Luke 15:25-32

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’
 
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”


(This story is a continuation from yesterday.)

The older son has been in the field during the time of reconciliation. As the manager of the property, he wouldn't really "work" so much as sit in the shade and make sure others did their work to his satisfaction. No one comes to get him for the party, and he was so far away on the father's large estate that he knows nothing about it. Rather than going in to see what is going on, he is suspicious and asks a servant what is happening. He is told that his father has received his brother back safe and sound and is throwing a party to celebrate his joy.


The older brother is angry. and refuses to join the party. Finally a character appears with whom the Pharisees can agree! The younger son was sinful, dishonored his father, and deserved shame rather than restitution. The father shamed himself by agreeing to divide his estate and improperly welcoming home the son. But this older brother with his righteous indignation is the kind of guy they can get behind.

Growing up I thought the older brother was the good guy. He stayed and did what the father expected. But I know now that the older brother is the Pharisees. He outwardly completed "good deeds" but inwardly had no love for his father or his brother. He judged his brother, but clearly he also did not care about his father's joy. All he wanted was to keep what he thought was his by birthright and certainly not to share it with his sinful brother.

All people are sinful. We may be the irreligious overtly sinful younger brother or the religious hypocritical older brother. Most of us fall in the middle of the spectrum. But no matter which we are, the Father loves us and longs to offer grace, forgiveness, and love. He longs for a relationship with us that will bring glory to him. Good works are worth nothing in the realm of salvation and forgiveness. But thank God that he saves us by his grace through our faith!

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9

Luke 14:15-24

When one of them who were reclining at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”

Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.’ Another one said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.’  Another one said, ‘I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’

“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.’

And the servant said, ‘Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’

“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. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.’”


Jesus was attending Sabbath dinner at the house of a prominent Pharisee. He has blasted them for being unwilling to heal on the Sabbath when they would work to save a valuable ox or a beloved child. He has condemned them for seeking the place of honor at the table and only doing good to those who can repay the kindness. He concludes in verse 14 that those who are truly humble will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Most responded with silence, but one man clearly missed the point. He certainly thinks the previous parables were not about him and includes himself as one of the humble when saying that those who eat at the heavenly banquet will be blessed. He was proud to think himself as not too proud to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus follows this statement by telling an absurd story. A wealthy man invites people to a banquet. In these days without calendars and watches, a party planner sent out a pre-invitation. Then when the preparations were ready he would send another invitation. When the man in the parable sends his notice that the party is ready, it is impossible to imagine that anyone would not come. A really nice party could last for days of feasting and fun. In a world where daily life was repetitive and could feel mundane, such a celebration would not be missed.

But when the second invitation is received, all those invited make ridiculous excuses for not coming. The first needs to go check out the dirt in a field he has bought. The second, a clearly wealthy man, wants to see how at his five yoke of new oxen perform. The third has a wife who won't let him come. In this society the man was certainly the head of the house, so this is clearly an excuse. What wife wouldn't want to hit the party of the year?

The servant brings the shocking news back to the master. After all the preparation for an amazing feast, no one is coming! Beyond rudeness and breaching the social mores of the society, a refusal of this nature indicated that you wanted no friendship with the person throwing the feast. This group represents the Jewish leaders and the nation rejecting Jesus. They were pre-invited by the words of the Old Testament and were now the Messiah was telling them the banquet was ready. The master sends out his servant to invite the crippled blind and lame from the streets. This is the notably the same groups Jesus said should be invited to every banquet. This group would be confused at the invitation, knowing that they could not repay the feast. These attendees represent those in the Jewish nation who believed in and followed Jesus - those who mourned over their wretched spiritual state rather than believing they were entitled to salvation because of their Abrahamic ancestry and adherence to legalistic rules and traditions.

But there is still room at the banquet. The servant is sent out again to convince those in the countryside and byways to come to the banquet. This represents those outside the Jewish faith - the Gentiles. The master's house is now filled with a surprising guest list, and none of those originally invited taste so much as a slice of juicy lamb.

The Pharisees were self-sacrificing. They fasted, gave tithes to the temple, and followed minute laws added through the centuries to avoid even coming near sin. In Matthew 23 Jesus compares the weight of this burden as a cumbersome one, impossible to lift. The whole reason behind this was for personal glory on earth as well as the promise of eternal reward. They would not only be in heaven, but they would have the best seat at the table. This is why in Mathew 20 the mother of James and John requests that they sit at the right and left hand of Jesus in his kingdom. Your work on earth would be rewarded.

People today like religion to be comforting. As long as you do your best and believe something with all your heart, you're good. But Jesus always spoke to shatter false religious hope. He didn't tell his listeners, "Don't worry, we all worship the same God. You're good." No, Jesus said, "No one comes unto the Father except through me." He was tough.

We like to pat ourselves on the back as well. Yesterday the Barna Research Group released a survey examining whether modern day Christians are more like Jesus or more like the Pharisees. (Read an article about it here.) 51% of respondents chose beliefs and actions consistent with the Pharisees. 14% exhibit beliefs and actions consistent with Jesus. In the middle were Christians who show a mix of Pharisaical beliefs and Jesus' teaching. Evangelical Christians were more likely to have the actions of Jesus, but often had the actions of Jesus without the beliefs. Perhaps this is why Christians are branded as hypocritical. Even when practice the right behavior, we may have the wrong motives. Practicing Catholics were more likely to have Christ-like beliefs but Pharisaical actions. Women were more likely to be "Christ-like" than men, maybe because we tend to be more nurturing.

Authentic faith, in word and deed, is much more difficult than finding  and following "religion". Only the transforming power of walking with God, through the forgiveness of Jesus, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit can change us into the image of Christ. No amount of "effort" on our part will amount to anything.

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” - 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Luke 14:7-14

When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him. 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. 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. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”


Jesus' opponents are seething. They can make no reply after he confronts their hypocrisy. Having asked if it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath, he healed a man despite their added rules. They know that of course they love their son and would pull him from a well on the Sabbath; their ox is worth money and would be pulled out as well. But when it comes to another person's illness rather than your own needs or comfort, the law conveniently becomes more rigid.

Nevertheless, the Sabbath dinner goes on. The dinner party moves toward the table in uncomfortable silence. Jesus is a people watcher, and he is not finished blasting their religious notions with his observations. In the center of the room is a long U-shaped table. The host will seat himself at the head of the table. The most honored guests will sit on either side of him, then in order of importance the guests will seat themselves down either side.

Jesus sees them posturing for the best possible seat. Perhaps some of them were even asked to move up and down in the rank, humiliating some and puffing others up with pride. Have you ever accidentally sat down at the wedding banquet table reserved for the bridal party of family and had to move? Embarrassing! Just from a practical standpoint it is better to be asked to move up to a better seat than to be bumped down a level.

Let's be honest - we all want the best seat at a banquet. In high school you wanted to sit with your friends, or even longed for the "cool table". There was always concern over who has your lunch period. At church dinners we sit with our friends and enjoy the fellowship. With a big group going out to eat, it is tough to sit at the end with the little kids and hear the adult laughter but miss the joke.  It may be awkward to go sit and with someone who is alone or whom you find annoying. But we are called to seek humility and consider others better than ourselves. This does not mean we should never enjoy the fellowship of close friends and family. Instead it means we should long for the glory of God and the furtherance of his kingdom rather than the praise of man or our own comfort.

The Pharisee hosting the event is now thinking, "Man, Jesus is really laying into my guests. This is getting uncomfortable for them." Jesus turns to him and says "Oh, yeah, you too. It's pretty easy to invite over the other Pharisees and teachers of the law. They will in turn invite you over to repay your kindness as well as telling everyone what a great feast you threw. Big deal. If you really want to be righteous invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Invite the ones who cannot pay you back or bring you glory in the community." The Greek does not indicate that you should never invite your friends, but that you should not only invite your friends. You could rephrase his statement, "It is not so much trouble for you to invite your friends, brothers, and rich neighbors."

We always travel at holidays, but if we ever stay home I really want to invite a student from the local college who can't go home for Thanksgiving or Christmas. But even this would not be that difficult on my part. Imagine inviting over someone poor or homeless, someone without access to personal hygiene or proper attire for a party you held. Imagine inviting the disabled, guests whose needs make them more difficult to host. Considering the belief of Jesus' day that disabilities and disease were caused by sinfulness, imagine inviting prostitutes and drug dealers to your Sunday luncheon. Jesus asks a lot of people!

But this not another rule or religious construction. When making a dinner list it isn't necessary to write "Poor? Check. Crippled? Check. Lame? Check. Blind? Check." Jesus seeks a change of the heart. He desires followers who are humble and contrite who realize they are no better than those so easily excluded from society. But yes, we really must be willing to share our meals, our time, and our material blessings with those considered "less fortunate" or "less desirable" by our society today.

Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. James 4:10

Luke 13:10-17

On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 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. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately her back straightened, and she began glorifying God.

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.”

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? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.


We can imagine that if Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, the large crowd that followed him was there. Scholars debate whether or not women were separated from men and sitting in a separate gallery in synagogues at this time. It is probable that most synagogues were more like the house churches of the early Christians. Whether this was a separate building or part of a large house, the crowd following Jesus likely pushed the capacity to its limits, spilling over to listeners outside. The synagogue official either had enough respect for Jesus' teaching to let him teach or was influenced by the desires of the crowd. This is the last recorded time Jesus will speak in a synagogue and occurs only months before his death.

In the midst of the congregation, Jesus calls over a woman crippled and bent over for eighteen years. Perhaps it was age related, perhaps it had another cause, but Luke mentions a "spirit of infirmity". In whatever way, evil forces have been at play in her life. For eighteen years she has slowly walked to the synagogue to stand unnoticed in the shadows. For eighteen years the eyes of the community have watched her, certain that some sin in her life caused the malady. But at the moment Jesus calls her forward, she slowly shuffles into the center of a battle between good and evil, true worship and religious trappings.

With the words and a touch from Jesus, she immediately straightens. Vertebrae snap back in place along a perfectly curved spine. Damaged nerve endings begin firing orders - no need for months of therapy. No more pain. No more suffering. No more shuffling through the shadows of life. She throws her hands in the air and praises God for all to hear. What other response could there be?

Well, one at least. The leader of the synagogue, the most highly respected layman in the community, looks at the crowd and reprimands them, "There are six other days in the week for this circus. Come and be healed on those days! This is completely out of hand. Today is not a day for work, but for rest. It is the Lord's day! We have a system, and this man is not following the rules." He may have been annoyed by the huge crowd ruining his normally solemn day of worship. Perhaps he was already among those who believed Jesus was working for Satan. It is possible that he was so tied to the regulations surrounding keeping the Sabbath that he could not handle any deviation. We will never know what sets him off.

Jesus is intentional. He is on the offensive at this point in his ministry. The Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and any other branch of Judaism in the community would have been at this synagogue, watching Jesus closely. He chose to heal for a purpose, and he chose this woman for a reason as well. There is no indication she sought healing from Jesus. He heals her to unmask their hypocrisy. Of course everyone listening gave water to their animals on the Sabbath. They all ate food themselves. There was certain work that was forbidden and certain work that were not. Jesus exposes their reliance on the letter of their Sabbath laws rather than enjoying the Sabbath as a time of worship, rest, and focus on God. In a society that placed women in a lower status, just above animals, Jesus calls the woman a "daughter of Abraham", as much an heir of God's promises as the esteemed synagogue officials and religious leaders. His opponents were humiliated, all the more reason for them to plot against him. But the crowd rejoiced at another miracle.

We so easily fall into the trappings of false religion. Certain things will satisfy God. Certain things will make him love us more. Certain sins are greater than others. We mingle grace with works. We choose which regulations from Scripture to follow and which to ignore. Then we argue with other branches of Christianity who deviate from our interpretation.

Of course some scriptures are cultural. I rarely pray with my head covered (1 Cor. 3:5) and do wear clothing made of two materials (Lev. 19:19). But Jesus exposes our hearts with his words. We focus on the wrong things. We cling to lists of right and wrong, because this seems easier than relying on grace and the Spirit as well as allowing us to feel superior to others. Caring for mankind and seeing each person as created in the image of God is far more important than following any list of prohibitions. It may and should take us out of our comfort zone as we venture further into the kingdom of God.

 

 

This woman then is a picture of the sovereign work of the Lord in salvation, a picture of the enslaved, oppressed sinner under the burden and bondage of Satan, hiding in the shadows aware every moment of suffering the wait and the burden of sin - hopeless, robbed of dignity, bent over like an animal. The image of God defaced. So is the picture of the sinner shuffling one day into the presence of God to hear the word of God. She is met by the Lord and He out of His sovereign love delivers her, straightens her up and makes her a true worshiper. This is the picture of the work of God in salvation. God offers salvation to the outcast, the humbled, those bent over by the weight of sin, who will come and hear Him and He will turn them into true worshipers and He bypasses the curious and the self-righteous. 

- John MacArthur

Luke 12:49-59

“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how it consumes Me until it is finished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

He also said to the crowds: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, right away you say, ‘A storm is coming,’ and so it does. And when the south wind is blowing, you say, ‘It’
s going to be a scorcher!’ and it is. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? As you are going with your adversary to the ruler, make an effort to settle with him on the way. Then he won’t drag you before the judge, the judge hand you over to the bailiff, and the bailiff throw you into prison. I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last cent.”


Christmas songs resound with the promise that the Messiah has come to be the Prince of Peace, bringing peace to all the earth. So what is up with verse 51? Jesus keeps blowing our preconceptions out of the water.

Consider the scriptures that speak of the Messiah as a peacemaker. Psalm 72 says the righteous will flourish under an abundance of peace. Isaiah 9:6 prophesied that the Messiah would be the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 55, 57, and 66 taught that he would bring peace to those near and even those far off. Ezekiel 34 & 37 predicted a new covenant that would bring peace. The Jewish people had every reason from Scripture to believe that the Messiah would bring peace.

When Zechariah prayed and prophesied over his son John  he proclaimed that the Messiah would guide our feet into the way of peace. Jesus himself told many that he healed and forgave to "go in peace". In John 14 he taught his disciples, "My peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." Two chapters later he tells them. "These things I have spoken that in me you might have peace." So why would he say he did not come to bring peace?

Let's look at the rest of John 14, "Not as the world gives peace do I give peace." That's a huge clue. In Colossians 1:20 Paul writes, "God made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross." Jesus' listeners expected him to bring a time of national peace, if he was indeed the  Messiah. He would overthrow the Romans, and Israel could be it's own boss. John and Jesus both preached that the kingdom was one of peace, but this is the kingdom of God, not a kingdom of man. There can never be peace in the world unless every life is focused on bringing glory to God, every man has personal peace through the forgiveness of Christ, and each person is led by the Holy Spirit. This will not really occur until the second coming of Christ, but it is visible in snippets as we are transformed into the image of Christ. But as we reject the Prince of Peace we forfeit the kingdom of peace he brings.

In the Greek verse 49 reads this way, "For fire, I have come upon the earth." Jesus came to bring a fire that both cleansed and purged the hearts of men. "Baptism" here implies total immersion. Jesus had a task to undergo that consumed his ministry and his mind until it was complete - his propitiation for our sin and death on a cross. His death would be the kindling that lit the fire of judgment. The Old Testament speaks many times of fire as judgment, but the Jewish listeners would have been taught that the punishing fire of God was for Israel's enemies - Moab, Edom, and others in the Old Testament and certainly Romans of their day. Gentiles deserved the fire of God, his people did not.

Although we find unity in the body of Christ, the gospel bring division. We know in other countries that people converting to Christianity are persecuted and killed for their beliefs, even by their own families. I currently know of two former Catholics who were disowned by their families for joining Protestant churches. But even on a lesser level, families with mixed religious beliefs will have conflict. Different priorities, lifestyle, and beliefs will bring tension if not flat out arguments.  (In verse 53, Jesus is also loosely quoting Micah 7:6. His listeners would have caught this reference to Micah's cry against the morality in his day and know that Jesus was comparing them to that wicked generation.)

Jesus reprimands his listeners for being able to interpret the signs of the weather better than spiritual signs. When a cloud appeared in the west or a wind blew in from the south, these amateur meteorologist did not need Doppler radar to know what was coming. Yet they ignored and misinterpreted the signs given by Jesus. He must be using the power of demons. He couldn't be the Messiah because he isn't performing the signs we expect.

He calls the throng hypocrites, comparing them to people on the way to court. It is uncommon for people to not proclaim their own innocence. We either claim we didn't do it or, if caught, offer excuses as to why we did. Jesus warns his listeners to settle before judgment is reached. Those found guilty would be thrown into a debtors prison, jailed until every penny was repaid. And how could you repay the debt from prison? Most would languish and die within the prison walls.

Jesus was truly speaking of a spiritual debt. We are hypocrites who cannot easily see our own faults. Common thought is that if the good outweighs the bad, we will be okay on the day of judgment. Can you imagine if we applied this thought to our court system. "But judge, look at all the people I didn't murder! And there were so many houses I could have broken into that I left alone." We would "throw the book" at someone with that defense. Yet that is how many plan to argue their case before the judge of all.

Have you ever heard a hypocrite describe himself? I describe him this way:—you are a mean, selfish person. “No,” he says, “I am not; I am economical.” I say to him, “You are dishonest, you are a thief.” “No,” says he, “I am only shrewd and clever...” Somehow or other he will make vice look like a virtue in himself, but he will deal the opposite with others. Show him a Christian who is really humble, and he says, “I hate his submissive ways.” Tell him there is one who is very courageous for Christ; and he says, “Oh! he is insensitive to the feelings of others!”... There are people like that who make virtues in others into vices, and vices in themselves they transform into virtues.

 

Now, if you are a Christian, I will tell you what your spirit will be like, it will be the very opposite; you will always be making excuses for others, but you will never be making excuses for yourself. The true Christian, if he sees himself sin, mourns over it. He says to another, “Oh! I feel so sinful;” and the other one says, “I cannot really see it; I can see no sin in you; I could only wish that I were as holy as you.” “No,” says the other, “I am full of weaknesses.” ... That is the spirit of a Christian; but the spirit of the hypocrite is the very reverse; he will judge, and condemn, and severely punish every other man; and as for himself, he is exempt, he is a king, he knows no law, and his conscience slumbers and allows him to go on easily in the very sins which he condemns in others. This is a very prominent mark of the hypocrite, and I question whether all of us must not blame ourselves a little here.

 

- C.H. Spurgeon

Luke 12:1-12

Under these circumstances, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.

“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

 

So what were the circumstances? Jesus has just pronounced six "woes" against the Pharisees and lawyers at a luncheon, and they are seeking to kill him. Thousands of people are trampling on each other to get close. It's the UFC of the day, and with no loudspeakers or video screens everyone wants to get close enough to experience the action.

First Jesus speaks to his disciples, probably more than just the 12. Some were true followers. some were not. As leaven works its way through a loaf of bread, transforming the properties of the dough, so the brand of religious hypocrisy practiced by the Pharisees would work its way through a person's spiritual life. Our own hypocrisy may begin as a small thing, driven by an attempt to keep up what we perceive are other's perceptions of us or even in an attempt to truly "do good". We begin to worry about our external actions so that others will judge us well. Before we know it the hypocrisy has worked its way so thoroughly into our lives that there is no way we can work it out on our own.

Sins done in secret will eventually come to life - shouted on the rooftops. We see evidence of this in modern times. When people are caught in extremely sinful behavior such as child abuse, it may take decades to come out. There are many sins that will not be "shouted from the rooftops", but all sins will be laid bare at the judgment. No one escapes exposure for eternity. Only the blood of Christ completely blots out sins.

Jesus warns his listeners not to fear the judgment of mortal men. The worst they can do is kill you. That seems very extreme! Most of us would rather not be killed. But we should far more fear the judgment of God, for nothing escapes His knowledge. He knows how many hairs are on your head, not even having to recount as the strays detach themselves into your brush each morning.

Sparrows were so inexpensive that you could buy two for a copper coin (a sixteenth of an average day's wage), or five for two coins. Sometimes we feel like that 5th sparrow, thrown in for free and worth little or nothing. But the flip side of God knowing you well enough to be able to rightly judge your behavior is that he cares enough to offer a plan of forgiveness through Christ and a way to truly change your behavior through the Holy Spirit. You are of great value to him! Those who have engaged the Triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - will be acknowledged by Christ and forgiven for any transgressions. (It is not enough to believe in "god".)

Why would Jesus say that some people could not be forgiven? Is not God merciful and willing to forgive all sin? Yes, but if a person consistently closes his heart to God and his ears to his voice, he comes to a point where he can no longer recognize God even when God is making himself known.

As believers, we are not to be anxious about our conversations with others. If we use our own words, they might be eloquent, but they will ultimately be ineffective in communicating spiritual truths. The Spirit's words spoken through us will pierce and transform hearts. This does not mean that even if we are close to God we will win every argument. In fact, many times in the tense world in which we must communicate that the best thing is to walk away and lose an argument. When we are in close communion with the spirit we will know when and where to hold our tongue and what words to speak at other times. But in either case we will be able to say as Paul said to the Sanhedrin in Acts 23:1, "My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day."

This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

- 1 Corinthians 4:1-5

Luke 11:37-44

Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in, and reclined at the table. When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal. But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, all things are clean for you.

“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places. Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”


It is interesting that a Pharisee would ask Jesus to dine with him after Jesus has denounced the wicked generation. Luke does not tell us this man's motivation. Perhaps he really liked Jesus. Perhaps he wanted a chance to trap him. Perhaps he agreed with Jesus that "this generation" was in fact very wicked, neglecting to include himself in that crowd. Clearly he followed the letter of the law, shuddering in disbelief when Jesus did not follow the ceremonial ritual for hand washing.

(Kids, don't use this as an excuse to not wash your hands. Jesus wants you to kill those germs, he just cares more about your spiritual well being than meaningless actions.)

It is a terrible thing when religious practices become an end in themselves and people neglect their hearts. The Pharisees followed the law of the Old Testament as they had interpreted it, even adding extra laws to clarify and keep them from breaking a single commandment. But they neglected justice. They neglected mercy. It is good that they did not neglect tithing, even down to their herb gardens. But this needed to be done in the context of love and worship for God and concern for their fellow man. They took the metaphoric chair of Moses (Mt 23:1-2), judging others for their behavior as Moses judged the Hebrews in the desert. (Any present day Orthodox Jewish rabbi will tell us that he holds in part the “Chair of Moses”.) And they loved to sit in the seat in the synagogue that honored those in the succession of Mosaic teaching. They enjoyed the respectful greetings given them in the marketplace. But Jesus compared them to an unmarked grave, a location that would make a person unclean without them even realizing it. Their teachings might seem like lush green grass, but beneath them was the rotting stench of decay.

It is all to easy to fall into the trap of legalism. Checklists make us feel better and prove we are on the right track. Surely certain rituals and behaviors must make us more appealing to God, more worthy of salvation. But nothing can be further from the truth.

God cares about our hearts. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus equates hate with murder, lust with sexual immorality, and divorce with adultery. As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is. It is difficult to not desire praise for accomplishments, attention for good deeds, and greetings in the marketplace. Good deeds done for the sake of earning forgiveness or to look good to a watching world are meaningless. For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away (Isaiah 64:6).

When we allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse our hearts of greed and wickedness it can be a painful process. But as a result, our good deeds will come from clean hands and pure hearts lifted to the father.

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? - Micah 6:8