Purposes of this Blog
B) Suggest helpful teaching tips
C) Cater the God-centered conversation to the goal of North Davis Small Groups: loving neighbors for the sake of the word
D) Maintain effective and patterned communication with Small Group leaders
Primary Resource Used:
Lavendar, Earl. Luke: Jesus is Savior. A Meditative Commentary on the New Testament. Abilene, TX: Leafwood Publishers, 2006.
Each week's entry will (ideally) be posted by Tuesday afternoon.
Week 23 – August 30 – Luke 13:22-14:6
Commentary & Group Activities
Below, I have pulled a few of Lavendar's questions from this week's readings and detailed my answers to them. These verses really convict me about participating in the Kingdom of God. Do our actions and intentions truly resemble those under the Reign of God?
Why did the disciples ask Jesus if only a few would be saved?
· Look at the previous verses. Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to 2 very small things: a mustard seed and yeast.
What is the meaning of Jesus’ response, in your thinking?
· Jesus responds by saying, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.”
· According to Robert J. Shirock, ancient synagogues (it is commonly held that Luke’s Gospel was written after Jerusalem had been ransacked by the Romans in 70 A.D.—therefore, the Temple was gone and synagogues were the religious centers) often had large doors where persons of high social status—like the synagogue leader—entered and were seated accordingly. They also had narrow doors where persons of lesser status—like bent women (Lk. 13:10-17)—entered.
· Assuming Shirock’s statement about ancient synagogues is true, Jesus is answering a different question than the person in verse 23 asked. That individual asked “How many people are going to be saved?”; Jesus answered a different question: “What kind of people are found in the Kingdom of God?”
Is it possible for us to believe we follow Jesus when in reality we don’t? How could this happen?
· I believe God is a just God. He discerns correctly between good and evil.
· I also believe He provides us with opportunities to choose to do good. How do we know if we have chosen to do good? Jesus says it’s not necessarily determined by where the big crowd goes. Jesus also says it’s not necessarily the people who are privileged to Jesus’ meals and teachings.
How does the “last being first and first last” fit this passage?
· This passage is a continuation of the previous. It is not necessarily those who enter the lavishly decorated doors that belong to the Kingdom of God.
Why were the Pharisees watching Jesus so closely? What did they fail to see?
· The Pharisees were waiting for a slip-up to convict Jesus of wrong-doing…thereby promoting their status over his. By “protecting” Israel through proper maintenance of the Sabbath, they have in turn maimed Israel of its sight of the Messiah.
Why were the Pharisees and experts in the Law quiet when Jesus asked them about the legality of healing on the Sabbath?
· Jesus knew his Bible. In the instructions of Sabbath-keeping in Exodus 23:12, oxen and donkeys are specifically mentioned as benefactors of Sabbath regulations. If one is to care for an ox or donkey, shouldn’t the same apply (even more so) to humans? We have a word for situations like this: hypocrisy.
Why do you think this issue keeps coming up?
· Sabbath was a sacred day, dating back to arguably the greatest hero of Israel. It was a religious staple. It defined a nation & race. It was protected by law after law. When change is suggested, emotions flare.
Jesus instructs us to make every effort to enter through the narrow door. What efforts can we make to do this?
· How fortunate we are to have the Word of God so available to us! Embrace this book. Feast upon its stories. Remember, though, that the Messiah who spoke many of these words was rejected.
Do you think Jesus would weep over our cities today as he did over Jerusalem? Why or why not?
· I don’t think, for Protestant Americans at least, we have a “Jerusalem.” We don’t look to Washington D. C. in the same way Israel looked to Jerusalem. We don’t look to any city in that way.
· We do, however, have an identifiable place where we believe God dwells…the church. What if we substituted “North Davis” for “Jerusalem” in these texts? How would we be convicted?
Week 22 – August 23 – Luke 13:1-21
Commentary
I think of all the great texts we’ve read thus far, this one has been my favorite. For one, I like things explained in simple, clear ways. I’m a straight-forward kind of guy. The structure of this text caters to straight-forward kind of people. It follows an A, B; A, B pattern.
A. Practical story – People were scared for their friends’ lives because of the cause and events immediately following their death.
B. Teaching parable – The parable of the barren fig tree reassures people scared for their friends’ lives by displaying Christ’s appeal for their (and our) behalf as well as God’s mercy.
A. Practical story – Jesus is being chastised by the religious elite of his day for healing on the Sabbath.
B. Teaching parables – Two parables on the Kingdom of God and its mysterious, but ever-present, growth. Does what we do impede or contribute to this growth?
The second reason why I’ve labeled this text as “my favorite thus far” is that Jesus addresses issues that I can easily identify in 2009. For one, remember Hurricane Katrina (how could you not!)? Now, remember hearing explanations in the aftermath of that devastating storm claiming it was “God’s omen and punishment for the United States…in particular, that devastated section of the country?” Re-read Luke 13:1-5. Un-explainable tragedies happened 2,000 years ago as well. Were the victims of these events worse sinners than others? Jesus responds simply and directly: “No.” But, he doesn’t stop there. He uses these gut-wrenching realities, these shared stories, as teaching moments about repentance. Just as Jesus’ death teaches us how to live a sacrificial life for the sake of others, so too do the deaths of those Galileans and fateful 18 instruct us how to live for each day. We are to be people of repentance now, because tomorrow is not guaranteed.
The parable of the barren fig tree compliments Jesus’ practical story. We choose daily to be people of repentance, full of mercy, not only because tomorrow is not guaranteed; e are to be ever-increasing in mercy now, because we serve a God of mercy and strive for Godliness.
In addition to the practical story about the Galileans and the fateful 18, I can easily identify in 2009 with the story of Jesus healing a crippled woman and getting lambasted by the religious elite for doing such on the Sabbath. The question that I immediately ask myself after reading this story is: Does the structures I build in my life impede the work of Christ? My next question is: Do the ways in which the faith community I participate in, North Davis, structures impede the work of Christ? May our daily efforts, both individually and as the body of Christ assembled here in Arlington, TX, allow us to answer these two reflective questions with a simple and direct “No.”
Group Activity
This past Sunday, Doug mentioned the importance of “doable next steps” in our journey together. Small Groups are prime groups in which to implement doable next steps. They’re small enough to be active and personal, yet big enough to make an impact. They meet in local neighborhoods and have a purpose beyond themselves. Once again, take time to brainstorm “doable next steps” your Small Group can take in order to be Christ for the sake of the world.
Jesus read his Bible. Read Exodus 23:12. How does Jesus utilize common texts to teach the truth about God’s mercy in Luke 13:10-17? How can we do the same?
God's blessing be upon your time together this week
Week 21 – August 16 – Luke 12:13-59
Commentary
Last week, we read that Jesus forgot (or refused) to ritually wash his hands before dining with a prominent Jewish leader in his house! Jesus used the tension (maybe even created the tension) as a stepping stone for a teaching moment. It wasn’t the ritual that Jesus taught against. Jesus’ primary concern was the purity ritual wasn’t purifying the whole body of each of its participants; the outside was clean, but the inside remained polluted. Thus, he told stories about hypocrisy.
In Luke 12:13, someone asks Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” I’m assuming that this individual, now that his/her father was dead, was completely dependent upon their sibling. “This isn’t fair,” the anonymous individual implied to Jesus. “Help me attain some of my father’s wealth so that all my years of service to him have not been done in vain and I am not left to serve my equal…my sibling.”
As in the previous story at the Pharisee’s house, Jesus does not teach specifically to the situation presented. Rather than condemning the inheritance practices (rituals) of his day, Jesus uses the tension presented to tell stories about selfishness.
Group Activity
In the story immediately following the anonymous individual’s request to Jesus, R. Alan Culpepper claims that at least 5 different follies resulting from selfishness can be drawn.
1. Preoccupation with Possessions – narrow-mindedness
2. Security in Self-sufficiency – no need for others
3. The Grasp of Greed – antithesis of generosity
4. The Hollowness of Hedonism – maximizing our own pleasure is the way to achieve the greatest life
5. Practical Atheism – proclaim belief in God, yet manage our own life as if there were no God.
Confess within your Small Group which of these 5 follies rings truest in each of your lives. Be specific.
As a community of Christ, part of our purpose is for the sake of the world. Ask your group how they might utilize Jesus’ teaching techniques in their daily lives. Jesus was presented with specific situations (he forgot to ritually wash his hands; an individual wanted his/her sibling to split the inheritance), yet he used those situations to teach generally about hypocrisy and greed. As Jesus’ disciples, are we called to do the same things when these type situations occur in our daily lives? The answer is not clear. Utilize your Small Group time to tell about specific teaching opportunities they have been presented in their lives (most likely these type situations present themselves with children). Then, discuss when it is appropriate to teach broad principles (i.e. hypocrisy and greed) or when it is appropriate to only address the specific situation.
Resource Used:
Culpepper, R. Alan. The Gospel of Luke. The New Interpreter’s Bible IX. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1995.
Week 20 – August 9 – Luke 11:37-12:12
Commentary
Any of you watch Reality TV? It’s hard not to these days. Both prime and not-so-prime time TV are full of reality shows. A familiar plot in Reality TV is to help an individual find and fall into love. The longevity of relationship between the individual and his/her companion of choice is somewhere between a few months and the second the show is over! But lasting relationships are not the most important statistic for television reps who earn their living off this stuff.
The Bachelorette, for those who don’t know, is a Reality TV show that’s plot fits the familiar mold described above. One woman chooses 1 of 25 men, via a couple months of “testing,” to pursue a romantic relationship. During this season of The Bachelorette, viewers were privy to one contestant’s deception. On the outside, he was a silky smooth, compassionate and endearing gentleman vying for the love of a woman. What the viewers saw that the Bachelorette didn’t (or so the producers of the show made us believe…I’m skeptical, to say the least, about the “reality” of Reality TV) is the deceitful ploy of this man to use the TV show to promote his music career. You wouldn’t believe the outcry and insults directed toward this guy by Reality TV junkies: “How could he!,” “This is disgraceful!,” “He’s pathetic!,” etc. Luckily, the Bachelorette became aware of his deceiving ways and chose someone else…he wasn’t a good choice either, but alas, it’s Reality TV…
No matter the circumstance, everyone innately knows deceit is evil…even Reality TV junkies. Deceit stirs deep emotions within us. Deceit has never been in line with the will of God; yet, we read about its presence beginning with Adam and Eve!
What are we to do with something as prevalent and despised as deceit?
Well, for starters, it’s good to remind yourself that you really are what you eat! This common phrase has been used for quite some time by well-intentioned parents hoping to instill the discipline of good nutrition in their children. I know that pepperonis aren’t going to start appearing on my forearm the day after I enjoy a few slices of pizza. I do know, however, when consumed in abundance that midsections start absorbing these tasty treats in a not-so-appealing fashion.
Every week, we eat the Lord’s Supper together. The meal we eat is not for dietary sustenance. Its caloric qualities are only good for probably 1 hour of energy at most. But, we all know the meaning behind the meal…the reality amidst the symbol. We pray that we are what we eat. We pray that Jesus not only symbolically represents our relationships with others; rather, we pray that Jesus really is our relationships with others (at 1601 N. Davis Dr. and beyond). It’s both a statement of faith and a daily choice we make. Choose genuieness today. Trust me, everyone can smell deceit.
Group Activity
Jesus accuses the Pharisees in Luke 11:39-44 of deceit. He says, “You give…You love…(therefore) You are…” Have your small group individually think about what and to whom they give and they love. According to Jesus, these things/people and the intention with which we give to them are most likely indicative of who we truly are.
Jesus paints a powerfully painful image for the experts of the law he encounters in 11:52. He affirms their God-giftedness of the keys to knowledge…but then convicts them of breaking-off these keys in the locks of doors, thereby prohibiting those who wish to pass through. How do we use our God-giftedness? Do we try and control the market? Or, do we seek to utilize our gifts for the joy and liberation of others? Read Luke 23:45. Jesus, given the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, lived his life for the joy and liberation of others…even the most sacred of places were made available because of his life, death and resurrection. Are our purposes beyond ourselves?
Week 19 – August 3 – For the Sake of the World
Commentary
A few days ago, several of our small group leaders participated in an Enrichment Weekend. A lasting statement for me that our consultant, Trey Finley, said was, “Community is strongest when its purpose is beyond itself.”
At North Davis, we value the intimacy and “one-anotherness” our small groups provide. I want to encourage you sometime within the next 3 weeks to go through this curriculum. It is the goal of this curriculum to assist your small group in discerning what purpose beyond itself it may participate in together.
Please let me know how your small group is becoming more intentional in its quest to be a Christian community for the sake of the world. May God bless you on this journey!
(I’ll resume the Luke Blog next week)
Week 18 – July 27 – Luke 11:14-36
Commentary
What a weird text, Luke 11:14-36!!! Within these 23 verses, readers find a mute demon, Beelzebub, finger of God, kingdom of God, a strong man, evil spirits in arid places coming back with vengeance, Jonah, Queen of the South and Solomon, lamps, and eyes…just to name the few obvious ones! More often than not this week, I’d leave these verses cross-eyed and head spinning. What are we to make of all this stuff?!?
First, I encourage you to be diligent in your reading of this text. This week, I had to remind myself frequently to slow down, re-read, and re-pray. Often, when I discipline myself in these ways, it is this discipline of diligence with which I walk away more grateful than any nugget of information I obtain as a result. Second, I encourage you not to gloss over passages pertaining to exorcisms or spiritual warfare in general. As a child of the Churches of Christ, I can safely say that we are for the most part and often attract people steeped in the rationalism in which our tradition was born. Conversations about spiritual warfare often leave us dumbfounded and looking for an escape hatch.
As a guide through this rich, sometimes murky text, use the central message as a guide. I believe the central message is something like: God’s mercy is vaster that His well-meaning followers typically allow it to be. In order to further assist you in your leading for this week, let me share with you my answers from Earl Lavendar’s questions:
Q. Why do you think some people accused Jesus of using Satan’s power to cast out demons?
A. The people questioning him understood their title of “People of God” as exclusive. In other words, they were the people of God and if they weren’t the ones casting out the demons then it was by some other deity that the demons were being cast out.
Q. What was Jesus teaching about the nature of ridding oneself of an unclean spirit?
A. One must be persistent. A good read for this type of battle is C. S. Lewis’ The Screwtape
Letters. Also, the waterless places of the desert were thought to be haunted by demons (Lev. 16:10; Isa. 34:13-14; cf. 2 Peter 2:17,20).
Q. What does this passage teach us about our fight against sin?
A. I think this question is also answered in the previous section on Jesus teaching his disciples to pray. Jesus told a story about a person who received an unexpected guest at an inopportune time (he didn’t have bread and the guest came at midnight). So, the person immediately went to one of his friends for help. Refusing to get out of bed at the first request, the person kept begging his friend for help. With persistence and dependence on the Provider is how we should pray. With persistence and dependence on the Provider is how we should face demons.
Q. What point was Jesus making by not accepting the woman’s praise? What does this mean to us?
A. This is an interesting insertion in Luke’s text. In all of Scripture, who (besides Jesus) hears the word of God and obeys it more so that Jesus’ mother? So, I don’t think this is a rebuttal; rather, I think Jesus’ response is a clarification. Mary is blessed not because of her lineage nor any specific strengths she had; rather, she is blessed because she said “yes” to the word of God.
Q. What was “the sign of Jonah,” and what is Jesus’ warning in these verses?
A. Like Jonah, sometimes the “people of God” mistake the enactment of God’s power when it’s not funneled through the people whom they were expecting it to. Time and time again, God followers are surprised at the vastness of His mercy.
Q. What do you think Jesus meant when he said: “The eye is the lamp of the body?”
A. Both Greco-Roman and Jewish cultures of the 1st century believed that the eye emitted light, and that sight was possible when the light from within met light from outside. Jesus utilizes this understanding of the eye to get his contemporaries to ponder whether the light in them has become darkness. As a summary, the metaphor of light exposes that it is insufficient to merely exorcise the demons if the space they vacate is not filled with something good. The light Jesus gives to all who enter should replace the vacated darkness.
Resources Used:
Culpepper, R. Alan. The Gospel of Luke. The New Interpreter’s Bible IX. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1995.
Martin Emmrich, “The Lucan Account of the Beelzebul Controversy,” WTJ 62 (2000), 267-79.
Week 17 - No Luke Blog Entry. See you at the Enrichment Weekend!
Week 16 – July 13 – Luke 11:1-13
Commentary
As “People of the Word,” we know what text following Jesus’ disciples request, “Lord, teach us how to pray…”
Father, hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.
--Earl Lavendar’s translation of Luke 11:2b-4
If you’re like me, you often stop after “temptation.” However, these 3 verses are only 1/3 of Jesus’ answer to his disciples. The Lord’s Prayer answers “What do we pray,” but, in Luke, Jesus also answers two other questions: “How should we pray;” and, “What promises are associated with prayers to God?”
First question: How should we pray? Rudy is a movie classic. It’s a story about a guy who was plagued by one thing: He had a dream to play football for Notre Dame. In order to play football for Notre Dame, the coach for Notre Dame has to put you in the game. Knowing he couldn’t sway the head coach by typical measures (physical prowess, an insider’s edge, experience, money, his last name [status], etc.), Rudy utilized the only tool he had: persistence. For 3+ years, he went to every practice, film session and extra work-out. The coaches named times & locations, and Rudy was there.
It was the week before the last game of Rudy’s senior season, and he hadn’t even made it off the practice squad. Notre Dame’s head coach surely thought this kid would have quit trying by now, but Rudy didn’t. Finally, Rudy’s persistence paid-off. With pressure from assistant coaches, fellow team-mates and the Notre Dame faithful, the head coach caved-in and gave Rudy the “ok” to dress-up. In the final seconds of the game (another blow-out win by Notre Dame), Rudy, with the crowd passionately chanting his name, was put in for two plays. Not only was his life forever changed…so too were the lives of the crowd of witnesses.
What more can we ask for? What other ability is naturally given to every human being than the ability to persevere? To some certain gifts are given, while others are given other gifts; but, to each person is given the opportunity to be persistent. So, how should we pray? Pray with what you’ve got; pray with persistence.
Second question: What promises does God make to those who persistently seek Him? We often call God “Father.” Have you ever intently thought about what it means when you say, “God is my Father?” It’s a metaphor. I know that God is not my dad in the same physical way as Tommy King. God never changed my diaper or paid my tuition bill. “God is my father” is a phrase applied to something that it literally is not in order to suggest a resemblance. Those, like me, who were blessed with caring dads, understand the magnitude of the promises of God that Jesus teaches. God’s promises to us are exponentially greater than the seemingly insurmountable goodness our dads have given to us.
So when we pray like Jesus, we not only recite ancient words. We pray with persistence to a Being that can give us more than we even ask or image, and we pray with the promise that He cares for our well-being even more than the care-takers we benefit from here on Earth. To Him be the glory forever!
Resource Used:
Karl N. Jacobson, “A Word in Season: Preaching the Lord’s Prayer,” Word & World 22no.1 (Winter 2002), 88-93.
Week 15 – July 6 – Luke 10:25-42
Commentary
Several months ago, I called a meeting with Small Group leaders in which I cast a vision for Small Groups at North Davis. Luke 10:25-37 was the passage I based the vision upon. In this text, Jesus is asked a question: “Who is my neighbor?” Rather than answering that question with a statement, Jesus answers another question with a story. What Jesus ends up asking his disciples is, “To whom will you be a neighbor?” In our efforts as disciples of Jesus in North Davis Small Groups for the sake of the world, we must wrestle with this question in a variety of ways and on a regular basis. We, like Jesus (see Luke 9:51), are on a mission. What Luke 10:25-37 teaches me about accomplishing my mission is that my interactions with those whom I encounter on my mission are vital to whether or not I accomplish our mission. Disciples of Jesus begin each day by saying “yes” to the Mission of God playing itself out in and around the people and world we encounter on a daily basis.
It was surprising to me this week to read the story about Mary and Martha in context. This story falls immediately after the Parable of the Good Samaritan. I thought, “How on earth are these two stories connected?” Since an answer wasn’t coming naturally to me, I did what I think all ministers do…I read an article by someone smarter than me! Here are some gleanings from an article I read by Holly Hearon (Assistant Prof. of NT from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis) commenting on this text:
--We need to resist over-simplifying this text and hear the story not simply as one about two women, but as a story about Christian community in general.
--Martha is the one on whom the audience should focus for the teaching element of the story.
--Martha is a disciple of Jesus. This fact is revealed in two ways. One, the word for “work” when used by Martha in her complaint to Jesus is diakonia (same word we use for “deacon”). And two, the verb used to describe how Martha “approached” Jesus occurs frequently in Luke-Acts to describe an encounter with the divine presence (see Luke 2:9, 38; 4:39; 21:34; 24:4; Acts 12:7; 23:11).
--Luke does not refer to a kitchen or meal, therefore the source of Martha’s distraction leaves room for interpretation.
--The “one thing” Jesus speaks of in the context of Luke’s gospel is single-minded devotion to Jesus (see 9:51).
--Going back to the first point, when we hear this story within the context of Christian community, we identify the struggle associated with being faithful to the demands of ministry and, in that ministry, to be faithful to Jesus. We must learn to hold Martha and Mary in dynamic tension.
By juxtaposing the Parable of the Good Samaritan with the story of Martha and Mary, Luke teaches his readers that our loving actions as Christian neighbors are not means within their own ends. Rather, our loving actions as Christian neighbors (the good Samaritan) flow from our single-minded devotion to Jesus (Mary). Do you feel the tension between these two stories? Use your Christian community to help discern the means of your good works.
Group Discussion
How many times have we been busied ourselves with various tasks, even ones we label “ministries,” only to realize later that we have neglected Jesus who is sitting in our living room? What are “good works” we have done in the past that have not flown from single-minded devotion to Jesus? Who in our lives reminds us of the single-minded devotion we are called to have (sometimes, like Martha, it’s our pesky siblings)? How can your Small Group hold one another accountable as disciples of Jesus?
Resource Used:
Holly E. Hearon, “Luke 10:38-42,” Interpretation 58 no.4 (October 2004), 393-395.
Week 14 – June 29 – Luke 10:1-24
Commentary
As we learned in last week’s readings, Jesus is the ultimate example of discipleship. The 12 were struggling mightily to faithfully interpret and enact their call to discipleship, but Jesus (through much prayer) knew his mission and set his face toward Jerusalem. This week’s reading begins with a temporal indicator, “After this…” Evidently, Luke wants his readers to connect Jesus’ teachings on good vs. bad discipleship with Jesus’ sending of seventy(-two) disciples. Isn’t it amazing that in light of the failures of the 12 apostles, Jesus still entrusted his mission with his disciples? Who among us has Jesus entrusted with his mission? Who among us has set our eyes toward our own calling?
I thought Alan Culpepper’s commentary in The New Interpreter’s Bible on this text raised great points relating Jesus’ commissioning of these disciples to “go to every town and place where (Jesus) himself intended to go” to the church today. Below is a paraphrase of Culpepper’s 10 principles derived from Jesus’ commission that each generation of Christians can use in their understanding of mission.
1. “The harvest is plentiful.” The world needs the mission of the church.
2. “Ask the lord of the harvest.”Like Jesus himself has modeled through his own life of prayer, his commission affirms the importance of prayer in support of the church’s mission.
3. “Go on your way.” Each disciple must actively participate. It’s not a commission for specialists; rather, all believers can participate through the context of our own giftedness.
4. “I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.” There’s potential danger. By means of this metaphor, Jesus seems to be counseling innocence and sincerity, vulnerability and non-resistance as means of turning aside anger and danger.
5. “Greet no one on the road.” Jesus calls for a focused journey.
6. “Say, ‘Peace to this house’ and ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” Be intentional in your journey and fellowship with all who are welcoming.
7. “Eat what is set before you.” Disciples of Jesus do not impose their preconceptions and cultural norms upon their host.
8. “(When) they do not welcome you…” Failure or success is not determined by openness or resistance.
9. “Shake their dust from your feet.” Persevere at all costs.
10. “Know this: the kingdom of God has come near.” Be confident and assured in the gospel you proclaim.
“By principles such as these the church can be guided in every generation. The context, means, and forms of the mission change continually, but its basis in God’s redemptive love remains constant.”
I encourage you in your Small Group meeting this week to entertain the following questions regarding the relationship between Church and Mission.
How does North Davis articulate its mission today?
Does working with and through agencies and institutions substitute for talking with individuals about their response to the gospel? Why / Why not?
In what ways can the mission of North Davis be articulated and pursued by the today?
Blessings on your time together this week.
Week 13
No Blog Entry. Join us for Family Float Night in the FLC @ 6pm!
Week 12 – June 15 – Luke 9:46-61
Commentary
The latter half of Luke 9 contains some of Jesus’ disciples’ least flattering moments! First, Peter, James and John misinterpret the glorious transfiguration of Jesus. The transfiguration was a statement by God about Jesus. It was not an opportunity for the disciples to establish a holy site on this particular mountain. The holiness of Jesus is found in hearts and souls, not structures. Then, the disciples are stumped by a demon-possessed boy. “Shouldn’t we be able to cast out demons, given our close proximity to Jesus?,” they must have reasoned. In fact, only a few short verses later, they’re arguing over whom among them is the greatest (remember, the very Son of God is standing right next to them!). And like salt poured on a wound, they hear of someone outside of their party who is able to cast out demons in the name of Jesus! Their jealousy and desire for control rage as they seek to quite the individual. Finally, James and John wanted to wipe unwelcome Samaritans off the face of the earth with fire from heaven. It seems that the disciples cannot get over the fact that Jesus is not Elijah (read 2 Kings 1…also, Elijah is mentioned by name 4 times in Luke 9).
I’m the first to admit that I’ve had my moments of disobedience to the will of God, but this series of events seems quite excessive for disciples of Jesus! After running through this series of events by the disciples of Jesus, spend time together asking “Why” and “What” questions: Why does Luke put these stories of disobedience/confusion on the disciples’ behalf in such close proximity to each other? (Remember, just because the stories are next to one another does not mean they happened in this order…other Gospel accounts recall the same events in different orders…thus, Luke must have ordered them this way for a reason.) Pull out Jesus’ rebuttals to the disciples in verses 41, 44, 48, 50, 58, 60 & 62. What do these statements teach us today? At what times in our lives could we imagine Jesus rebutting us with one or more of these statements?
Amidst Jesus’ multiple corrections of his disciples, he displays genuine discipleship in his own life. A major transition occurs in Luke’s Gospel in verse 51: “As the time approached for (Jesus) to be taken up to heaven, he resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” Literally, the text says Jesus “set his face for Jerusalem.” Although the disciples waver on even knowing who they are, much less whom Jesus is, Jesus knows exactly who he is and what his service to others entails. With his face sharply focused, Jesus resolutely sets out to accomplish the will of his Father.
At this point we may say to ourselves, “Well, of course Jesus knew what he needed to do to fulfill the will of God…he was God!” However, even though we confess that Jesus was indeed composed of both divine and human elements, look back over Luke’s Gospel up to this point and see how many times Jesus is in prayer. Maybe Luke is telling us something about discerning our own path of discipleship through prayer… Even Jesus relied heavily upon this relationship with God…how much more should we?
In Doug’s sermon this past Sunday, he challenged us to be more than a fan of Jesus. Fans of Jesus, if I may continue Doug’s sermon into Luke 9, are comfortable with simply trying to identify who Jesus is: Jesus is the Messiah; Jesus is the Son of God; Jesus died for our sins; Jesus was the ultimate example of how we should live; Jesus loves me; etc. Followers of Jesus take these identifiers and resolutely set out to fulfill the will of the Father as it pertains to them and the community in which they participate.
May we live each day prayerful for God to reign supreme in all that we do so that we might follow His will for our lives together!
Week 11 – June 8 – Luke 9:28-45
Commentary
Have you ever witnessed history in the making with someone else only to realize that what you saw meant something different to the person that saw the very same thing? I am made aware of this every 4 years when America elects a new president. To half the country, the election is cause for celebration. To the other half, the election brings despair (I’m thankful that we can express both emotions civilly!). I am also made aware of this phenomenon during and after our hour of worship. We participate in the same hymns, prayers and sermon, but often walk away holding on to different meanings of our time together.
Like the feeding of the 5,000 earlier in this chapter, the healing of the demon-possessed boy in Luke 9:37-43 is a story told in multiple Gospels (see Matt. 17 and Mark 9). However, no two Gospel accounts of this story are identical. Each re-telling has its own unique characteristics. These differences do not make one right and the others wrong; rather, like our own shared experiences, Matthew, Mark and Luke express honest interpretations of one shared experience (The diversity of these three Gospels telling of the same story would be a good discussion to have in your Small Group. What is each writer telling his audience? What is our benefit to having all three accounts?).
One unique caveat in Luke’s telling of this story is in v.38. The father tells Jesus that his demon-possessed son is “his only child.” Is this detail a meaningless addition to the story, or does it in some way convey Luke’s interpretation of the event? Isn’t Jesus the only begotten son of God? Now, Jesus isn’t possessed by demons, but this could be a foreshadowing of Jesus’ Father interceding on his behalf much like the demon-possessed son’s father interceded. What do you think? Use other miraculous healing stories in Luke as help in discerning (i.e. Luke 7:1-17).
Also unique in Luke is the story that immediately follows the miraculous healing. In Matthew and Mark, the disciples ask Jesus, “Why couldn’t we cast out the demon?” In Luke, while everyone is marveling over the miracle, Jesus teaches the disciples (without their prompting him) that the Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men.
I am thankful that we have 4 Gospels that are not carbon copies of each other. The 4 accounts teach me the value of community. We believe each of the 4 different voices are authorized and inspired by the Holy Spirit. We believe the same Holy Spirit dwells in all who desperately try to model their lives after and call upon the name of Jesus Christ. My prayer is that we approach each other in similar ways. The goal of life together is not unanimity; rather, the goal is to actively participate in a community that models its life after Christ’s, prays for the endwelling and leading of the Holy Spirit, and affirms one another as good creations of our Father, the Creator. Praise God for His abundance that flows in each and every one of us!
Group Discussion
Break into 3 groups. Have them discuss Jesus’ harsh statement about the faithless and perverse generation in v.41. Prompt the discussion by assigning an interpretation of the text to each group. One group will argue that Jesus is angry with the disciples for their not being able to do anything for the boy (it wasn’t too long ago that Peter had a shining moment by correctly identifying Jesus as Christ). The second group will argue that he is angry at the crowd (compare this crowd with the ones that witnessed the miraculous healings in Luke 7:1-17). A third group can argue that Jesus is mad at the demon’s power over the boy (thus, he has compassion for those entrapped by evil).
After each group has been given enough time to bolster their case, bring the discussion back to the larger group. The joy of arguing about this phrase in Luke 9 is that the answer is not cut and dry. Sure, some answers are probably better than others, but no one answer is “right” and all others “wrong.” Your role, as leader of the discussion, is to foster an environment where all voices are supported and heard. Remember, the goal is not unanimity…
Resource Used:
Culpepper, R. Alan. The Gospel of Luke. The New Interpreter’s Bible IX. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1995.
Week 10 – June 1 – Luke 9:1-27
Commentary & Group Discussion
The feeding of the 5,000 is one of only two miracle stories of Jesus told in all 4 Gospels (the other being the Resurrection). Although all Gospels tell the same story, they do so differently. Luke’s version of this miracle helps his readers further answer the question, “Who is Jesus?” How do I know this? I read the text in context…ok, I have help from commentaries, too!
Look at Luke 9:1-9. Jesus sends his disciples out on missionary journeys. They are not armed with extra clothes, money or weapons. Rather, they are armed with the Word of God as spoken through their time so far with Jesus in addition to the gifts of power and authority to drive out all demons and cure diseases. They are “sent people;” sent to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Obviously, the Apostles fulfilled their instructions to preach, because even Herod the Tetrarch learned of the things done in the name of Jesus. Upon hearing, Herod asks an identity question: “Who is this I hear such things about?”
Jump to the other bookend to the Feeding of the 5,000 in Luke 9:18-27 and you will see the same question being raised…this time by Jesus: “Who do the crowds say I am?” The Apostles respond according to their experience with the crowds: “John the Baptist, Elijah, some other prophet from long ago…” “Who do you say I am?” Jesus asks…and we all know Peter’s bright and shining moment expressed through his response.
The Feeding of the 5,000 shaped the Apostles’ understanding of Jesus’ identity. He was not only the Messiah who leads His people over and against opposing forces of this world. He is the Messiah who serves as host (think, “provider”) to all who seek Him. This story describes Jesus’ identity as more than one who meets people’s needs. It is a story about superabundant table-fellowship. Obviously, “superabundance” is found in the number of people whom were fed and the 12 basketfuls that were left over. And “table-fellowship” is expressed because the guests reclined, there was a host who gave thanks, the disciples were the host’s servants, and they set the food before the guests. Read this summary of table-fellowship in Judaism by Jeremias:
In Judaism…table-fellowship means fellowship before God, for eating a piece of broken bread by everyone who shares in a meal brings out the fact that they all have a share in the blessing which the master of the house had spoken over the unbroken bread. Thus Jesus’ meals with the publicans and sinners…are not only events on a social level…but had an even deeper significance. They are an expression of the mission and message of Jesus…The inclusion of sinners in the community of salvation, achieved in table-fellowship, is the most meaningful expression of the message of the redeeming love of God.
The Feeding of the 5,000 shapes our understanding of Jesus’ identity as well. How do we answer the question, “Who is Jesus?” Take time in your small groups to piggy-back on what Doug preached this past Sunday. He encouraged us to engage our neighbors in worship in a discussion about how God is actively (think, “currently”) working. He prompted us by turning to our neighbor and saying “God is (Active Verb) _______.” This practice would be useful in your Small Group time, especially given the relevancy to Jesus’ identity in Luke 9. May God’s blessings be upon your time together in small groups for the sake of the world.
Resources Used:
Wilson C. K. Poon, “Superabundant Table-Fellowship in the Kingdom. The Feeding of the Five Thousand and the Meal Motif in Luke.” Expository Times 114 no. 7 (April 2003), pp. 224-230.
J. Jeremias, New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus (New York: Scribner’s, 1971). Quoted in Poon, op. cit., pg. 227.
Week 9
There will not be a blog entry for this week. Happy Memorial Day!
Week 8 – May 18 – Luke 8
Commentary & Group Discussion Questions
Part of growing up in a community of friends and relatives is that we tend to develop nicknames for one another. Nicknames derive from a variety of sources and connote an equally variety of meaning. Some develop a liking for their new names and the name sticks with them for a lifetime. At the same time, there are others who have been haunted by nicknames that just won’t go away! I, for example, have never had a nickname stick with me…until I arrived at North Davis. Now it seems that any word (or collection of letters) that begins with a “T” can be applied to me! I choose to accept these names as titles of endearment…although my co-workers, the givers of the names, may disagree! J
My grandfather is a rancher in the hill country of Kimble County. I don’t know what it is about Kimble County…maybe something in the well water…but the friendly people there have an affinity for nicknames. Some names are generic and don’t really describe much about the person: i.e. “Bud,” and “Buzz.” The more interesting nicknames, in my opinion, are the ones that in some way relate to the person’s appearance, given name, or characteristics (my personal favorite is “Pinky” Pinkerton). My grandfather was neighbors with “Big” and “Tiny” Whitworth (“neighbor” is a relative term…the Whitworths lived 10 miles away…only 8 if you cut across the country). The Whitworths’ house was a landmark on our 6 ½ hour voyage from Tyler to “The Ranch.” Its shiny white exterior capped by a steep, red roof indicated that we were at the end of our journey. I often heard Big and Tiny’s names while sitting around the breakfast table at “The Ranch” but didn’t actually meet the Whitworth’s until my teenage years. And, sure enough, “Big” really was BIG…and “Tiny,” although not amoebic, was very small when standing next to her husband!
Nicknaming stretches across all variations of communities entering into even our Christian community. For millennia, people of God have referred to themselves as “family.” Some New Testament writers took this association a step further by claiming even Jews and Gentiles, nations derived from completely different ancestors, are one body. Our own faith tradition, Churches of Christ, has a history of referring to one another as “Brothers” and “Sisters.” Those of us who grew up in Churches of Christ reflect fondly upon the brothers and sisters who helped build our foundation of faith…people of God who heard His word and put it into practice.
On page 77, Lavendar asks this question: “How do Jesus’ words about his true kindred impact you? Are you his brother by definition?” That’s a great question to ask your Small Group. Are we Jesus’ brothers and sisters because that is the title that has been passed down to us? Or, are we Jesus’ brothers and sisters because those nicknames describe characteristics of who we truly are…because we “hear God’s word and put it into practice?” **One important thing to note that Lavendar’s translation may lack is “hear” and “practice” in Luke 8:21 are 2nd person plural (“y’all”) and imply continuing action. So, applying Luke 8:21 to our lives means that we are both communally and continually hearing and practicing (or doing) the Word of God. We never journey in isolation, and we never reach a point of complacency.**
Spend time in your group this week mulling over the previous phrase. In Arlington, TX, what does it mean to “hear God’s word?” In your day-to-day life, what does it mean to “put God’s word into practice?” What keeps us from continually doing the Word of God? Who are those people in your Christian Journey who have not just inherited the title “Brother” or “Sister,” but have indeed lived up to the nicknames given? How did they “hear God’s word and put it into practice?”
For Next Week
-Day 1 – Luke 9:1-6
-Day 2 – Luke 9:7-9
-Day 3 – Luke 9:10-17
-Day 4 – Luke 9:18-27
-Day 5 – Luke 9:1-27
-Day 6 – Sabbath Rest
Week 7 – May 11 – Luke 6:27-49
Commentary
Below is an excerpt comparing the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew with the Sermon on the Plain in Luke from New Testament Theology: Exploring Diversity and Unity by Frank Matera. For those of you interested in the ways in which the 27 books of the New Testament function as a collective whole through their uniqueness, I highly recommend this book.
“The core of Jesus’ moral teaching is the Sermon on the Plain (6:20-49), the Lukan counterpart to the Matthean Sermon on the Mount. But whereas the Sermon on the Mount presents Jesus’ teaching as the fulfillment of the law and the prophets and instructs disciples how to practice the righteousness of the kingdom, the Sermon on the Plain makes no reference to the law and the prophets, or to the righteousness of the kingdom. Its central theme is the need for Jesus’ disciples to love their enemies (6:27-36). In developing this teaching, Jesus disavows the principle of reciprocity; that is, his disciples should not love others because others will love them in return, since even those who are evil act in this way. Disciples must love others without expecting anything in return. At the heart of Jesus’ ethic, then, is a love that extends to one’s enemy and refuses to retaliate when injured…
As in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus admonishes his disciples to produce good fruit and to act upon his words; otherwise they will be swept away by God’s judgment (6:43-49). As in the Matthean Gospel, the moral life is a matter of doing good. The key to understanding the Lukan sermon, however, is found in the initial woes and beatitudes that preface it (6:20-26). Once more, the difference between Matthew and Luke is significant. Whereas the Matthean beatitudes are capable of being read as ethical imperatives inasmuch as they present a behavior or attitude that can be emulated (‘blessed are the meek’), the Lukan beatitudes describe a condition in which people already find themselves (‘Blessed are you who are poor’). They are a salvation-historical expression of the grace that the kingdom of God is already effecting, namely, a reversal of fortunes in favor of the poor, the hungry, the weeping, and those despised on account of the Son of Man. God has come to the assistance of such people and is effecting a reversal of fortunes on their behalf, not because of anything they have done but because they are in need of salvation. Because of this imminent reversal of fortunes, disciples must practice a love that does not expect anything in return. In this way they will be merciful, as is their heavenly Father (6:36).” – Matera, 84-85
Group Activities
Compare Luke 6:27-31 with John’s sermon in Luke 3:7-14. Who was John’s audience? Who was Jesus’ audience? Which audience do you relate to most often?
The Sermon on the Plain paints a tough picture for disciples of Jesus. We should love others, all the while not expecting any love in return. This kind of love can wear down even the most loveable and socially attuned person. Reading this passage makes me thankful for Christ-centered communities in which we can share each other’s burdens. Spend some time this week sharing with one another the hardships encountered when displaying non-reciprocal love (loving others without the intent of receiving love in return). Maybe it’s time to confess to one another our short-comings in this type of love. Brainstorm how non-reciprocal love looks in your community.
For Next Week
-Day 1 - Luke 7:1-10
-Day 2 - Luke 7:11-17
-Day 3 - Luke 7:18-30
-Day 4 - Luke 7:36-50
-Day 5 - Luke 7:1-50
-Day 6 - Sabbath Rest
Week 6 – May 4 – Luke 6:1-26
Commentary
What is your picture of Jesus? When I ask myself this question, I immediately go back to Glenwood Church of Christ (the old building) in Tyler, TX and to a children’s Sunday school classroom on the southwest side of the building. There was painted a mural of Jesus: Caucasian, brown flowing hair, blue eyes, and probably about 6-foot-2. Surrounding him were several children. It was obvious that the theology of the painter of this mural had been shaped by “Jesus Loves Me,” because the children were actually red and yellow, black and white! I wonder how many of us still picture Jesus in this way. Oh sure, we’re smart enough now to know that Jesus wasn’t Caucasian, nor was he 6’2…but, I am still not sure that our picture of Jesus is as in-line with the picture that the Gospel of Luke paints.
A couple of weeks ago, I was privileged to glean some financial advice from financial guru Dave Ramsey through his live simulcast, “A Town Hall for Hope.” In answering a question from the audience, Dave said something that really struck me (and I paraphrase): “Chances are that your closest friends’ yearly income is within 10% of your own.” The implications I drew from that analysis (not necessarily something Dave Ramsey was promoting) were that if you wanted to make more money, chances are that you’re going to have to make richer friends.
If we really want to be Christians (literally meaning “like Christ”) for the sake of the world, what implications does that have for with whom we build relationships? Look at the pool of people from whom Jesus selects his apostles (Luke 6:12-19). These are the social-outcasts of the first century! These people are dirty, hated, overlooked, mistreated, etc. Do we really believe that the poor are blessed and that theirs is the kingdom of God? Or, do we casually ride that teaching of Jesus off as simply a metaphorical, feel-good statement for the socially marginalized of his day? Do we build relationships with the poor simply for charity; or, do we build relationships with the poor for Christ-like formation on both ends of the relationship? In order to become "rich" in Jesus, we might have to make some new friends...
Group Activity
Luke 6:1-26 is a really tough passage for me and my idea of Christ-likeness for the sake of the world. If you are like me, you are definitely in need of the grace of God to work through your relationships with other people! When I reflect honestly on my life, all of my friends sure do look, think, and smell an awful lot like me… Spend some time this week in your group praying for Christ-like relationships in your daily lives. How might the relationships you already have with people that are in many ways just like you transform you into Jesus?
A good kid-friendly activity would be to ask the first question in this posting: “What is your picture of Jesus?” How might we use Luke 6:1-26 to re-paint or fine-tune our picture of Christ and, therefore, our picture of what it means to be like Christ.
Resources Used:
Culpepper, R. Alan. The Gospel of Luke. The New Interpreter’s Bible IX. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1995.
Davis, Ellen F. and Richard B. Hays, eds. The Art of Reading Scripture. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 2003.
For Next Week:
Day 1 Luke 6:27-31
Day 2 Luke 6:32-36
Day 3 Luke 6:37-42
Day 4 Luke 6:43-49
Day 5 Luke 6:27-49
Day 6 Sabbath Rest
Week 5 – April 27 – Luke 5
Commentary
The story about Simon becoming a disciple of Jesus was very convicting to me this week. We read in the previous chapter that Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law. One might think that observing a miraculous healing would be enough motivation for one to drop to their knees and cry out to the healer, “I’m a sinful man!” However, Simon does not do so here.
Later, Jesus gets in Simon’s boat and has the fisherman set out into the shallow water so he might teach the gathered crowd. Luke has already shown us in previous chapters how Jesus’ teaching left his audience awe-struck and wanting for more. We can only assume Jesus hit a “home-run” during this teaching episode as well. However, Simon is still not moved to repent.
Then, Jesus asks Simon to set out into deeper water. Jesus wants to go fishing. The only problem is that Simon and his coworkers have labored all night long and didn’t have any results from their labor. Having an unsuccessful fishing trip for this crew was more than just a bummer; it was a cause for panic! Their very livelihood was at stake! Reluctantly, Simon consents and takes Jesus fishing...and wasn’t that a good decision! When he catches his breath, Simon drops to his knees and confesses to his Master.
I find it alarming and eye-opening what Simon does after Jesus has led him on the world’s most successful fishing trip! I can guess what I would have done. It would go something like this: “Thank you so much Jesus for this great blessing that you have so blessed us with! We are in awe of your majesty and your care for your people!” And then I would continue to go about my business very thankful and even generous to others with the overflow that Jesus had so graciously given. This response is good and noble…it’s just not in line with Scripture. In Luke 5, Simon does not say “thank you” and continue to be a fisherman. On the contrary, he chooses to leave everything he has ever known in order to follow Jesus. He chooses to go on a Kingdom journey.
When we say that we are “A Caring Community,” we are not saying that solely in light of the way the world defines caring communities. We are defined by another kingdom…one in which the ultimate prize is grasped by continually stepping in the footsteps of the Son of the King. Disciples of Jesus do not simply teach people how to fish; rather, disciples of Jesus are agents of the transforming power of God. Any goal short of making disciples of Jesus is a goal set only for this world, which is not our home.
“Jesus' ministry cannot be made manifest in this story without the faithful response of one person, an ‘ordinary’ person who is struggling to make a living. Jesus needs someone like Peter who would be willing to respond to his invitation to leave the shallows and enter the depths. Peter doesn't go out into the depths alone. He leads others to go there with him. What they discover when they go a little deeper is not a private revelation for any one of them. Peter and his crew see it together, and what they see is a manifestation of the abundance of God's Realm that Jesus ushers in wherever he can”..."What Jesus didn’t need was another candidate for the rabbinate or an apprentice in carpentry. What Peter didn’t need was a new theory: ‘Proven Strategies for Growing Your Fishing Business.’ What each needed from the other was a relationship, a collaborative relationship based on trust” (Ward, 50).
Group Activity
There’s a popular phrase, made famous in a recently circulated commercial that states: “If you give me a fish, you feed me for a day. Teach me to fish, and you feed me for a lifetime.” In light of the commentary above, wrestle in your groups about the difference they see in teaching people to fish and making disciples. Use Peter’s story as a starting point. Jesus taught him how to fish, but he was more interested in his teacher than in the now-booming business.
Close your time in your Small Groups this week by candidly discussing each others’ vocations and how they see Christ-like relationships being formed in that arena.
For Next Week:
Day 1 - Luke 6:1-5
Day 2 - Luke 6:6-11
Day 3 - Luke 6:12-19
Day 4 - Luke 6:20-26
Day 5 - Luke 6:1-26
Day 6 - Sabbath Rest
Week 4 – April 20 – Luke 4
Commentary
If you have not done so already, please read Earl Lavendar’s comments on the temptations of Jesus in the “Meditation” section on pp. 48-9. My commentary below does not specifically address the temptations in part because Lavendar’s comments are very good.
After Jesus’ speech in the Synagogue of Nazareth, Luke says that “All spoke well of Jesus and were amazed at His gracious words.” The only problem in Nazareth was that they wanted to witness the miracles of Jesus for themselves. Even more so, they felt they were entitled to Jesus’ miraculous works. For one, weren’t they the community that raised Jesus? Also, weren’t they God’s chosen ones? Aren’t they the descendants of those whom God had consistently delivered? Wasn’t God the recipient of their worship? And, hadn’t they for centuries participated in relationship with God?
It’s so easy for us to slip into the trap of the residents of Nazareth and display the arrogance of “privileged people.” I don’t think it’s an accident that Jesus’ troubles in his hometown of Nazareth are preceded by the story of his temptation in Luke’s Gospel. The nature of each of the three temptations is to get Jesus to use his gifts to serve himself rather than the One who gave him his abilities. “Will you be selfish?” Satan asks Jesus. Jesus says no three times. Selfish or selfless?…a good question for us to reflect upon as individuals in a community of people to whom much as been given.
What Jesus began in his rejection of self-serving deeds must be continued by others who will be his disciples. That’s the point of Luke’s reference to Elijah and Elisha in our text this week. The good work that Elijah began was fulfilled by what his disciple, Elisha, did. The good work that Jesus began so long ago must be fulfilled by his disciples today. Jesus’ place as the Holy One of God has been assured. We can be utilized as disciples of Jesus by listening to these words, his words, as they are spoken “in our hearing:”
Will we preach the good news to the poor?
Will we proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind?
Will we release the oppressed and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor?
As disciples of Jesus who have this word “in our hearing,” it is upon us to fulfill what our master has already begun.
“These two Elijah-Elisha stories, therefore, set the conditions for the action of Jesus and for the accompanying results. In the face of any need, no matter where it comes from, the invitation is the same: the beneficiaries (us) have to obey the word of God announced by the messenger (Baawobr, 39).
Group Activity
This Sunday is Sending Sunday at North Davis. We hope to raise $38,000 to help the 25 individuals who are committed to sharing the good news of Jesus with others through Let’s Start Talking. Take some of your Small Group time this week to pray for those individuals as they seek to fulfill their missions as disciples of Jesus. Maybe some of those individuals are in your Small Group and would benefit from focused prayer.
I like the title “Let’s Start Talking.” If you have not done so already, let’s do start talking about how we might share the good news of Jesus to those whom we come in contact with every day. We identified at our Family Event this past Sunday afternoon that the North Davis Church of Christ is a “caring community.” By so identifying ourselves, we claimed to be a demonstration of what God intends for the life of the whole world. Our practices, we claim, embody mutual care, reconciliation, loving accountability, and hospitality. Brainstorm how these words may become a reality within your Small Group. Make a pledge on how your Small Group can embody these things and make them a reality.
Resource Used:
Richard K Baawobr, “Opening a Narrative Programme,” JSNT 30.1 (2007), 29-53.
For Next Week
Day 1 – Luke 5:1-11
Day 2 – Luke 5:12-26
Day 3 – Luke 5:27-32
Day 4 – Luke 5:33-39
Day 5 – Luke 5:1-39
Day 6 – Sabbath Rest
Week 3 – April 13 – Luke 3
Commentary
Luke 3:7-9 is one of the most convicting, shocking, and (frankly) uncomfortable passages in the entire Bible. In Communications 101, students are taught to make sure speeches are structured so that they connect and build a relationship with their intended audience. This tactic is intended to make the audience favorably disposed to the speaker. John’s first speech in the Gospel of Luke does the complete opposite: “You poisonous snakes! Don’t think that your birthright gives you special status before God! God can make people out of rocks! Unless you do some good with all this grace that has been given to you, soon, even your birthright will be worthless!” (my paraphrase). Convicting, shocking, uncomfortable…yet, truthful…that’s the shape of John’s life-message.
Let’s look more intently into this specific interaction between John and his audience. Repentance, according to John, enables you to live a fruitful life. It is a future-purposed act of God; it is not only something that we can use in order to feel ok about past mistakes. Asking for repentance with only the intent to clear away past sins is an abuse of the grace which God gives. In addition to righting-the-wrongs of our past, repentance is intended to make us repentant people.
John’s sermon, as you might imagine, leaves those in the audience bewildered. Lucky for us, John gives suggestions on how we might become repentant people. After his sermon, three different groups in the audience ask the same question: “What should we do?” A careful reader would expect to see a Jewish leader rebuke John’s sermon about their birthright being meaningless. In fact, this very story is told in the Gospel of Matthew to an audience of Pharisees and Sadducees (Matt. 3:7). However, none of these three groups, “the crowd,” “tax collectors,” “some soldiers,” are specifically labeled as Israelites in Luke.
At points along our journey of life, whether in our 10:15am Sunday morning worship hour, 9am Sunday morning Bible class, within our Small Group discussion, or at a random time in the middle of our week, we are left asking “what are we to do?” By Luke’s inclusion of “the crowd,” “tax collectors,” and “some soldiers,” it seems that no matter your profession, lineage, personality, etc., John the Baptist’s message is for you: Be people of repentance.
A great way to spend the bulk of your time this week in Small Group is to mull over what it means to be people of repentance. How might we go about being people of repentance in the communities in which we live? Specifically, how are we convicted by what John says regarding birthrights in Luke 3:9? What would John the Baptist say in response to this Small Group asking him the question ‘What should we do?’ What kind of lineage do people of repentance leave?
Group Activity
I like question #3 on pg. 38 of Luke: Jesus is Savior: “Can you remember ‘historical markers’ surrounding your obedience to the gospel? If someone would write a history of your life from that point, how would it begin?” A good starter discussion for this question would be to ask your Small Group to talk about where they were, who they were around, and what about their life-after changed as a result of a significant historical event (i.e. 9/11, JFK assassination, Challenger explosion, etc.) I believe this discussion would effectively get a group warmed-up for the shocking sermon of John the Baptist in Luke 3.
For Next Week
Day 1: Luke 4:1-13
Day 2: Luke 4:14-30
Day 3: Luke 4:31-37
Day 4: Luke 4:38-44
Day 5: Luke 4:1-44
Day 6: Sabbath rest and reflection
Week 2 – April 6 – Luke 2
Commentary
I am struck by the people who recognize baby Jesus as Savior. It had already been revealed in chapter 1 to Mary…a young, unmarried, “everyday” Jewish girl. Some upolished shepherds, attending to business in their pastures, follow angelic instructions to a baby in an out-of-the-way manger. Simeon, a random layman from Jerusalem, immediately recognizes the fulfillment of God’s promise to him the moment he holds Mary’s firstborn child. And finally, Anna: 84 years old (most of that spent as a widow); prophetess who never left the temple; constantly fasting and praying. Talk about a crew of social outcasts!
If you’re like me, these witnesses to the salvation present through Jesus in Luke’s Gospel forces us to evaluate our own surroundings. Who am we listening to in this world? Should we just read this chapter as a nice inclusion of the socially outcasts of Luke’s time? Or, should we think seriously about those to whom God reveals His purposes? It wasn’t more available to those who had access to the best instruments and tools of communication. Rather, the message of Jesus Christ was purposefully sent to the last, to the lost, to the least of these.
Even more so, what an interesting way to detail the birth of the Savior of the world! Chapter 2 begins very “official.” Caesar Augustus, arguably Rome’s most influential ruler, issues a decree; Quirinius, the governor of Syria, is mentioned; the town of Nazareth, district of Galilee, and region of Judea locate Joseph geographically; Bethlehem locates Joseph genealogically; it’s as if Luke wrote about the information Joseph and Mary would utilize when filling out their tax return, marriage certificate and life insurance policies all in 4 verses!
This little baby that flew under the radar of all of Caesar’s instruments of assessment had greater reach than the greatest of Roman emperors. God is truly greater than all our human authorities. His message of “peace on earth” has the power and authority to subvert any of the Evil One’s efforts to the contrary. That leaves the ball in our court. Will we, like Mary, place our faith in the Lord and submit to his service? Or, will we place our trust in that which we can see…In that which keeps us busy…I that which is tangible…In that which makes us feel accomplished?
Service for the sake of the world is not simply a charity act. Yes, serving the larger community of Arlington will (hopefully) benefit those individuals who receive hospitality in material and emotional ways. We don’t set up a free car wash and leave the cars with streaks of dirt! But maybe through serving the community in community, we will become involved in relationships that participate in and display the Gospel of Jesus Christ as Savior for the world.
Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem by orders from Caesar; they departed only after they had “done everything required by the Law of the Lord.” In your Small Groups this week, may you seek fulfillment in the one who fulfilled the Law of the Lord. May you more intentionally seek that which is eternal (2 Cor. 4-5). May you discover more about the greatest commands, according to Jesus, through your relationships with people like those who identified the message of salvation and peace for the sake of the world.
Resources Used:
--Marth L. Moore-Keish, “Luke 2:1-14,” Interpretation (October 2006), 442-444.
--Joel Green, “Good News of Great Joy…but for whom?” Living Pulpit 11 no.1 (Ja-Mr. 2002), 12-13.
--Fred Strickert, “The Presentation of Jesus: The Gospel of Inclusion,” Currents in Theology and Mission 22 no. 1 (Feb. 1995), 33-37.
Group Activity
Day 1: 3:1-3
Day 2: 3:4-14
Day 3: 3:15-20
Day 4: 3:21-38
Day 5: 3:1-38
Day 6: Sabbath rest and reflection
First, a note about Small Groups…
I want to encourage you to do 6 things this week:
1. Communicate (Email, Phone, etc.) daily reading assignments to your Small Group ASAP.
--Day 1 – Luke 1:1-20
--Day 2 – Luke 1:21-38
--Day 3 – Luke 1:39-56
--Day 4 – Luke 1:57-80
--Day 5 – Luke 1:1-80
--Day 6 – Sabbath – Encourage Small Group to reflect upon the week’s readings during Sabbath.
2. Read pgs. 11-22. This section is composed of helpful hints for Bible reading as well as a summary of the major emphases in the Gospel of Luke
3. Introduce Luke: Jesus is Savior at your Small Group meeting by summarizing the “How to use this Commentary” article on pgs. 16-18.
4. Lead a God-centered conversation on Luke 1. This conversation should last no more than 30 min. You can guide this discussion by utilizing one or more of these resources:
--The discussion questions dispersed throughout pgs. 23-30
--The “Meditation” article on pgs. 29-30
--The blog entry below
--Your own thoughts from Luke 1
--Your group’s thoughts throughout the week
5. Brainstorm ways in which your Small Group can engage in regular Christian Service in your community.
6. At the conclusion of your time together, give the following week’s daily reading assignments.
Blog entry for this week…
A careful reader of the Bible can’t help but parallel the story of Gabriel and Zechariah in Luke 1 to the story of Sarai and the three 3 visitors in Genesis 18. The messengers in both proclaim, “you will have a child,” to which Zechariah and Sarai say “my (spouse) and I are too old,” only to see the prophecy spoken into truth.
The birth of Isaac is symbolic to the beginning of the story of Israel. Although Isaac is not “Israel” (that is Jacob’s pseudonym) and not much is written about him when compared to the text devoted to the other patriarchs in Genesis, Isaac is an important link to the beginning of the people of God. In the same way, not much text in the New Testament is devoted to John the Baptist, and he is not the Messiah; but, he is a very important link in the new beginning of the people of God. Same story, second verse!
In our Sunday morning series, “When God Calls…Will You Trust Me Now?,” we have been working with a pattern to Biblical call narratives detailed by Dr. Glenn Pemberton. The 5th step of the 6-step pattern is “Objection.” Pemberton comments on this step: “Any commission that required a call also warranted an objection from the servant; if not, anybody could do it and why bother with a call?”
Given the warrant, why is Zechariah struck dumb by his objection? Is there more to the story that Luke didn’t detail? Does Gabriel just have a short fuse? Or, is it simply a matter of faith? Zechariah objects, “How can I be sure of this?” Even his eyes have failed to truly behold the truth of the glory of God that surrounds him.
When have we asked that question to God? When has our sight failed us? What justifies our faith in someone or something?
I highly encourage you to utilize the prompt in question 3 on pg. 29. Those small groups with families, this would be an excellent exercise for a family to do together. I also encourage your small group, in light of Mary’s song, to compose a song fit with praise and purpose. Below is a song that I composed using this prompt…don’t laugh, I’m sensitive! J
God has shown great mercy to us!
Who chose to where it was we entered this world?
Not by any great feats that we achieved
Nor by any ladders of success that we climbed
Not even by persons of power that we knew
The Lord, God Almighty, He has sent us much
We are a privileged people
But to whom much is given by God
How much more is given by the evil one?!?
In this complex life, grant us simplicity
In this world of ideas, Your will be done
In our culture of fame, You be glorified
In our moments of loneliness, reaffirm Your mission
So that we may truly be a blessing among the nations
This week, my prayer is that you may have eyes to see the blessings of God upon your life for the sake of the world!
Resources used:
--Culpepper, R. Alan. The Gospel of Luke. The New Interpreter’s Bible IX. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1995.
--Pemberton, Glenn. When God Calls: Will you trust Me now? Nashville, TN: 21st Century Christian, 2007.
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