The Standard of Happiness, Luke 6:20-23

Before I begin my notes from this morning, I have something that needs to be added to my comments made yesterday regarding this passage of Scripture. 

Since Jesus addressed these remarks to His disciples at a specific time and place nearly 2000 years ago, what makes them applicable to us today, and what makes this truth “relevant” to contemporary Christian life?

This sermon applies to us on at least two levels.  First, Jesus was addressing His disciples.  These were people whom Jesus had called to follow Him or who had heard His teachings and wanted to learn more.  That applies today to those who are seeking to know more of what Jesus taught and how to live a life in obedience to His Word.  Second, the specific teachings of Jesus are spiritual principles that are timeless and universal.  That is the nature of absolute truth – it is true in every time and in every culture.

The truth of Jesus Christ is always relevant and contemporary regardless of the culture or audience.

The following is transcribed from my daily notes....

These four beatitudes, Luke 6:20-23, though abbreviated from the ones in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, are worthy of special note.  Jesus said that four conditions of a disciples life would make them “blessed” or happy.

1.      You who are poor

2.      You who are hungry now

3.      Your who weep now

4.      You who are persecuted for the Son of Man’s sake

Here is where the contemporary Christian emphasis is pathetically failing!  The church today struggles to avoid, reverse, and overcome each of these conditions.  I do not say we should seek to be poor and hungry, but we must not permit discomfort and sorrow divert us from absolute dedication to Jesus Christ.  Each of these beatitudes is anathema in contemporary church culture in specific ways.

1.      Poor? – Christians are told they can and should prosper materially, and the most popular leaders of the church in America live in great wealth and luxury.

2.      Hungry? – The only time American Christians are hunger seems to be when they are on a self-imposed diet.  Our own hunger is seen as a subject of humor not reality.

3.      Weep? – No!  We, as Christians, are to be happy, healthy, and prosperous!  Our popular preachers go to extremes to make us feel good about ourselves and our situation.

4.      Persecuted? – We have lawyers to make sure we avoid persecution.  More realistically, Christians in America are so invested and assimilated into the culture that the most serious persecution they know is that the “Christmas” tree at their school is now called a “holiday” tree.

The core of these beatitudes is that they all derive their meaning and substance from the specific disciple’s devotion to Jesus Christ, the Son of Man (v. 22b).  If we do not live for His sake without reservation and in complete devotion, none of these promises apply.  Wishing to avoid poverty, hunger, and sorrow, Christians in today’s culture carefully avoid living in true dedication to Jesus Christ.

My Lord, I see here too much of my own case and condition!  Forgive me and put within me a heart to seek to live for Thy sake without reservation or precondition.

coram deo

Can This Be True? Luke 6:20-23

Blessed are the poor, the hungry, the weeping, the hated, the excluded, the rejected, the despised, and the slandered.  Can this be true?  Is this a contextual truth or an absolute truth?  If it is true only in context, what context makes this true?  Can it be true for me?

These questions are part of the postmodern denial of absolute truth.

To examine these questions, the issue of context must be first addressed.  The context of the Scripture itself is the first context that applies.  According to the Scripture, these statements are true only for the disciples of Jesus Christ.  Apart from being a disciple of Jesus Christ, these promises do not apply!

We must, however, make the extension of this Scripture to our present day and condition.  To make that extension, let’s examine the “extra-biblical” context which would assert that these words of Jesus Christ are not universally true even in the context of Scripture, or that though they may have been true when Jesus spoke them, they are not reliable in a contemporary church or world.  This is the issue of contextual truth.

The problem resolves to one of FAITH not philosophy or even theology.  The object of faith is a Person, and that Person is the eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ, the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us.  The question of truth is inextricable from the reality of true faith.

So then, we must define faith.  I believe that many of the words that we use in “church” have lost the specificity of their meaning, and faith is foremost of those words.  Let me first define faith in the broader, universal application.

Faith is a body of tenets about life and living that being held and believed govern one’s attitudes and actions.

From that definition which applies to everyone, let me modify the definition to apply specifically to Christians.

Faith is the body of doctrine contained in the Bible that being held and obeyed governs one’s attitudes and actions.

For the Christian, faith is both a body of doctrine from the Bible and it is obedience to that doctrine that is consistently visible in behavior.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

This declaration is the point at which all Christian faith stands or falls.  If one believes this statement of Jesus absolutely, his behavior will be characterized by deliberate obedience to all that the Bible says.  If one does not believe that this statement is true, nothing else that is Christian can be effective in his life, and he is excluded from the context in which the Beatitudes of Luke 6:20-23 apply.

coram deo

Blessed Poor, Luke 6:20

These verses, Luke 6:17-49, are called “the Sermon on the Plateau” as different from Matthew’s record of “the Sermon on the Mount.”  In many ways these two discourses of Jesus are similar, but one difference appears in the opening Beatitudes of each.  The Sermon on the Mount begins with the first 8 Beatitudes addressed in the third person, “Blessed are they….”  Luke’s record of the Sermon on the Plateau begins with Beatitudes addressed in the second person, “Blessed are you….”

Luke’s account of this sermon begins with the words “Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples and said…” (v. 20).  Jesus had been healing the multitude, but just prior to that, He had called His disciples to Him and from that number chose the Twelve whom He called “Apostles.”  As the sermon / discourse begins, Jesus turns His attention again to His disciples. 

This sermon is a private conversation in a very public setting.  Though the multitude was there to hear, they were not the primary audience.  This is not a message to or for the world at large; this is a message to those who have chosen to follow Jesus and who in response have chosen by Him to be His disciples.  In this setting of the presence of the multitude, Jesus words have meaning only to those who follow Him.  The world finds these words meaningless, even impossible and absurd – “Blessed (happy) are you poor….”  Literally, the Greek reads, “Blessed poor are you....”   Since both blessed and poor are adjectives in the Greek, let me put it another way, “You are blessed poor….”

coram deo

ADORATION!

Luke 2:1-20

¹And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

²(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

³And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

⁵To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

⁶And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

⁷And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

¹⁵And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

¹⁶And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

¹⁷And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

¹⁸And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

¹⁹But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Adoration of the Shepherds, Raphael

Luke 6:13-16 “We Few…”

(Transcribed from my daily notes)

From among the population, Jesus called his disciples to Him.  From among the disciples, Jesus chose the twelve and named them “apostles.”  The general call for the disciples is the Greek word prosphoneo, προσφωνέω – to call, summons.  The word that Luke uses for “chose” is eklegomai, ἐκλέγομαι – to pick, to choose.

Note: Matthew states that “many are called, but few chosen” (Matthew 20:16) but his vocabulary is completely different from Luke’s, so I do not believe that I can make a connection between these two events and saying of Jesus.

In the verses I examined today, verses 14-16, Luke names the twelve who were chosen as apostles.  Of that twelve, one died a suicide rejecting Jesus, ten died martyrs, and one passed his last days in exile.  Yet except for Judas Iscariot, would not these eleven say with Henry V, “we few, we happy few, we band of brothers.”

That being said, what better destiny than to be chosen by Jesus to serve Him in whatever way and cause at His will!  So I would determine to be and to serve in any capacity, humble or unknown, grand or dangerous that I may be where Jesus chooses for me to be.

coram deo

Picture from

Prayer by Contrast

(Transcribed from my daily notes for today, December 20, 2011)

The Scripture says of Jesus, “that He… went to pray and continued all night in prayer to God.”  Over and over throughout the Gospels, Jesus is seen “in prayer.”  The construction of this verse combines the verb “to pray” – proseuchomai, προσεύχομαι and the noun “prayer” proseuche, προσευχή .  Jesus went to pray and he continued all night in prayer to God.

Part of the significance and meaning of this statement comes in the contrast it makes to the statement regarding prayer of the disciples of John and the Pharisees which is in the previous chapter.  Luke 5:33 states that these “disciples... make prayers.”  The original language is quite specific and uses different words for this act – “to make,” poieo, ποιέω and “prayers,” deesis, δέησις, literally “a seeking, entreaty.”

I confess that the deeper meaning of the Greek vocabulary and word choice is a little past my pay grade, but I do see something remarkable.  Prayer can be communication in a very personal and intimate manner as Jesus spent the night praying in prayer, or it can be a formal, studied, and created petition offered as a statement to God.  I fear that much of what I hear as prayer is a manufactured declaration, while my heart yearns to communicate with my God.
Coram deo

Questions of Law and Grace

In practical terms, the conflict between law and grace is embodied in the term “legalism.”  The term legalism is distinctly pejorative, but to use the word accurately, it needs definition in practical terms.  Legalism is the conviction that one can gain a better standing with God in his salvation and/or sanctification by something he does or does not do.  That conviction of legalism is often not limited to one’s personal status, but the legalist usually extends the application of his standards to others.  In comparing himself to those around him, he sees them as spiritual or not spiritual by whether or not they perform to this own personal standard of behavior.

With that definition, I am examining one of Jesus’ parables from Luke 5:33-39.  Jesus was answering His critics regarding the practice of fasting and “making prayers” (KJV).  To answer the underlying problem, Jesus used three illustrations in a parable: mending a tear in an old garment with fabric from a new one ruins both, putting new wine in an old wineskin destroys both, and once people have drunk the old wine, they have no preference for the new.

In this parable, Jesus is illustrating the necessity of changes to the forms, prejudices, and practices that had grown up regarding the Law of Moses that were necessitated by the coming of the gospel.  The rituals associated with the Covenant of Law would not suit the New Covenant of Grace.  Here are the elements of the parable:

·         A piece of the New Covenant cannot be torn out to repair a tear in the Old Covenant

·         The spirit of the New Covenant cannot be poured into the Old Covenant

·         Those who have experienced the Old Covenant will not easily accept or appreciate the New Covenant

Some have said that there seems to be an application in this parable to our own day with regard to the new forms of worship and music in the contemporary church.  In this context I wish to explore the principles of law and grace.

As I continue to formulate my areguments, I invite any comments my readers may have.

Christopher Hitchens, 1949-2011

What a tragedy that a clever mind often blinds one to the truth until even truth loses its meaning.

Hopeless defiance - in his own words.

rjp

The Genuine Response to Faith, Luke 5:27-32

"The Call of St. Matthews" Caravaggio

In this account of the call of Levi / Matthew the tax collector, the Scripture makes some notable statements.

1.       When Jesus called him, Levi left everything and followed Jesus (v. 28).  Just as Peter, James, and John left their nets, so Levi left his tax collecting business.

When Jesus calls a person, answering that call results in obvious changes in that person’s life, often in the most significant aspects of that person’s life.

2.       When Levi followed Jesus, he wanted everyone else to know what he had done, and he wanted them to know Jesus as well.  Levi threw a big banquet and invited many of his friends, “tax collectors and others.”  From the standpoint of Jewish society, this must have been an unsavory lot (v. 30).

3.       Jesus was willing, even anxious, to sit with all who would come to listen.  We cannot be class-conscious and be Christ-like.

4.       The call from Jesus is a call to repentance (v. 32).  If you think of yourself as righteous or “not a sinner,” Jesus does not call you to follow Him.

How do I conclude this? 

A deliberate Christian follows Jesus with these realities

1.       His profession and life-style are secondary to Jesus Christ, and leaving financial and professional security behind is often the result.

2.       He makes sure everyone knows of His decision to follow Jesus, and he introduces them to Jesus at the first opportunity.

3.       He is not class-conscious.  Elitism has no place in following Jesus.

4.       Repentance from sin is a life-changing reality.

One final consideration – Jesus’ approach to evangelism does not fit the “Purpose Driven” model.  Jesus sought men who would follow Him knowing that decision would completely change their life-style.  Jesus made no effort to accommodate the culture in order to gain approval and an audience.  Just a thought….

Grace in Perspective

I am convinced that the greatest problem in the theology and teaching of the church today is the perspective from which contemporary Christianity is defined.  That faulty perspective is that God acts in the human experience primarily for the benefit of man.  To be fair and honest, that conviction comes from two realities: first, we are the personal recipients of God’s blessings, and second, the only true blessings we receive are from God.  I fear, however, that from those inescapable realities, we draw the conclusion that we are the primary purpose of God’s work.  In other words, we see that the primary purpose in what God does for us is to bless us individually and personally.  The truth of Scripture is quite different.  Though in each case we are the most immediate recipient of God’s blessings, our being blessed is not the primary or ultimate purpose of those blessings.

The most visible result of this trend is that the predominant teachings in our churches tend to emphasize the human and experiential nature of God’s dealings with us.  Perhaps the best example of this is what is taught about grace.  Most anyone you ask in the average evangelical church would respond to the question, “what is grace?” with the reply “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense, GRACE.”  Others might reply, “Grace is God’s blessings in my life.”  These descriptions of grace center on man as the ultimate and final object of God’s grace and focus on the recipient of grace rather than the One who gives grace.  The definitions admit naturally that God gives grace, but the real emphasis in the minds of most Christians is on the benefit to the person who receives that grace.  In that sense, grace is seen as the blessing of God and is something of a “consumable commodity” given by God to His children.  To put that in the common idiom, people would say that “grace is all about me and what makes my life better.”  Whether by design or default, we understand grace in terms of personal benefit and blessing.

Some time ago, I came across this definition of grace penned in my old study Bible.  The definition was written beside 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”  The definition was, “Grace is God’s extension of His dynamic for His work.”  When I break down the specific words in this definition, it reads, “Grace is God’s extension of His ability, authority, and motivation to accomplish His work.”

This definition of grace is radically theocentric.  God originates grace and administers it to us for His work and His glory.

The more I study, the more I realize that most of what we practice in contemporary evangelical Christianity is fundamentally anthropocentric – man-centered.  I want to examine the core principles of our theology with the question, “Is my understanding, practice, and expression god-centered or man-centered?”

The Shifting Meaning of Chruch Words

I am convinced that the definitions of words govern our understanding and behavior.  I have come to see that displayed as I read the history of the Christian church and as I compare what I have observed and experienced in my own life across the last forty-five years.  I see a stark difference between how our ancestors understood and responded to the Bible and what is understood and lived by Christians today.  Though the verbal expressions of Christian faith and practice use the same words, the resulting behaviors and relationships are remarkably different.

Not only has the accepted definitions of important doctrinal words shifted, Christians today use what can be called “church words” with little or no understanding of what the words actually mean.  I have found very few of the believers in my own church can define the very words they use all the time.

Here is a partial list of the words of which I speak:

1.       Grace

2.       Love

3.       Faith

4.       Worship

5.       Hope

6.       Joy

7.       Peace

My goal is to work my way through these and see where that may lead.

Faith – Real and Visible

Luke 5:20 makes a simple but profound statement regarding faith.  The text reads, “and when He [Jesus] saw their faith….”  This one phrase presents incredible insights into the essence of faith.

1.       It presents the definition of faith.

 Faith is the conviction of truth that governs one’s actions regardless of the cost or consequences. 

2.       Faith’s object is its reality.

The object of one’s faith is what governs the actions that result.  In this case, the object of their faith was Jesus Christ, so in the Christian context, the definition of faith flows from one’s conviction of the truth of God’s Word.

3.       Faith is visible in one’s behavior. 

In other words, what one believes will be displayed in his choices, attitudes, and actions.  Regardless of what that core faith may be, it will be ultimately presented in behaviors.

4.       Crisis situations often display one’s faith most clearly. 

Let me change to first person here for emphasis.  In my experience, I have found that I can fake or affect a behavior to appear to believe something when I do not.  We call that hypocrisy, and I am not alone in that experience.  I make that confession, but I also make that as an accusation.  How we act in a crisis or under stress is the truest revelation of our faith.

5.       One’s faith is always on display, and someone is always watching.

Having said that, I ask the questions:

·         What does my behavior demonstrate of my faith especially at this Christmas season? 

·         How do I react to the pressures of a secularized, commercialized Christmas?

·         What Jesus Christ does my Christmas celebration represent?

Worship – Some Notes and Overservations

December 07, 2011 – personal notes

For the last few weeks, I’ve been considering the concept of worship especially in light of the New Testament word that is translated “worship.”  The Greek word is προσκυνέω, “proskuneo” – “to kiss the hand as reverence, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead” (Strong).  This Greek word is used 60 times in the New Testament, and each time it is translated, “worship.”

The question that keeps coming to my mind is, “how does this idea of prostrate humility equate with the celebrations of praise that are called worship in contemporary churches?”  Taking that question a step farther, “what is a worship leader, and why is he more necessary or better than a song leader or choir director?”

I did some research on the Internet regarding the role and purpose of what has become the “worship leader.”  In site after site, I found some universal elements that seem to be significant.

1.       Prominence of something to sell.  It is obvious that money is one of the prime motivators in modern “worship.”

2.       Music is the vehicle of worship.  If there is another aspect to worship other than music, I did not see it referenced.  Granted, my search was neither exhaustive nor systematic, but if there is something else to worship, it was not prominently presented.

3.       Emphasis on emotion.  Prominent words in the discussion of a worship leader are, “feel,” “sense,” “experience,” “celebration,” etc.  If it is mentioned at all, the place and role of the written Word of God is secondary to the creation of the “emotional connection.”

4.       Absence of Scriptural support.  Even well-known worship leaders admit that there is no direct biblical support for the role of “worship leader.”

These observations lead me to question the value of this new approach to “worship.”  On that issue, I can even accept a pragmatic or practical explanation, but what are the observable, quantifiable, or even anecdotal benefits of the worship emphasis on the mission, growth, and strength of the true church as the body of Christ?

True Prayer or Hypocritical

“If You will, You can….”  Luke 5:12

This verse condenses prayer to four Greek words translated, “Lord, if You are willing, You can…” – Κύριε ἐὰν θέλῃς δύνασαί  (NKJV).  In all of my life and experience, prayer comes down to the same expression, simply “Lord, if You will, You can.”

The other side of that expression is just as important and complete.  When I say to the Lord, “if You will, You  can,” I am also saying, “no matter how hard I try, I cannot.”  The great cry of my humanity and experience of failure is, “You can; I cannot!”

I wonder how much of my prayers , however, go unanswered because I have not come to the conviction that, “I cannot.”  Until I am truly convinced that I cannot, I am hypocritical or lazy or both when I pray, “If You will, You can.”