Perhaps the most well known passage in the bible.

Luke 11:1-4
Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” So He said to them, “When you pray, say:

    Our Father in heaven,
    Hallowed be Your name.
    Your kingdom come.
    Your will be done
    On earth as it is in heaven.
    Give us day by day our daily bread.
    And forgive us our sins,
    For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
    And do not lead us into temptation,
    But deliver us from the evil one.”

Lots of good stuff in there.  Among the most important in my opinion is the general concept that this is not a rendom teaching.  It is Jesus’ response to a question on how to pray in general.  If this is our pattern, our instruction sheet for how to pray, what does it tell us:

Do we ask for (or demand) more than enough?
Or do we express contentment with God meeting our basic needs?
Do we focus on what we want?
Or do we focus on God’s will?
Do we focus on our rights and our status?
Or do we focus on grace, both grace we receive and grace that we give?

There is great freedom here.  My well being and my future - even that of my family - is not for me to control or bring about by my will, my power, or anything I can do.  Jesus tells me to live in the present.  Focused on God and His will, content in having enough for the day.  Forgiving all that I might have anything against.  That’s a recipe for peace.  I’ve been taught to pray in a lot of different ways - but I’ve never taught to pray that way by anyone other than Jesus.  And that’s a shame.  Because He knows best, and I believe there is real peace, joy, and power in His way.

I’m going to have to do another two for the price of one… like I said, the difficulty is not in finding an example of God’s care for and focus on those in need.  The difficulty is choosing between multiple examples in most chapters.  Here we go…

Luke 10:1-5
After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’

Interesting, this one.  I see all kinds of angles and meanings in this one.  Jesus clearly had something specific in mid when he sent the seventy out with this command.  Why?  I’m sure the seventy were asking the same thing.  Probably in stronger terms and with a bit more personal concern.  I think it was for a mix of several reasons.

Empathy - since His ministry was primarily to those in need, traveling with no means of support would sharpen the empathy felt for those in need.

Faith - real faith can only happen when we come to the end of ourselves and what we can provide.  This command certainly put them in a place where only faith could sustain them.

Environment - if they traveled with money, they could just stay at the local Holiday Inn along the way.  With no money, He compelled them to congregate with others in need, because well, they were in need also.  And ultimately compelled them into real community with others where they visited.

I can’t help but think that we would all be better off for having a similar experience.  But for all our talk about faith nowadays, I think we’d have precious few with that kind of faith.  And I’ll be honest - I don’t think I have the faith to go out that way.  I’ll add that to the list of things I need to work on… and I am trying to find ways to get out of my comfort zone.  I think we all need to.

Luke 10: 25-29
And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”  So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”  And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”  But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

And, of course, what follows is the story of the good Samaritan.  Jesus tells this leader that his neighbor must be anyone who cannot help themselves.  But He does not stop there.  Jesus delivers that message with a slap in the face… or maybe something more akin to a wheel kick to the head.  In His illustration, the “holy” Jews all pass by and ignore the man in need.  Only a man despised by the Jews acts with compassion.

Makes me think about us today.  Who would be the good Samaritan in Jesus’ example today when the Chirstians pass by those in need?  And Jesus wouldn’t even need a parable.  I see it in real life - people from groups Christians despise as immoral heathens acting where we fail to act.  I’m sure Jesus would pick one for His parable that would deliver the same slap in the face to us that He delivered 2,000 years ago.

Luke 9:46-48
Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.”

I hear this quoted, a lot… really admired and pondered often in a broad variety of settings.

But then, how many of us go out and seek leadership, authority, and positions of respect?  How many of us actually go out and act as if Jesus actually meant what He said?  How many go out and take the lowest position, truly humble ourselves to positions that are not respected and come with no accolades or honor? 

This is an area of weakness for me.  The first will be last, but while I may not care about praise and accolades, I sure as heck expect to finish first at, well… everything.  That does not seem to be God’s way.  His way favors those who have lost, especially those who have lost and have no power to win on their own.

I’m reading through Luke now, but I’m posting much slower than I’m reading, so it’s been eye-opening for me because I have started most of these posts with no idea what I’m going to find when I look back at each chapter.  In fact, I’ll pull up Luke 8 in just a moment and I have no idea what is in it.  But after writing the first seven posts in this series, I have 100% confidence that there will be a verse that is 100% on topic and consistent with the theme I described in my post on Luke 1.  Let’s see… (I’ll time myself to see how long it takes - 7:23am… GO…)

Ok, I’m back.  7:24.  Easy.  It’s shocking how consistent this theme is.  The only difficulty is picking from the several examples in most chapters.

Luke 8:41-48
And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying.
But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.  Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.

But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.”  Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.  And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

The theme might not be obvious here, but I think it is here, and here in a powerful and challenging way.  Jesus has been engaged by a ruler of the synagogue.  Do you understand what that means?  This is a man who could change everything for Jesus and His ministry.  Power.  Access to the people.  Respectability.  Funding.  Authority.  This man could offer Jesus all of that.  This is the type of guy that is the real difference-maker that our ministries nowadays court with great fervor and focus.  And his daughter is dying.  Jesus can earn his undying gratitude and devotion.  Certainly nothing could or should distract Him from focusing on this man and earning his favor.

But something does.  A sick and utterly poor woman.  A woman who has nothing to offer Jesus.  But Jesus stops for her.  Pays attention to her, lifts her chin and encourages her.  I see this as a clear message to Jairus that this woman is as important as he is.  Well, you say… of course she is.  We’d all agree on that, right?  But here’s the rub… for me at least.  Would I stop?  If I was going to lunch or a meeting with my biggest client, or a big potential client.  And I saw someone, destitute and without anything to offer me.  In need of encouragement or anything I could offer.  Would I stop.  Would I tell my client, “This woman is as important as you are, and she needs my attention.  Our business can wait.”  I can tell you this - I’ve never done it.  Maybe I’ve never had the opportunity.  Somehow I think that is an empty excuse.

One of the things I find most disturbing about Western Christianity is the expectation of respectability.  The expectation that we should dress well, speak eloquently, and associate with other “respectable” people.  The presumption that while we should have mercy on those who are not “respectable” and help them, it is purely a “missions” kind of thing, and in no way should we actually be one of “them”.  Maybe, by God’s grace, “they” can learn someday to dress nicely and speak with good grammar and live “cleanly”.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m completely against the belief that we’re all good and we should condone unhealthy, destructive, and sinful actions.  God is all about responsibility and consequences.  But God cares about people’s hearts.  And the way to win people’s hearts is by loving them.  And you can’t really love “them” as long they are “them” and not “us”.  Until we live our lives in a way that first blurs, and then destroys, the lines between “us” and “them” we will never emulate Jesus.  And, in my opinion, our focus on “respectability” is a barrier to that kind of living.

Luke 7:37-47
Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.”

“There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”  Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.”  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

I’m not even going to comment on this one, except to recommend that we all pause a moment before continuing on and read this as if we have not heard it before.  Throw out all the spiritualized interpretations and ways we’ve come up with to explain this away.  And consider that perhaps… perhaps, Jesus actually meant what He said here.  Sacrilege, I know… this actually believing Jesus meant what He said thing…
 

Luke 6:20-26
Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:

    Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God.
    Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled.
    Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh.
    Blessed are you when men hate you,
    And when they exclude you,
    And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
    For the Son of Man’s sake.
    Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
    For indeed your reward is great in heaven,
    For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

    But woe to you who are rich, For you have received your consolation.
    Woe to you who are full, For you shall hunger.
    Woe to you who laugh now, For you shall mourn and weep.
    Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
    For so did their fathers to the false prophets.

OK, I lied… I just can’t help myself.  When Jesus was here on earth, His message was one that - if you know the culture and context, was so challenging, so uncomfortable, and so contrary to the established religious, social, and political powers - was sure to get Him killed.  His message is just as uncomfortable, challenging, and revolutionary today as it was then.  And we reject it as fully and completely as the culture in Judea did two thousand years ago.  We’re just more polite about it.  We convince ourselves we believe and follow Him while coming up with “spiritual” explanations and rationalizations to explain how He didn’t REALLY mean what He clearly said… and justify living in a manner that is in complete contradiction to His teachings.

Sorry, maybe it’s the lack of sleep from last night.  I’m actually in a pretty good mood, just don’t feel like pulling any punches today and this is how I feel about Luke 6.  I’d love to hear from you if you feel differently.  While I often express strongly how I feel, I have been wrong often enough to welcome and be open to dissenting opinions.  KTM should not be about what Jim thinks, it should be about the community figuring all of this out.

Still on a roll… honestly, I don’t know how I read all of this so many times and never saw the thread of God’s intense attention to the outcast and despised.  I think I was too focused on me and what I “needed” and wanted.  I read an interesting comment last night that was written by an Auschwitz survivor.  He said that rescuing someone who was attempting suicide was striclty forbidden.  So any attempts to prevent suicides had to be persuasion before actual attempts.  In those efforts, he found that those contemplating suicide were generally convinced that life had nothing left to offer them.  His efforts to convince them otherwise were fruitless.  That changed when he abandoned the argument that life still had something to offer.  He changed his argument: life may have nothing to offer them, but they still had something to offer to the lives of others - a family member, and academic pursuit… it was different for each individual, but there was something unique that they had to offer to the lives of others.  And that carried a responsibility to carry on and deliver what only they could to life.

I guess that’s not all that relevant to this verse, but hey… it was on my mind.  My admin password means I can do whatever I want to, right?

Maybe the relevance is that a focus on what we have to offer life… what we have to offer God… what we have to offer Jesus through the least of these… must be the focus of our lives, or we will never focus on those who can offer us nothing in return.  That’s what Jesus did.  He scorned the admiration of society and spent his time with those most despised by the culture He lived in.  I’ve heard it said that if Jesus were here today, He would not be in churches.  He’d be on a street corner with a prostitute.  In the gutter with a drug addict.  In jail with a murderer.  When you really see where He was when He was here, that seems like a no-brainer to me.

Luke 5:27-31
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.”