Category: Luke - Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry

Luke 6:17-26 - Lectionary for Epiphany 6C

2/14/2019

2/14/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

It’s so easy for us to misplace our priorities, isn’t it? We want to do well at work, in business, in school, in our families. We want to be healthy, wealthy, and wise. Then again, maybe we’re ready to settle for healthy and wealthy. In Luke 6:17-26 many people have come to hear Jesus and be healed (v. 18). Folks are being healed right and left. The power of God is there.

Make no mistake about it. This is definitely a good thing! Jesus doesn’t like you to have diseases any more than you like it. Trouble with unclean spirits troubles Jesus too, so much that, at least in this passage, when he is confronted with the spirits he casts them out. God does delight in bringing healing and life to his people.

How about that little element of wisdom? Let’s take a look at the content of the teaching here. There’s a significant content parallel in Matthew 5, though the discourses seem to take place at a different time and place. This is in a level place and is accompanied by healing beforehand. The passage in Matthew 5 is on a mountain and doesn’t have healing beforehand. But it shouldn’t surprise us that Jesus frequently talks about the same kind of issues in different places and at different times.

When Jesus teaches here, he tells about how his followers are blessed whether they are poor, hungry, sorrowful, or hated. Those who are confident in themselves will face troubles, but those who are looking to him will receive blessings. Do you notice how much Jesus talks about healing? About wealth? His only mention of wealth here has to do with the implication of not depending on it. He doesn’t mention healing physical maladies at all.

Jesus attracts people to him by doing things which are for their genuine momentary good. He then gives them words which they can live by forever. There’s the priority. May the Lord give us right priorities, that we can enjoy his blessings now and forever.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 5:1-11 - Lectionary for Epiphany 5C

2/7/2019

2/7/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Experts hate to be shown that they are wrong. Really. Take it from me, since I’m an expert, and I think I’m right about it. We hate to be shown that we are wrong. In our Gospel passage from Luke 5 Simon Peter is the expert. He’s a prosperous fisherman, with a well established business. He knows fish and fishing. And he knows that, at least on this day, the fishing is really bad. They worked all night and it was a failure. No fish to sell today. Perhaps that’s why he was willing to let Jesus stand in the boat and use the lake water to help boost his voice and teach the people. He might as well get some use out of that boat.

We don’t know specifically what Jesus was teaching in verses three and four. The Bible doesn’t give us any clue at all. Apparently the content of Jesus’ teaching is not the important element in this passage. What does Luke want us to know? He wants us to know that Jesus showed himself in his power to Peter, James, and John, as well as to some other onlookers. He told them, the experts, to get their nets wet again, even though they had finished a long and frustrating night’s work and had finally managed to get everything in order again.

Simon Peter, the expert fisherman, knew it wouldn’t be worth doing. But he eventually agreed. All the while, he knew he was right. They weren’t going to catch anything. It’s a waste of time and effort.

How many times are we convinced that whatever we do will be a waste of time and effort? After all, we’re the experts! We know what we are doing. We have our priorities. We know the rhythm of our work. Yet sometimes, by his grace, the Lord puts us in a situation where we go against our instincts. Surely it’s worthless to go here, there’s no point in making that phone call, a visit to her will be useless. Suddenly, in the Gospel, the Lord provides a great catch of fish. And in our lives? He may take what seemed meaningless and promised no fruit and use it for the good of His kingdom. We never know what the Lord will accomplish.

We hate being wrong. What does Simon Peter realize when he is shown to be wrong? He confesses to the Lord that he is a sinful person. He contradicted God.

Here’s the good news. Jesus restores Simon Peter. He takes the sinful man who would argue with God about fishing, and he uses him to gather people into the kingdom of God. The Lord knows exactly what he is doing. And he does it for the good, not only of his disciples, but for the good of the whole world. Thanks be to God.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 4:31-44 - Lectionary for Epiphany 4C

1/31/2019

1/31/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In our Gospel passage from Luke 4 we see two examples of Jesus healing people by His word. The first has a demon, the second has a fever. Thanks to popular culture, many in North America just now think of an exorcism and they think of someone who shows all sorts of supernatural powers and who attacks the exorcist. Maybe we can add eerie voices, pictures on the wall spurting blood, and things bursting into flame. We think of the exorcist and picture someone who is feebly hoping that God might be powerful enough to make a difference.

The pattern in Scripture is nothing like this. What does Jesus do when he confronts the evil spirit in the man in the synagogue? He tells the spirit to be quiet and come out the the man. Even if we picture a more extensive and forceful encounter, with the command repeated or with considerable noise while the man is being bothered by the spirit and thrown down on the ground, we still have a remarkably orderly encounter. It’s more like telling the family dog to get off the couch and go outside than it is like telling an invading pride of lions to get off the meatloaf. Jesus has power and authority that we can hardly imagine.

Likewise, when Jesus visits in Peter’s household and Peter’s mother-in-law has a fever, Jesus tells the fever to go away and it does. No fuss, no muss, no elaborate ritual. The illness obeys Jesus’ command.

One of the rituals I have conducted on several occasions is a house blessing. By the way, for local people, if you have moved or if you want to keep with the historic tradition held by many of asking for a house blessing every year or so, let me know. I’d be happy to come by. In this blessing, we call upon the Lord of all, asking him to protect the home and its occupants from any sin and evil, to expel any evil spiritual forces, and to lay his blessing on those who live and visit the house. We go around, room by room, and ask the Lord to use the home and family for his purposes. It’s an exorcism, among other things. No fuss, no muss, just asking the Lord of all to guard and protect the dwelling and the people for his purposes.

What if there evil spirits acting where we are? There certainly seem to be some people and places where there’s something that appears demonic. It’s maybe more common in some parts of the world than others, especially in cultures where people give more credence to folk religions, earthly spirits, and the like. The encounter may just get a little more heated. It may need to be repeated more. In some instances, it can look like someone trying to get the pride of lions off the meatloaf. But we trust that as we are people who have been baptized into Jesus we are also acting in His name and authority when we ask His will to be done where we are.

Why do we let Hollywood govern our expectations about spiritual things? Let us rather trust the Lord of all to have His way in our midst.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 4:16-30 - Lectionary for Epiphany 3C

1/24/2019

1/24/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Gospel reading this third week in Epiphany is a bold revelation of Jesus. Here, in the synagogue, Jesus reads the words of Isaiah where God proclaims the day of salvation. Jesus then boldly says that this word is fulfilled in him. What is Jesus saying here?

How did the people who heard him respond? They understood Jesus to be claiming that he had divine authority to forgive sin, to set captives free, and deliver God’s free grace. They understood that Jesus was saying he had the power and authority of God. They understood this so very well that they tried to execute him for making himself out to be God.

What did Jesus do in this instance? He continued to show his divine power, first by his proclamation, then by keeping the people from throwing him off a cliff. He continued then to proclaim the day of deliverance from God. He healed the sick. He cleansed the lepers. He gave sight to the blind. He raised the dead. He took the sins of the world onto himself, died the death we deserve, then rose from the dead as the firstfruits of the resurrection.

May this same Jesus, the risen Lord, reign in our hearts and minds, proclaiming the day of salvation to each of us. This is the day of salvation. God’s Word is fulfilled in Jesus.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 3:15-22 - Lectionary for Epiphany 1C

1/10/2019

1/10/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Most of us who are beyond a certain level of maturity have faced a problem of this type. There’s a mess that needs to be cleaned up. It might be physical, mental, emotional, relational, you name it. But it’s a mess. It isn’t going to go away. It might get worse if it isn’t addressed. And we hate to approach it because we fully expect it will get worse before it gets better.

In Luke chapter three the people have heard John’s preaching about righteousness and the kingdom of God. They were looking forward to God’s kingdom. Won’t it be great? He’s going to usher in peace and prosperity. But John compares the coming one, who is greater than John, to a man with a threshing floor, a farmer. What’s the farmer going to do? He’s going to take care of his harvest. It provides food for the coming year. It provides a product to sell and buy other needed things. It provides seed for planting in the future. This is a sign of prosperity. All will be well, everything will be taken care of.

What does the farmer do in verse 17? He separates the grain from all the other parts, which he considers useless. In this arid climate, the chaff and stalks won’t be of much use for composting, since there isn’t really enough water. The farmer doesn’t have the mechanical devices to spread leftovers from grain processing onto the field and plow it in again. But he does have a big pile of husks, straw, and the flammable, even explosive dust that accompanies them. Should he leave this in his barn? We think not. He sweeps it up and sets it on fire, when he wants to, where he wants to, so as to prevent it from causing any harm. It’s a mess, a big mess. But he needs to take care of it or he risks losing everything.

John the Baptist says that Jesus is the one coming to baptize in the Holy Spirit and in fire. With the comparison to the farmer, our prayer is that we will be baptized by the Holy Spirit and not by fire. The elements of this world which are not pleasing to God are destined to be burned up. But those who turn to God in repentance, who belong in God’s kingdom by grace through faith, those are baptized in the Holy Spirit. They are washed. They are redeemed. They will be kept in the storehouse, not burned in the rubbish heap.

We don’t always know our destiny as those who have turned to the Lord. Will we provide food for others? Resources? Future generations? We have no idea. But the Lord, whose sandal we are not worthy to unstrap to wash his feet, has welcomed us into his kingdom and will use us for good. This is the hope of the Christian in this world. And in the future? We know that God has promised an everlasting kingdom, where his people will dwell with him. He’s the one who is cleaning up the mess of this world so as to protect it from the danger of the worthless chaff. Our response should be similar to that of God the Father. He is “well pleased” with the Son (v. 22). May we also be well pleased with the work of God in Christ.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 2:22-40 - Lectionary for Christmas 1C

12/27/2018

12/27/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In our Gospel reading for this week we go with Jesus, Mary and Joseph to the temple, as Jesus is to be presented to the Lord, the firstborn male born of Mary. While Jesus is in the tmeple, he is taken up by Simeon, who praises God and prays that he may now die in peace.

To our current sensibilities, this seems out of place. Really? A baby is being presented in the temple and you are saying you can now die satisfied? You aren’t supposed to talk about death at any time, especially when a newborn is being brought to be dedicated to God! Why, nowadays, it’s hard to get people to speak about death even at a funeral, as they are often re-titled as a “celebration of life” rather than a “tucking in to await the resurrection of the dead.” What’s going on here in Simeon’s prayer?

Simeon recognizes that it is God’s salvation, prepared for his people and for all the world, in the infant Jesus, that allows us to face death without fear. He realizes that the Lord has given life and salvation through Jesus so he can have absolute confidence forever. Jesus is the one who conquers death, so Simeon will no longer have to worry about it. And he does it not only for Israel, but also for all nations.

This is the tremendous good news of our current season, the Christmas season. It is because of the Christ that all who believe him have life. Without that baby being born we have no hope. Because he is there, a very real baby, truly man and truly God, we have hope for life and salvation forever.

I think it’s instructive that there are two times that this passage of Scripture is typically used, aside from this Sunday. One is after a celebration of communion. Our sins have been forgiven by the true body and blood of Jesus, the very same one who was held in the arms of Simeon. Because of that forgiveness, we can pray with Simeon and say we are ready to die in peace. The other time we use this passage is in a funeral service, when, again, we proclaim, for ourselves and especially also on behalf of the person who has died, that the dismissal is in peace which the Lord has prepared.

There’s no fear left. Jesus has come into the world.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 1:39-56 - Lectionary for Advent 4C

12/20/2018

12/20/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Gospel reading this last Sunday of Advent draws us into the time of Mary’s pregnancy. It’s a very fitting preparation for the celebration of Christmas to begin in just a few days. Very shortly after Mary received word from the angel about her miraculous child, she hurried to her cousin Elizabeth, who was also miraculously pregnant, being past childbearing age and never having conceived before. Elizabeth was about six months farther along than Mary, so this encounter would be relatively early in Mary’s pregnancy. For what it’s worth, it would possibly make more sense to read this passage near the end of April, but today we can consider it a little flashback.

Lukes narrative suggests that Elizabeth would not have had prior knowledge of Mary’s story. Mary entered the house and God gave some prophetic gifts all around. John, in Elizabeth’s womb, leaped for joy, and Elizabeth knew why. It is because the Lord, the Messiah, the Savior, has just walked into the house, inside his mother.

We see that Mary’s response is all about God’s mercy. It’s all about how God is coming to save the world, to redeem those in bondage, to bless people, to exalt the lowly, to care for the poor. Once in a while we see signs that our world really doesn’t understand this view of God. There’s a cute cartoon that circulates every year around this time. It’s got people riding camels that have bumper stickers on their back ends. Honor student, soccer star, etc. Then there’s one that says something like, “My son is God.” The other parents are, of course, at least a little jealous. While it’s a cute idea, notice the way Mary seems to view the coming of the Messiah through her. It’s an honor that she could never deserve. And the work of the Messiah is to redeem people, to bring care where it is needed. Frankly, Mary would probably be offended by people thinking she was exalting herself. She was astounded that God would visit his people in this way.

Mary stayed with Elizabeth, according to verse 56, for about three months. We have no idea what else they did or talked about, but it would make a lot of sense that Mary would stay until a little while after the birth of John, so as to help her cousin. That attitude of mercy and service is, after all, one of the Lord’s priorities.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 7:18-35 - Lectionary for Advent 3C

12/13/2018

12/13/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Gospel reading from Luke 7:18-35 has a good deal of variety. John, in prison, sends disciples to find out if Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus doesn’t answer the question, but leaves them to make up their minds. Jesus sings the praise of John. He speaks of the utter failure of the Pharisees and scribes. This passage seems to be all over the place.

It’s this last portion, though, that I would like to visit today. In our day, much of the secular world treats Jesus and His people in this same way. They have rejected Jesus without ever considering his claims (v. 30). Jesus observes that they act like children. Whatever the setting, they affirm Jesus and his children to be useless. If he fasts, he has a demon. If he eats, he is a glutton. In every instance, his response is wrong.

What answer does the Church give? I often give no answer at all. After all, it would be the wrong answer. Rather, we go on doing the good the Lord has prepared for us. Heal the sick, give people the good news, feed the poor, care for God’s creation. We let our world make up its mind about Jesus. Sure wish it would be right!

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 3:1-20 - Lectionary for Advent 2C

12/6/2018

12/6/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Gospel reading from Luke 3:1-20 gives us not only insight into the work of God, not only into the identity of John the Baptizer, but also into the author Luke and the kind of critical response he expected.

Observe how carefully Luke dates this event. He doesn’t give a month and day, but he identifies the various political leaders of the time, whose terms of office overlap. He also identifies the various political leaders of the time, whose terms of office overlap. He also identifies both the person recognized by the Jews as their rightful high priest as well as the one who was a political appointee. Luke here is making sure his readers can place the event clearly in time and space. For what it’s worth, for much of the time since these events, everyone accepted the reality of the account. It was not until the late 18th century that some scholars suggested these people may not have been real, as they were not clearly identified in historical sources. Since that time, archaeology as confirmed the identity and time frame. The account seems quite reliable in its details.

Some of these details are of great importance. What does John identify as God’s priority? His people are to be recognized by repentance which leads to just and charitable actions. In short, they are to beh onest, share with others, and not seek their own profit in such a way as to harm others. That’s a very good summary of the Christian life. In light of the goodness of God, we live lives which value the same kind of charity God has given.

There’s something more to this passage, though. Is John the Messiah? He is not. The Messiah is more worthy than John by far. Notice the work of the Messiah in verses 16-17. He pours out the Holy Spirit and cleans things up, gathering wheat for good use and burning up the chaff. Metaphorically, he gathers his repentant followers for the good of the world but he will sweep the rest into a pile destined for destruction. John calls his hearers, and us, to a life as repentant followers of Jesus, trusting in him rather than ourselves. May we be found in him this way.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 21:25-36 - Lectionary for Advent 1C

11/29/2018

11/29/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

With the start of Advent, on the Sunday after St. Andrew’s Day (11/30), we begin a new liturgical year. For the next twelve moths we will walk through biblical accounts of the coming of the Christ, his revelation to this world, the world’s rejection of him, his death and resurrection, his ascension into heaven, and the life of his people in this world. Then, in a year, we start all over again. There’s a stability that we can find in such a church calendar. Not only have countless people used these resources in the past, but to this day many millions of people use the calendar as a framework for their lives. So I want to take this opportunity to welcome my readers to join with me in our walk through the life of Christ. My afternoon posts normally follow the three year ectionary as tweaked by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, but I do them early. For instance, today I have posted some notes about the Gospel for this coming Sunday, December 2, rather than last Sunday.

What’s happening in our Gospel reading? We have jumped into Luke’s Gospel at chapter 21, starting at verse 25. Jesus is speaking about the time when he will come in glory to gather his people and bring judgment on the world. Verse 28 says this is a time when his people will find redemption delivered to them. They are not to fear. For those who have not believed Jesus, it will be a time of fear. They will know they are unable to stand in God’s judgment.

How are we to know the coming of Christ is near? Jesus has spoken of signs of his coming, but most of them seem pretty commonplace. By doing this, he is establishing the idea that he can and will come for his people and we are to be on alert. Just as the person waiting to board a bus or train needs to watch for the right time, we also wait for his return. If not, if we are dulled, as in verse 34, we will not be ready for his arrival.

In our alertness, in verse 36, we are told to pray for strength. The world is a troublesome place, full of wars, diseases, disappointments, and distractions. We should not be called away from our vigilance, but sould pray the Lord would make us expect him even in this time of trouble.

When he comes, I pray all my readers will be waiting eagerly, knowing that Jesus is the one who has redeemed them from sin.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke

4/19/2018

Thursdays are for the New Testament
4/19/18
Carson, D.A., and Douglas Moo An Introduction to the New Testament - Second Edition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005. "Luke" Carson & Moo pp. 198-224

CONTENTS
p. 198 "Luke's gospel is the longest book in the New Testament. Like Matthew, Luke follows the basic outline of Jesus' ministry established by Mark."
1. The Prologue (1:1-4)
2. The Births of John the Baptist and Jesus (1:5-2:52)
3. Preparation for the Ministry (3:1-4:13)
4. The Ministry of Jesus in Galilee (4:14-9:50)
5. Jesus' Journey to Jerusalem (9:51-19:44)
6. Jesus in Jerusalem (19:45-21:38)
7. Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection (22:1-24:53)

LUKE-ACTS
Luke and Acts are recognizably written by the same individual, addressed to the same individual, and related to one another. however we do need to realize that the books seem to fit into different genres, with Luke following the pattern found in the other gospels and Acts following a pattern of a historical text.

AUTHOR
Internal evidence points to an author who is not an eyewitness of Jesus' ministry (1:1-4) but who is familiar with many events. The "we" passages in Acts identify the author as someone who is frequently a companion of Paul. The statements of chapter 1 indicating an author who performed research prepares us to expect someone who would have drawn information from a variety of sources, including from those he accompanied. Early church authors identify Luke as the author, also claiming that the author was a physician. There are indications, particularly in Colossians 4:10-14, that Luke was a Gentile.

PROVENANCE
The location of the writing is unclear. Antioch, Achaia, and Rome have all been suggested. All are speculations.

DATE
Carson and Moo give a good deal of evidence that tends to point again and again to a date around 62 for the final work of Acts. Acts presupposes that the gospel has been written, but does not suggest that it has been in existence for long. Carson and Moo also list numerous suggestions for later dates, after 70, but none of those suggestions are conclusive.

ADDRESSEE(S)
The gospel is written to one "Theophilus" which means "lover of God." This could be anybody, including a noble person (see the "most excellent") using a real or assumed name, or could be an example of a person to whom Luke purports to write. The content of the gospel seems to indicate it is written with a recent convert in mind.

PURPOSE
Luke states his own purpose of writing in the prologue, to assure the reader of the certainty of what he has been taught. p. 212 "By the time Luke wrote his gospel, the early church had separated from Judaism and was, indeed, experiencing hostility from many Jews. at the same time, the new and tiny Christian movement was competing with a welter of religious and philosophical alternatives in the Greco-Roman world."

COMPOSITION
If we assume that Luke drew heavily on other written sources, it would seem that he takes about 55 percent of Mark's material (p. 212). Some suggest that Luke has borrowed a great deal, about 20 percent of the non-Markan material, from Matthew. This does leave a significant portion of the gospel without parallel. p. 213 "most scholars are persuaded that Luke and Matthew have independently used a lost source, called "Q." we think this hypothesis is likely, though the exact nature of Q must be left open." Yet we observe that Luke says he gathered information from a variety of sources. It must be allowed that some sources were written and that some were oral, gathered in the time he spent accompanying Paul and possibly other apostles.

TEXT
The text of Luke and Acts is difficult as there is a significant difference between Western and Eastern text traditions. Carson and Moo lay out a fairly detailed argument on p. 215. They tend to think that the Western text passages which are found in addition to the Eastern text are less likely to be original, while the passages which exist in the Western text but are omitted in the Eastern text are fairly likely to be original.

ADOPTION INTO THE CANON
Luke was clearly accepted as canonical by the mid-second century. There is some evidence that it was cited earlier, even in the first century. It has been universally accepted as authoritative for as long as canonicity has been articulated.

LUKE'S GOSPEL IN RECENT STUDY
In recent years text critics have suggested a variety of sources for Luke's information. They have also tended to suggest that Luke was interested in explaining eschatology to dispel the idea that Jesus' return would have been expected more or less immediately after his ascension. Narrative critics have focused on Luke-Acts as a two volume whole. pp. 218-219 "Luke is not creating a work of literature from whole cloth as a novelist might go about his or her work. He is narrating events that transpired in a particular time and place; and these "historical constraints" must be recognized."

THE CONTRIBUTION OF LUKE
Carson and Moo identify four major themes in Luke which can inform all our understanding of Scripture. First, Luke is interested in God's overall plan. Second, Luke has a focus on salvation. Third, the Gentiles are the special recipients of salvation. Finally, Jesus is the one who shows care for outcasts of all sorts.

Luke 24:36-49 - Lectionary for Easter 3B

4/12/2018

4/12/18
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

During approximately three years of walking around with his disciples, Jesus consistently showed them that he was the Messiah. He fulfilled prophecy after prophecy. He worked miracles. He received worship. And he warned them several times that he would be killed and that he would rise from the dead again.

Despite all of this preparation, the disciples really weren’t ready for what happened at the Passover. They were terrified when Jesus was actually arrested. It made them run away. When they heard the details of the trial from Peter and John, who had followed Jesus, they didn’t know how to react. By the time Jesus was led out to be crucified, John was the only one of the apostles to be an eyewitness. After his death, it was two members of the Sanhedrin who actually took his body and entombed him.

Not one of the disciples expected Jesus to rise from the dead. They weren’t waiting for this news. The women had gone to take care of anything that was overlooked in his very hasty entombment. All their expectation was that they would find his lifeless body laid out on a slab.

The news which arrived to the disciples during the day of resurrection was also unbelievable. The body was gone, there was some sort of angelic apperance, maybe Jesus had appeared to someone, but maybe not. Peter and John had verified that the body was missing. And the disciples, disconsolate, had gathered together in a locked room, hoping that nobody would arrest them also. They were hiding.

What could change their minds? It didn’t seem likely that anything would persuade them that Jesus had risen from the dead. That wasn’t even on their radar screens. Then, without even seeming to open the door, without knocking, Jesus appeared among them. Distance, doors, locks and bars mean nothing to the risen Lord. He can come and be with his disciples. He shows that he is not a ghost by eating something and demonstrating that he is absolutely a living person.

We notice now that Jesus gives more instructions to his disciples. He tells them that they will receive power from the Holy Spirit to continue their work. Now, maybe, just maybe, they will be able to take his promises seriously. We know, of course, that in just seven weeks’ time they will receive the power they need. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to give the disciples hope and trust.

In every age, Jesus, in his resurrection, confronts our sinful unbelief. He shows that he is, in fact, the one who always keeps his promises, even if it requires him to do impossible miracles, such as rising from the dead. It’s when we find Jesus in our midst that we are able to take him at his word and believe him. May the Lord continue to come into our midst in ways that we can recognize.

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Luke 2:22-40 - Lectionary for Christmas 1B

12/29/2017

12/29/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Shortly after the birth of Jesus, the Scriptures remind us that Joseph and Mary were committed to their faith. As observant Jews they brought him to the temple on the eighth day to bring the prescribed sacrifices. This was no random action. They didn’t go whenever they felt like it. They didn’t bring some sort of gift which occurred to them. It was not a time to show individuality or to celebrate their child’s personality.

Jesus was presented in the temple according to the Law of Moses, with the sacrifices prescribed. What would set him apart? The Holy Spirit moved two people at the temple to recognize him as the one who would redeem Israel. And this was no passing comment by a senile crackpot. We normally assume both Simeon and Anna are old. The Bible says Anna is old. As to Simeon, we know tht he is in the habit of spending a lot of time in the temple and is waiting for God’s redemption. He suggests age by saying that he can die in peace now. But that is no certain indicator of his age. Rather, these two people are presented as being entirely in their right minds and certainly energetic enough to engage the family, stop them, take the baby from his mother, and make a prophecy.

What kind of child is this? He is the one who is to redeem Israel. He doesn’t appear any different from any of the other babies presented in the temple. To all appearances, he is the child of a working class family. Yet the Holy Spirit makes it clear to some who meet him that he is in fact the savior.

May the Holy Spirit speak to many hearts as they are confronted with this Jesus, brought up according to God’s Law, but who shows himself to be the consolation of all who trust in him.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 1:26-38 - Lectionary for Advent 4B

12/22/2017

12/22/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Luke 1:26-38 describes the conception of Jesus. The evangelist has already set the stage by describing the miraculous pregnancy of Elizabeth, a relative of Mary. Elizabeth had first conceived at an old age. Now an angel comes to Mary and tells her about the son she will bear.

The angelic description makes perfect sense. There will be a Messiah. His name will mean “God saves.” He will be in the lineage of David and will be the king of God’s people. All of this sounds fine and good. But, of course, Mary knows where babies come from. How is this going to happen? As Mary receives God’s word and believes it, she will have a child. Her chances of pregnancy were even more remote than Elizabeth’s. But, in accord with God’s promise, she would conceive and bear a child, who would be the Messiah.

The news of the Incarnation is entirely mind-boggling. First you have a virgin who conceives. The one born is the Messiah. We find out later that he is not broken by a sinful nature like the rest of the world. He alone will be able to rescue humanity from sin and death. This is great news indeed. What is Mary’s response? May it be according to God’s will. May that also be our response to divine intervention in this world.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 24:13-35 - Lectionary for Easter 3A

4/27/2017

4/27/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In Luke 24:13-35, Jesus appears to some disciples who have left Jerusalem. They departed after the Sabbath was over, having realized that the one they thought was the Messiah had been killed. Their hopes were crushed. time to pack it up and go home.

The discussion along the road centers on this person they had hoped would be the Messiah. Jesus explained about himself from all the Scriptures as they walked. This was encouraging to them. However, they didn’t identify this person as Jesus. He was just a person who encouraged them.

In verse 28 Jesus acted as if he would go on, but they urged him to stay. Then, in verse 30, he took the role of leadership. He blessed and broke the bread. He gave it to them, and they knew who he was. This is certainly Jesus. He has risen from the dead.

Immediately, Jesus showed them that he was not bound by time and space. He disappeared. They, however, returned to Jerusalem immediately and went to find the eleven apostles, along with others who were with them.

Jesus’ appearances after his resurrection are no hallucinations. He is see multiple times by people who are together with one another, in their right minds. He does things that defy explanation other than being done by someone with a supernaturally enabled body. But what is most important is the purpose of Jesus’ appearances. He shows that he is the Messiah, the one who would come and rescue Israel from bondage to sin. He shows that he is the one his people can believe in. He shows that the resurrection is very real and is the source of hope for the Christian.

Blessed are those who saw Jesus in his resurrection. Even more blessed are those who have believed, not seeing.

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Luke 2:21 - Lectionary for the Circumcision and Naming of Christ

12/29/2016

12/29/16
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

The Gospel for the Circumcision and Naming of Christ is very brief - Luke 2:21. Here Jesus is circumcised and given the name commanded by the angel at the time of his conception. Why would this detail be saved for us in the New Testament? Very simply, Joseph and Mary valued God’s commands. God the Son also values the commands given through the Holy Spirit. After all, as we confess, there is one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with one will. This one God has given us His word and looks for us to trust his will to be revealed in his word.

Jesus, the Savior, born under the law, come to complete the demands of the law on your behalf, submitted to those demands. He was circumcised on the eight day, according to the law and also in accord with God’s promise to lay his covenant blessings upon Jesus.

Are we willing to trust that God in his Word has given us what we need to live as partakers of his promise in Christ? This is a great blessing. May the Lord use us as we seek to live in accord with his will.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 23:27-43 - Lectionary for the Last Sunday of the Church Year, Cycle C

11/17/2016

11/17/16
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In Luke 23:27-43 Jesus is mocked all the way to his death. As he goes to the place of execution, however, he has encouraging words for those who are lamenting his sentence. The time is coming when Jesus’ followers will also be mocked, scorned, beaten, and executed, for his sake. This is a sorrowful time indeed.

Why is Jesus treated this way? It is because of sin in the world. From the first sin to the last one described in the Bible we are bent on rejecting and abusing Jesus. All sin is, in one way or another, a rejection of the person and work of God to create, sustain, and redeem his people.

Even as he is dying on the cross, see Jesus’ compassion. The criminal who confesses he is guilty and deserves to die but that Jesus is innocent receives a great promise. “You will be with me this day in paradise.” What hope do we find then? Whatever the sin, Jesus’ forgiveness is present for us. We can trust in his mercy. He has indeed done all that is necessary for our redemption.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 20:27-40 - Lectionary for Pentecost 25 C

11/3/2016

11/3/16
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In this week’s Gospel passage from Luke 20, Jesus has an encounter with the Sadducees. They denied the idea of the resurrection, as well as other supernatural events. We often see this passage used to discuss the idea of the miraculous, or to show the way Jesus can overturn arguments which would distract from the main thrust of ministry. Yet Jesus himself seems to have a different agenda in mind. He points out that the Sadducees do not know the nature of God as God of the living. To the eternal God, all the living remain living.

This is great comfort to the Christian, especially in a time of bereavement. Jesus boldy claims that God never loses anybody. He remains the living God and savior of all his people, for all eternity, regardless of the condition of their bodies. He is able to raise the dead and will do so. Just as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are alive, so are all who trust in Jesus. We may not recognize them as living, but that makes no difference to God. God is the God of the living.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 19:1-10 - Lectionary for Pentecost 24 C

10/27/2016

10/27/16
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Gospel reading from Luke 19 tells of Zacchaeus. He, so often featured in children’s Bible story books and songs, catches our attention, but for all the wrong reasons. What’s the situation? Zacchaeus is short. He can’t see over the crowds of people. He humbles himself, climbing a tree to see Jesus. This is not a very dignified thing to do. And he’s an important man! A tax agent. He is the kind of person who could order some servants or bodyguards to clear a space so he could see Jesus. For some reason, he prefers to be incognito. From the back of the crowd he climbs a tree to get a view of Jesus.

Jesus recognizes him. This is the big event. Jesus picks him out of a crowd. Jesus’ acknowledgement of Zacchaeus, his self-invitation to dinner, his voluntary plan to sit at peace with Zacchaeus and his associates moves the tax collector.

Zacchaeus doesn’t need anyone to tell him his wrongdoing. He doesn’t need anyone to confront his sin. He has seen it himself, day by day. He does, however, need someone to give him the good news of God’s forgiveness. Here it comes. God himself, God the Son, will sit down to dine with Zacchaeus, the sinful tax collector. The man who was lost has been found.

We also, when we see we are lost, realize that Jesus is the one who has come to seek and save us. He has not left us trying to get a glimpse of his mercy. He has come to dine with us.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 18:9-17 - Lectionary for Pentecost 23 C

10/20/2016

10/20/16
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In our Gospel passage for this week, Luke 18:9-17, we find the famous little passage, just three verses, speaking of Jesus blessing little children. Verse 15 really just says that the people are bringing infants “so he could touch them.” The laying on of hands in the Bible is normally seen as the way someone would impart a blessing. The term used for children here is the one typical for infants, not older children. These are people who could not bring themselves.

Jesus’ response to his disciples is that the kingdom of heaven consists of people just like children. By saying this he points out very clearly that we are not able to bring ourselves to God. God has come to his people, just as he continues to come, through Word and Sacrament. We are remarkably passive in the matter. We are washed by the Word and by the waters of baptism. This is not something we do ourselves. It is God’s blessing poured out upon us. We are fed in communion and through the ongoing proclamation of God’s Word. Again, while we do take some responsibility to read and to hear the Word, it is God’s activity, feeding us. We are the sheep of God’s pasture. We receive. We don’t give.

Often in the Church children are treated as second class people. We give them special children’s sermons which are often inferior in quality and sometimes presented by people who don’t have the skills working with Scripture that we expect of “the real pastor.” We take them away from the preaching of God’s Word and present them instead with things to glue together. In recent years I have increasingly seen children go through entire church services playing with an electronic device instead of being taught to watch, listen, and receive from God. Within baptistic congregations we doubt their faith and test them, often including an age test, before allowing them the washing of baptism. Within congregations that practice infant baptism we prevent them from coming for communion until they have reached a certain age and passed some substantial tests of knowledge, rather than seeing if they are trusting in Jesus and welcoming them into the communion of saints. This is a sad state of affairs.

Jesus tells us to welcome the little children. He calls them to himself. May we have the wisdom and grace to do the same.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 18:1-8 - Lectionary for Pentecost 22 C

10/13/2016

10/13/16
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In our Gospel reading for this week Jesus tells a parable encouraging his people to keep praying. The widow in Luke 18:1-8 comes to an unjust judge, pushing him for a favorable decision, persisting. Finally he relents and gives her a judgment. This judgment is not because he believes God. It is not because he thinks she is right. It is merely to get rid of her.

Often we hear preaching about this parable, in which the message given is that we need to keep hounding God for an answer so he will grudgingly give in and do what we want just to get rid of us.

This cannot be a right interpretation of the passage. What works better? The whole of Scripture presents the triune God as desiring the good of his people. He urges, begs, and pleads us to repentance. It is we who give in reluctantly.

God is not this way. In fact, God is precisely the way the unjust judge isn’t. He delights to hear the prayers and needs of his people. He shows us our needs and urges us to prayer so he can show his mercy and grace. He wants us to find out how kind and gracious he is.

Why should we pray? We pray because God delights in being asked to do good for his people.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 17:11-19 - Lectionary for Pentecost 21 C, 10/9/16

10/6/2016

Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In Luke 17:11-19 Jesus has an encounter with ten lepers. These men were desperate. They had no meaningful medical treatment. They had a communicable disease which required their separation from healthy people due to the dangers it posed to the community. They were isolated, poverty-stricken, and apparently beyond help. Yet they called out to Jesus for help.

Jesus’ answer seems odd at first. He tells them to show themselves to the priests. This was a typical step in the cleansing process. If a person thought his disease had run its course, he could show himself to the priest for certification of cleansing. These men had no evidence that they were healed. It was as they went to be examined by the priests that they received their healing. There was no earthly reason for them to expect a healing. But they went ahead and accepted Jesus’ word.

We would expect the story to be over there. Jesus brings healing for people who accept his words. But there is more. One of the ten returned to thank Jesus. Just one of the people. And he was a foreigner, a Samaritan. This was one of the people who would not be accepted in polite Jewish society whether he was healthy or not.

It seems that often the people who have less experience with healing and forgiveness are those who are quick to express their thanks. Here in the fairly affluent and healthy Western world we take medical care and treatment almost for granted. We rarely consider the fact that a condition could kill us. We often consider the fact that our recovery takes too long, the treatment costs too much, or there was some annoying condition in the waiting room. Likewise within the Church. Those who are too accustomed to God’s outpoured grace are prone to take it for granted.Those who, like the Samaritan in our Bible passage, have long been separated from grace, will return thanks again and again.

May the Lord give us a spirit of thanksgiving.

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Luke 17:1-10 - Lectionary for Pentecost 20 C, 10/2/16

9/29/2016

9/29/16
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Gospel reading from Luke chapter 17 speaks to forgiveness and obedience. The two ideas are very closely related. When Jesus calls the disciples to forgive sin freely, we do well to note that this forgiveness is expressed for those who have sinned against us and approach us in sorrow. How has God dealt with his people? We come to him as repentant sinners, we ask his forgiveness, and he forgives us. How, then, will we deal with other sinners such as ourselves? In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus teaches us to ask the Lord to forgive our transgressions as we forgive others. Do we value God’s forgiveness? Do we despise it? Do we expect that we can hold other people to a higher standard of judgment that God does? Compared to God we have no moral qualifications to hold others accountable for their sin.

But that hurt me! When we are sinned against we don’t like it! No, God does not like being sinned against either. So what are we going to do about it? Jesus goes right on after talking about forgiveness to speak of obedience and knowing our place in the world. As we have been called servants of God, we act as his obedient servants and humble ourselves, forgiving as we have been forgiven.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 16:19-31 - Lectionary for Pentecost 19 C

9/22/2016

9/22/16
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

As is often the case, so this week, the appointed Gospel reading from Luke 16:19-31 ties together the other readings. All have had an element of not depending upon ourselves. Most recently, the Epistle reading showed us two types of leaders who will work to strengthen God’s people and direct them to Jesus. Now, Jesus tells of a rich man and a poor man. Socially and economically they are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Yet they are both the same in a very important way. Both have died. Both have faced judgment. Both are in the place of their destiny. Both are judged based on whether they were believing in God’s mercy in life.

The poor man had nothing to trust in but God’s mercy. Or so we think. Actually, he could have been embittered by his bad situation. He could have trusted in the dogs who befriended him. He could have trusted in the rich man or the rich man’s servants who provided him with what he needed. He could have trusted in his street smarts, or at least those he used to have. But he didn’t. He trusted in God’s mercy. When we find him after his death he is in paradise.

The rich man had many things to trust in aside from God’s mercy. He could have trusted in his authority, his riches, his earthly power. It appears from the passage that maybe he trusted the message his family had given him, as he asks for someone to go tell his family the truth. Yet none of these things should have made it impossible for him to have trusted God’s mercy, just like the poor man. However, he was rewarded with eternal torment, rather than eternal bliss.

How quick are we to discount the means which God has provided and revealed in Scripture? There are many people in our surrounding culture who will trust anything other than the biblical words which can give them life. Jesus describes God, not Lazarus or the rich man, as being on the throne, deciding their eternal disposition. What does God require? Trust in him. Nothing more, nothing less. Think about the implications. What proof do we need? What proof are we going to be given in this life? May the Lord increase our faith.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

Luke 16:1-15 - Lectionary for Pentecost 18 C

9/15/2016

Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

The Gospel for this week is Luke 16:1-15. This is probably one of the most difficult of the parables of Jesus to explain. It is so challenging primarily because the main character, the “unjust steward,” is, in fact, called “unjust” in Jesus’ story. If it were simply a matter of a master being pleased with a steward who is shrewd enough to provoke debtors to some sort of payment we would be able to understand it easily. But Jesus distinctly calls this steward “unjust.”

Does he then want Christians to be unjust? Not at all. However, when push comes to shove, it is within the master’s desire for the debts to be collected, even partially. The steward did not have authority to reduce the debts, but it was, in fact, the master’s will that the debts be collected. Though the steward was acting out of a self-interest which was not godly, his self-interested actions actually were in agreement with the master’s desire.

How many of our actions are self-interested? If we consider it fairly, we are very likely to find that none of our actions are genuinely done with no self interest. Even in our good deeds, we desire people to think well of us, to repay us, or we want to assuage guilt for something that we have failed to do in the past or will surely fail in the future. We act in our own interest, even if we have someone else’s interest in mind. How does God respond to our poorly motivated, partially accomplished good deeds? He commends us. It is not as if we accomplished something completely good. We didn’t. But we did do something which was pleasing to God.

May we have grace to care for our neighbors in this world, even our work is incomplete and our motivation is not perfect.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.