human. I am the Son of Man, I know.

In that place things began to happen …

Extraordinary ordinary

Luke 6: 14-16

Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

According to legend and early writings:

Simon Peter was crucified upside down at his request (as he did not feel worthy to die in the same way as Jesus) around 66 AD in the persecution from Emperor Nero.

Andrew having taken the gospel to Russia, then Turkey was crucified in Greece.

James the son of Zebedee was executed by Herod in 44AD and reported in Acts 12:2.

John is the only thought to have died a natural death on the island of Patmos, Greece, where he had been exiled.

Philip took the gospel to Tunisia and then to Turkey where he converted the wife of the Roman governor who on hearing this had him killed.

Bartholomew seemingly travelled great distances going into India, Armenia, Ethiopia and Yemen (Southern Arabia) where he was martyred.

Matthew took the gospel to Iran and then into Ethiopia where he was stabbed to death.

Thomas evangelised in Syria before going to India where he died by being pierced with the sword by soldiers.

James the son of Alpheus went to Syria and was stoned and then clubbed to death.

Simon the Zealot went to Iran and was killed there.

Judas son of James (also known as Thaddaeus) went to Iran and was killed by arrows.

Judas betrayed Jesus then later hanged himself.

Matthais replaced Judas after the betrayal and travelled to Syria with Andrew and was burnt to death.

They were called and chosen.

They had to learn obedience, one didn’t, the others also in many ways failed but they made a recovery to continue to follow.

They were not perfect and there were always people reminding them of it but they became empowered and changed men by the Spirit.

Why?

They had found something worth giving everything up for, the pearl of great price, who was worth dying for. They had found a cause to stake their whole life on.

But in truth it was them who had been found.

They had been lost men who Jesus found.

Jesus saw in them new names and purpose and he led them into their destiny.

These 12 names changed their world, our world.

That’s what it means to be called and chosen, anything less than this is not worth it.

 

Find time, pray, decide and do.

Luke 6: 12-13

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.”

 

Have you been having ‘one of those days’ recently?

 

• You realise you must get to a mountainside.

To get out of the situation, to come away from the pressure and the responsibility. There is still much work to do, however, today is a day to rest from it. Do you have such a place?

 

• You choose to spend the day and the night praying to God.

To know who He sent him and who is in charge. To off-load all that has been thrown at him. Taking this essential time before any further decisions. Is this your practice?

 

• You make some decisions that will herald a new day.

To bring change and move into a new chapter. You must call, some will raise their eyebrows (“why him/her?”); you must choose who will get your work done; you must deploy and make disciples into apostles sending them out to do the work. What decisions have to be made?

 

Go to that place, pray, make a decision and then do it. Your life is going to expand because of these 3 actions.

Jesus and every generation

Luke 6: 1-11

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grain fields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. ² Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” ³ Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? ⁴ 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.” ⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” ⁶ On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shrivelled. ⁷ 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. ⁸ But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shrivelled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there. ⁹ 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?” ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

 

Every generation battles with the code of conduct passed down to them.

Every generation has ‘stories’ they tend to overlook or excuse.

Every generation has to realise that the beauty of their kingdom and of their priesthood fades from the greater beauty of the new season that God brings.

Every generation ends with having more rules than relationship.

Every generation battles with seeing their ‘sons’ move into higher authority.

Every generation has to ask ‘what kind of Jesus will we follow?’

Every generation is faced with authenticating the miracles of the new day.

Jesus and movements

Luke 5: 36-39

“He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

 

In the context of the challenge as to why Jesus’ disciples were not fasting and all that Jesus seemed to be doing was eating and drinking with the worst people possible comes a parable from Jesus.

One of the lovely things about Facebook is that it regularly reminds you of the past. This day 7 years ago = a picture. We look at the picture and memories come flooding back. Often happy ones and I guess sometimes not so.

In this short parable we have an example of the new looking back at the old times. Jesus seems to be stating that the old fasting was based on pre- experience of Him as the Messiah. It pointed to the redeeming work but it wasn’t post-finished work of Christ. The new fasting period is amongst us as we have tasted Christ and we want more.

Primarily it is a battle between the old and the new. The powerful stand-out words are “the new will not match the old.”

Jesus’ message was about movement and it still is. He is movement and He creates movements. In 2019 strategy seems to be so important. If leaders simply planned and had an idea of how they were going to achieve something then we would be getting better results. But there is something greater; it is movement.

A movement is a group of people who have been sent to move towards people to cause them to move towards Christ, who then in turn become part of a new movement themselves.

We are in a world where the Spirit is doing a new thing regarding the movement of the Church. The next big move isn’t God’s it is His people. Change is so difficult but change is happening and will happen. Some will hang on to their old garments and old wineskins but others are becoming part of a movement.

It is easier to apply this parable to the time of Jesus with the Pharisees interpretation of the Law etc. It is tricky applying it today. The old was once new and the new will become old though the new always thinks it is here to stay. There will always be those who say the old is better.

There are still old garments hanging on the coat hooks in churches today. There are still old wineskins wanting new wine not realising that unless they change they will spoil the new.

So what is the message of this movement?

1. Inclusivity for all are welcome. (Let’s keep partying with all types of people Jesus would say)
2. Separation (from the past but not from the world)
3. Expectancy of the increase of disciples (the Levi’s of this world) and a rejection of nostalgia.

 

Luke 5: 29-36

“Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.” Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”

A great banquet; a large crowd; lengthy feasting; all over the gospels it is the same, Jesus loved parties! In Luke’s gospel alone I count 10 such dinners.

It isn’t true that Jesus only ate with tax-collectors and sinners, the sick and the condemned. He ate with those who saw themselves as healthy and righteous before God. Of course the point is they saw themselves as that, not that they were, for everyone is sinful.

So what is Jesus demonstrating?

God loves parties! He calls all people to a banquet, to a table of fellowship with Him.

Isaiah 25: 6 “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines.”

Song of Songs 2: 4 “Let him lead me to the banquet hall, and let his banner over me be love.”

Revelation 19:9 “Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

The Bible is full of references to the great invitation to the eternal banquet.

Jesus clearly demonstrates he knew this as he launched into his mission of having dinner with as many people as possible, no matter who they are.

But guess what? Not everyone likes parties!

1. Some complain about the clientele. For them, everyone needs to be of the same category, namely, like them. They want to be the ones who decide who can enjoy God and more importantly who God can enjoy. They are fellowship-busters. The ones who turn the lights off and pull the music. They are frivolous-finishers. The decorum brigade.
2. Some think they don’t need to party and they don’t look like people you would want at your party. They are not hungry they are healthy; they are not in need of fun they have deep joy, so deep you cannot see it; they are right especially where others are wrong; they are righteous meaning they believe God is on their side agreeing with them not to be involved in such distasteful happiness.
3. Some don’t know when to fast or feast so they just fast. They don’t recognise the presence of Jesus amongst them. He was there right in front of them, God Incarnate. They missed it. They still do. Some will miss the eternal banquet and it will be those who everyone thought would be the first to the table that will surprise us the most.

Let’s party!

 

 

What did Jesus see?

Luke 5 v 27-28 “After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.”

1. “If this man can be committed to do a job that everyone hates him for, then he won’t let me down.”
2. “This man has a name, but I will deal with his identity later. For now, I need a tax collector to be part of my team, I need those who the religious disqualify and who would never think of having any other destiny. I need the imperfect.”
3. “This man will show initiative. I need followers who know what must be done to follow. On my simple invitation I know this man will get up, he will leave everything and he will walk away.”
4. “I need to mobilise this man from the sitting position to the walking position. Mobilisation fuels transformation not the other way round.”
5. “This man needs not just to know about my reputation, he needs to be submerged into that. The important thing for this man is not where we are going or what we will do but it is who he will be with which is ME.”

 

What did Jesus see?

• Commitment
• Imperfection
• Initiative
• Mobilisation
• Identity

 

These are hallmarks of discipleship still today.

What can you see?

“Some men came carrying a paralysed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith …” Luke 5 v 18-20.

Not everything comes in lovely wrapping.

Opportunities are often presented as imperfect, just ask the owner of this house.

Everyone can be looking at the mess, but can you see the miracle?

Can you find determination in the midst of disorder?

Faith is sometimes disguised in folly.