Author: eejoseph

Highlights from a 24-day Reading of Luke – day 4

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Home to begin his mission

From days 4, 5 and 6 we see the Nazarene getting out and about following his baptism

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

Luke 4:14

Hometown trip

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

Luke 4:16

Announcing his mission

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

Luke 4:18

His mission rejected

And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

Luke 4:29-30

Generosity to fishermen and their job change to manfishers

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

Luke 5:8-11

Peter’s response to the Nazarene kindness is golden. “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord”. Thankfully, the Nazarene does not do as asked.

Doesn’t everyone forgive sin?

And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

Luke 5:21

Mission to the sinner

But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luke 5:30-32

Love your enemies

But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

Luke 6:35-36

Swallowing a camel

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Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

Matthew 23:23-24

Impeaching the criminal

Little dt of Mar a Lago runs into the US constitution and the rebel nationalist GOP chokes on a camel after trying to show America how well they can strain out a fly

Caiaphas ran into Yeshua and the temple’s days were numbered

One witness, alive from the dead

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The spies going and coming is a curious turn of phrase. It comes in a narrative that has no place in the gospel. Specifically, there is no-one going to the inheritance of the saints and coming back with a report.

They went and came…
and brought back a report

And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.

Numbers 13:26

If you want to make a case for necromancy, go right ahead.

The workshop and the goods

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Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Psalms 100:3

This short song has a lot of commands. But the 4th in the lineup stands out because it includes not one (1) but three (3) rebukes

  • Make noise
  • Come
  • Serve
  • Know
  • Enter
  • Be thankful
  • Bless

Another day of worship comes around and the people of God gather and they use this psalm to introduce the activities.  Among other things they make an idol of the place where they gather but they attach themselves to the worst kind of attitude towards the fellowship. 

All the earth in this verse kol ha’aretz (כל הארץ) is obviously not a reference to the middle East, to Asia, or any geographical region. It does not mean the tribes of Israel. All the earth is neither Israel nor Jerusalem nor any of the cities of the holy land.

This global scope – all the earth – and the rebuke differs from the usual spin.

  • Yahweh is our God
  • Yahweh is our maker
  • He has made us
  • We did not make ourselves
  • We are his people
  • We are the sheep of his pasture.

Only God can make people.  People  do not make themselves but do not ask how many of us think we can save ourselves.

We the people of all the earth are invited to

  • Make a joyful noise
  • Come
  • Serve
  • Know accurately
  • Be thankful
  • Bless

We cannot be sidelined! Who would you like to see excluded from this invitation?

The Cult of the Cross and the Living Truth

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The spectacle of an innocent man being dragged off to die at the hands of the guilty cannot be repeated and we cannot recited ot often enough, even though as we start sending greetings about the Babe of Bethlehem the last thing on our minds may very well be the cross and the way it opened up for humanity.

A lot of cute things can be said and sung about Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad in addition to the substantial recognition of the profound ring of fire that attended the birth of Christ. A lot of tables and appetites will be dedicated to the thrills of the season and even the serious moments of reflection can become a self-centered satisfaction of acquiring a ticket to heaven or even miraculous power.

The public life of the light from Nazareth is brief – a mere 3 years, yet it is the choice of Galilee that informs us most accurately about the contrasts between the darkness and the great light.  Take a look at an old man’s witness if there are lingering doubts that Christ brought a refreshing and effective way to relate to God. 

A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Luke 2:32

To lighten the Gentiles was never a Jewish goal.   The barriers thrown up to make Gentiles 2nd class (or worse) followers of Moses are too numerous to mention.  A Saviour, even one born of David’s lineage, could not possibly be from (be a resident or have grown up) in Nazareth.

Thousands of gallons of the blood of bulls and goats after the atonement services began there is no sign that there is any lighting up for a Gentile. God has not asked Gentiles to be anything but light. It is our heritage to stand with the cult that remembers the cross as the smoking gun of Christmas.

Babes in managers do not save the world, neither do scribes of the law, or fundamental followers of Moses and the patriarchs.

Highlights from a 24-day Reading of Luke – day 2

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From Nazareth to Bethlehem
Luke 2:1
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

Here is a fascinating view of how the secular government synchronizes with the majestic kingdom. A census brings Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem so that the Lord would be born in the hometown of David, Jesse, Obed, Ruth and Boaz.

💡His city, but not his home
Luke 2:10-11
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.