Some excuses are good excuses.  Some excuses are bad excuses.  In the end, all excuses are really just excuses. 

Jesus knew He had come to the Jewish people… to deliver them!  To invite them into a saving relationship with Him!  To know the good news of salvation that the Father had sent Him to tell.  The Jews had been invited long ago.  The Father said, “I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah those who will possess my mountains; my chosen people will inherit them, and there will my servants live” (Isaiah. 65:9).  This was the invitation issued, but the Jews of this day would reject Him, just as Scripture foretold.

Jesus looked directly at the man who had blurted out “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God” (Luke 14:15).  His heart discerned something amiss. While those who will eat at the feast would be among the blessed, just because the invitation had been issued didn’t mean it would be or had been accepted by each one individually.  Some will rely upon their national identity, educational level, observance of the Law, or heredity for the invitation, not appreciating that it comes with a required, personal RSVP.  It’s not a group project, but an individual invitation. 

Sad to say, some people rely upon identity markers of this group or that, or performance metrics.  People rely on all kinds of externals.  Worse, some will always find an excuse to reject the very thing they need.  It was time to clarify things.

Luke 14:16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ 21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ 22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ 23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'”

Jesus looked at the man who’d counted on being at the feast in the Kingdom of God by virtue of his heritage.  The man and those near him simply looked at each other, blindly failing to grasp that what they felt was a given instead required a response and not just an excuse for why they had better things to do.

Think about it: 

• What types of externals do we substitute for faith? 
• In the end, what distinguishes an excuse from a statement like “I don’t want to” or “I don’t feel like it” or “Go away and leave me alone”? 
• Read Romans 11 and ask why it was to the Gentiles’ benefit that those invited would reject the invitation initially? 
• In the parable, who would the Gentiles be like?

Thank You, Father, that in Your wisdom, there was a plan for the Gentiles to be grafted into Your Kingdom!  We praise You for Your wisdom and grace!  Thank You for encouragement from Your Word that says “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.   For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him (John 3:16-17).  Thank You, Jesus, that You died for Gentiles as well as Jews and we can all take our seats at the great banquet in heaven—not because of what we’ve done but by faith in what You did!  We praise You and thank You!  Amen.

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2019 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this great look at the Easter story to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals remain popular,

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.

Luke 14:1 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, He was being carefully watched.

This Pharisee was prominent, and he knew it.  You could tell that by the way he carried himself and the way he talked…that way he looked around while he was speaking to make sure people took note of how smart he is. 

Funny, isn’t it, that such a prominent man would have someone suffering with abnormal swelling fellowshipping at a meal, especially on the Sabbath?  Except that Jesus was also invited. 

Jesus was gaining so many disciples!  In fact, His was a name on everyone’s lips around town.  The Pharisees were jealous and wanted that kind of attention and respect.  They wanted to be around Him … to bring Him down by catching Jesus in some sort of wrongdoing whether in word or deed.

Jesus did it again!  He healed on the Sabbath again!  This was the fourth time Jesus did something wrong on the Sabbath! (Luke 6:1-5; 6:6-11; 13:10-17)  He even asked the Pharisees whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath before He did it!  Maybe He’s not the hot shot all the people think He is!  He not only eats with sinners and tax collectors, He heals sick people on the Sabbath!  What a lowlife, what a fraud, thought the Pharisee, puffing himself up in his righteousness by comparison to this Jesus fellow who has bad connections and associates with sinners.

Jesus tilted His head slightly, as if listening from above and considered the thoughts of this Pharisee who was more concerned about how he stacked up vertically in power, prestige, and prominence than how he related to his fellow man on a horizontal plane.  Where was the neighborly love?

Luke 14:7 When Jesus noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, He told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

This Pharisee had invited Jesus and someone who needed healing but had done it for reasons of testing and entrapping.  There was no love there for either man.  A man’s heart is shown in how he treats those who can do nothing for him.  The Pharisee’s heart was far less righteous than he’d arrogantly self-assessed.  He wasn’t likely to learn that “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Think about it:

• What people view as the best seats can be found in the sky box or the 50-yardline, box seats at the baseball game, the front row of the concert, or the donor’s circle where one can be seated among celebrity and the wealthy.  Why do people like these types of seats?  Whose favor do they display and to whom? 
• What does it mean to you that Jesus outlined Kingdom rules beginning with the Beatitudes and is continuing to show how Kingdom rules are different, often polar opposites to earthly rules? 
• Why would Jesus be driving that home, particularly on the topic of humility?  What is a common thing God hates more than others (see Proverbs 6:16-19)?

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the way You humbled Yourself, all the way to the Cross.  To show us how it’s done.  To show us what You value.  To show us what Kingdom principles exist and the way those rules of the road can make our lives on earth more fruitful.  We ask, Lord, that You would give us wisdom to live as wise people, making the most of every opportunity and to grow in character to help those who can never repay us as a reminder of how we can never repay the debt we’ve owed.  Thank You, Holy Spirit, for opening our eyes and teaching us deep things. Thank You, Father, for giving us grace in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2019 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this great look at the Easter story to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals remain popular,

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.

Whenever there’s a task to be done, there’s always someone to come along and offer discouragement or diversion or to throw cold water on the idea.  Jesus knew what His mission was.  Destination: Jerusalem! 

Luke 13: 31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” 

Sometimes, Jesus thought, people have no idea how close they are to the mark.  Just a little off because it’s not Herod.  To Herod, I’ll be a curiosity.  It’ll be the Pharisees and the high priest who want Me dead.  Crucified, in fact.  Jesus knew His mission and what lay ahead.  Nothing, not even this discouragement and diversion by Pharisees would keep Him from reaching His goal.

Luke 13:32 He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach My goal.’ 33 In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day– for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

The Pharisees looked at each other.  “Prophet?  Die outside Jerusalem?  We are trying to keep Jesus outside of Jerusalem.  Go away and don’t come back,” they thought.  “Death is a bit extreme.  We just want Him out of here, away from the people, no more healings especially on the Sabbath, no more driving out demons to get attention from the crowds, no more teachings about hypocrisy, making us look bad, and all that.  Just who does this guy think He is?”

Jesus looked at them with that “knowing look” for which He was becoming famous.  They resented Him and He knew it.  It made Him sad to know they’d reject Him over and again before He’d be crucified.  He’d prefer repentance to continued rejection, but then again, His mission relied upon rejection. 

Luke 13:34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ “

Think about it:

• The Pharisees obviously thought that the prospect of death would be enough to scare Jesus away.  Why was that ironic? 
• When Jesus said on the third day I will reach My goal, did He mean it was 3 days into the future or was today, tomorrow and the third day more figurative? 
• How do you think the Pharisees felt about Jerusalem being desolate and Jesus’ talk about their killing prophets and stoning those sent? 
• How do you think they reacted when Jesus said “I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord'” with such authority? 

Lord Jesus, thank You for persevering and faithfully completing the mission Your Father sent You to do.  Thank You for loving us that much!  We praise You, Lord, for Your goodness and mercy, Your grace and love, and for never leaving us nor forsaking us.  We repent of the ample reasons we’ve given You to abandon us and confess with gratitude our need for Your healing touch, Your forgiveness, and Your presence in our lives.  Teach us to abide in You and seek You while You may be found.  Amen.

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2019 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this great look at the Easter story to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals remain popular,

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:3-9)

More to the Easter Story devotionals resume tomorrow. Enjoy a Sabbath today and worship Him!

Yes, God works in hidden ways and with small beginnings and the final result will be spectacular, but Jesus didn’t want them to get the wrong idea.  It wasn’t about hanging out or being a hanger-on.  There was far more to salvation than that. Faith is more than just hanging out. It’s the issue of the narrow door.  Jesus needed to teach about that.

Luke 13:22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

That question opened the perfect opportunity even though it was kind of a loaded question. 

Luke 13:22 He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.'”  But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”

The “how many” number to be saved has never been a matter of insufficient room inside.  It’s always been a matter of insufficient righteousness outside.  Sure, there are people who are hanging out with Jesus, listening to Him as disciples, eating with Him, and maybe even wanting to be in.  But they’re missing something vital: faith!

“It was a frightening thought,” those in the crowd concluded. What if Jesus doesn’t know them?  Or that He doesn’t know where they come from?  It’s not a lack of information and Jesus’ ignorance.  It’s not His ignorance at all.  It’s that they never entered into a real relationship of any depth of faith. 

Will only a few be saved? 

It depends on how you define a few.  Jesus grieved that so many people will be lost in the last day.  But in the end, it wouldn’t for a lack of trying, only a lack of faith, a lack of truth, and way too much evildoing. And of course, a steadfast refusal to enter through the narrow door.

Think about it: 

• Do you know people who hate Christ and Christians so much that the truth could stand nose-to-nose with them and they’d still refuse to believe the truth? 
• What does it say about who they worship when they look at God’s truth and the world’s ways and choose the world’s?

Thank You, Father, for the magnitude of Your patience and forgiveness! Thank You, Lord, for preserving eternity with You for those who follow by faith. We praise You that there will be no sin in heaven. Thank You for the narrow door and that You have made a way for us to enter! Thank You, for the perseverance of the saints and the role of Your Holy Spirit in guiding us until that day. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2019 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this great look at the Easter story to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals remain popular,

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.

Small beginnings can bring about spectacular results…when a spectacular God is at work.  Many people believed the Messiah would bring dramatic and spectacular change.  What they didn’t understand was the hidden way it would happen and that the same dramatic and spectacular change can happen whether in a flash of a moment or through a gradual working over a long perseverance.  Their expectations would get in the way because they didn’t understand God’s definition of overthrow or an improbable assignment doesn’t mean it’s impossible.  Everything is possible when God is involved.  Jesus wanted to drive home the point of small beginnings and the long patience that would be required for the Kingdom to be finally ushered in.

Luke 13:20 Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

“Sixty pounds,” thought the crowd, “that’s three pecks, three measures, that’s quite a bit of flour!  (She’s probably baking for a crowd.) That woman would be working diligently for quite a while until yeast was completely mixed through the dough.”

Jesus smiled.  Yes, the improbable assignment of the Gospel working its way from small beginnings until it had reached the whole world would be generations in accomplishing.  It would require dedication, perseverance, hard work, and time.  But then the yeast would do its own miracle of further multiplying and in the presence of oxygen, the whole batch of dough would rise.

Think about it: 

• Why did Jesus want to point out the small beginnings?  What encouragement would that offer? 
• When one normally thinks of overthrow how dramatic is it?  What does the timeline look like? 
• For the Gospel to take over as a revolutionary idea, what would the timeline look like?  Read “And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:6-12) 
• How does the insidious undercover working of Satan mirror the hidden working of God in the delay between the two advents (birth and return)?

Lord Jesus, help us to remember the admonition from Your Word to “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:10-12).  Help us to remember that You work in hidden and mysterious ways, but those ways are not a mystery to You.  May we continue to work diligently alongside others in Christ as You bring Your Kingdom to all fullness and we rise in You at the final trumpet sound.  Grant us courage for these dark days.  In Christ’s powerful Name we pray.  Amen.

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2019 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this great look at the Easter story to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals remain popular,

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.

Small beginnings.  A woman healed from 18 years of disability suddenly bursting forth in praise of God on the Sabbath!  A crowd witnessing these wonderful things experiencing total delight!  How Jesus must have been truly happy seeing the immediate results of small beginnings in the lives of simply humans!  What did it portend for the future?  Jesus knew.

Luke 13:18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?  19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”

Small beginnings can be a tremendous catalyst.  They can explode in exponential growth.  When it’s praise of God and joy and the knowledge of the Kingdom, this growth is an amazing thing to witness!

Jesus loved teaching about the Kingdom and seeing His Words producing fruit that would last. Then, there was knowing that this Gospel would bring His ultimate healing for simply humans. Oh, the eternal joy they would know as they preached it throughout the world!  Like nesting birds finding shelter, this hope for mankind–nation after nation–is what He came to bring!  He felt a deep sense of satisfaction and praised God in His spirit.

Think about it:

• The Gospel is supposed to be good news and we’re told “that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).  Why do we fail to tell the world about this good news? 
• What types of things bring you delight? 
• In what ways do our lives display this joy at the wonderful things He has done?
• In what ways do our lives display a legal view of the Gospel instead of a redemptive view?

Thank You, Lord, for the Good News of salvation in Your Son Jesus Christ! Thank You for the growth You’ve promised for Your Kingdom! We praise You, Lord, and trust that when the time is ripe, You will return for Your bride, the Church. May we be attentive to Your truth and energetic in our witness to Your goodness. For this and more, we praise You! Amen.

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2019 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this great look at the Easter story to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals remain popular,

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.

Jesus was gratified that people gathered for teaching in the synagogue.  It made Him happy knowing there’s a willingness to listen, and in some cases, a willingness on someone’s part to let what was being taught change his or her life. 

Luke 13:10 “On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.”

It broke Jesus’ heart to see God’s beautiful creation, the pinnacle of which were simply human men and women, and to see that marvelous work broken by sin.  For 18 years, this woman had been in bondage.  She was beaten down by it and looked like she had bearing the weight of a sinful world on her shoulders–that’s how crippling this spirit was.  It made Jesus sad to see her bent over, unable to stand tall and confident as God created her.  Indeed, it made Him angry at what sin did and does to God’s blessed Image-bearers.

She had come to the synagogue with no expectations other than to receive some instruction the Sabbath.  Jesus saw she needed a true Sabbath…rest from what had been crippling her for 18 years.

Luke 13:12 “When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. “

Nothing more that pronouncing freedom and laying His hands on her.  That is what healed her, gave her a true healing Sabbath for her body and spirit.  Praising God for what He had done was only fitting.

Not everyone celebrated this miracle of freedom.

Luke 13:14 “Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

After all, the last thing the synagogue leader wanted was a parade of healing-seekers showing up on the Sabbath to be set free because if Jesus did it once, He could do it again.  It would upend their entire system of organization and plans for teaching.  Better for the leader to stop it before it starts in earnest.

Luke 13:15 “The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

Think about it:

• Is it work to speak words and lay hands on someone? 
• Is it any more work than opening scrolls and reading or teaching? 
• What made the leader a hypocrite?
• Luke 13:17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.  Why do you think the opponents were humiliated?  Why were the people delighted with what He was doing?

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your promise that “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (Jn. 8:36 NIV)”  Thank You for the freedom we have in You.  Freedom to worship!  Freedom to praise!  Freedom to seek healing and teaching!  May we always regard the true Sabbath as the one which releases us from what we have been in bondage to…and by being released from these chains, may our actions glorify You and bring You praise!

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2019 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this great look at the Easter story to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals remain popular,

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.

At gathering times for teaching, there was also a sharing of the news of the day.  Jesus paid attention to it all.  Luke 13:1 “Some present at that time … told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.”

Pilate, the prefect of Rome, was spoken about regularly.  Jesus knew about him as Marcus Pontius Pilatus, an authoritarian leader, headstrong at times which was odd since he was genuinely double-minded and stubborn all at the same time.  He was really just another simply human who governed himself by his own rules which changed by the hour and the political winds.  Jesus remembered back to when Pilate first came, and the golden shields inscribed to Tiberius had been set up in Jerusalem at night.  After near riots and plenty of complaints, Pilate had them removed. Of course, having to file a report with Tiberius may have had something to do with that change of heart.  Pilate was always doing stuff like that.  Jesus’ thoughts returned to the teaching moment the news presented.

Luke 13:2 “Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?  3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.   4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them– do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?  5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

The people present stood in stunned silence.  In their hearts, they were thinking, Perish!  What do you mean perish?  Are there not varying levels of guilt?  Maybe not worse sinners or more guilty…but isn’t there some kind of sliding scale where our good actions count for something?  Repentance.  What does that have to do with it?  Isn’t it good enough to be a disciple?”

Luke 13:6 “Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.  7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’  8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it.  9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'”

Presuming upon the patience of God—taking His patience for granted—is always a bad thing.  Repent now, or perish.  You never know what tomorrow will bring whether suffering at the hands of government, or falling towers, or an axe, if you’re a fig tree.

Think about it:

• In 2 Peter 3:9 we read, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”  Why do some people procrastinate, maybe wanting to wait until a deathbed confession? 
• Does anyone really know when their days are up? 
• What about people who profess Christ in the silence of their hearts or in the comfort of a church, but not where their witness might make a real difference?  What is the fruit of that type of life? 
• In what way does that presume upon the patience of God?

Thank You, Father, for being patient with us.  We praise You for keeping Your promises, in Your own timing, and for giving us every opportunity to repent or perish.  Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the many teaching opportunities You maximized to help us understand that what we do with our time on earth matters to You.  Thank You, Holy Spirit, for giving us words to share Your Gospel of good news, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil, and the time is short.  Grant us courage.  Grant us wisdom, in Christ we pray.  Amen.

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2019 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this great look at the Easter story to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals remain popular,

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.

Luke 12:49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!  50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!”

Beyond the disappointment and the pain of rejection, foremost among the things that grieved Jesus were being misunderstood…both His mission and His person as the Sent One of God.  And to add insult to injury, He was constrained in doing the final judgment until the important prior work of deliverance from that judgment would be accomplished.  That baptism into human death was required to be victorious over it.

 Luke 12:51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.  52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.  53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

What did they want?  World peace?  Dominance with compelled uniformity?  Equality?  Eradication of injustice?  A perfect world?  How misguided!  How mistaken!  Don’t they see that sin needed to be dealt with first? Oh, how much had the crowd failed to understand about His Word predicting His coming!  Worse, perhaps, was this height of human arrogance.  After all, they could easily see the signs of the times in other areas.  Why were they blindly missing this turning point of world history?

Luke 12:54 He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does.  55 And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time? 

Maybe they just didn’t want to see and couldn’t judge what was right because they were determined to be blind to the truth.  Maybe Jesus wasn’t seeking an answer to the question when He asked, Luke 12:57 “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?” 

Think about it: 

• If someone doesn’t acknowledge what is right, how can he judge what is right? 
• In our culture—indeed in our world—there is much division and a lack of genuine love of God and for the brotherhood of man.  How does a refusal to seek and believe the truth contribute to division? 
• In what way is that fire testing the quality of each man’s faith? 
• Seeking world peace apart from God—biblically speaking, is that even possible?

Thank You Father, for Your plan of salvation and its being finished prior to Your plan of final judgment.  Lord Jesus, we praise You for Your faithfulness all the way to the Cross on our behalf!  Thank You for the gift of salvation as a matter of Your grace, the gift of faith that is not from ourselves, and not a matter of our working our way to heaven.  Please Holy Spirit, continue to guide us into all truth so we might know it and believe it before judgment.  Enlarge Your Kingdom through our willing service to You.  Do this, Lord, for Your glory alone.  Amen.

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2019 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this great look at the Easter story to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals remain popular,

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.