Many thanks to all the people who wished me a happy birthday! It has been three days of festivities for Jenny & I. On my actual birthday (Thursday), we had dinner at PF Changs. Last night we used a $50 gift card from my parents for a fantastic dinner at Olive Garden (you must try the fried lasagna!) and tonight my friend, Kristine, organized a birthday dinner to Doc Chey's here in downtown Asheville. The food was almost as good as the company. BUT, I have been itching to get back to the blog, even though I'm just getting to writing at 10:30 on a Saturday night.
Read Luke 7 (find it here)
Back in Luke 4 Jesus ticked off people in his hometown by implying that God didn't exclusively care about only Jews (his said this by noting that Elijah didn't help Israelite widows but a foreigner instead, the same with Elisha). Jesus says something similar to this again in the first part of Luke 7.
While traveling Jesus is met by "some respected Jewish elders" who were sent by a Roman officer to ask Jesus if he could heal his "highly valued slave." There are two things interesting right off the bat.
A Roman sends two Jews.
In this time period, these two types of people didn't mesh well together. Rome had essentially occupied Jewish territory and claimed it as their own. But this officer didn't treat Jews like most Romans did. He loved Jewish people and "even built a synagogue (like a church)" for them. So, "respected Jewish elders" honored his request to go to Jesus on his behalf.
This Roman officer is also said to have "highly valued" his slave. Slaves were property and to see the words "highly valued" (as in this slave was important to him as a person, not as worker) and slave together is uncommon in Scripture. It shows the Roman officer's compassion.
Before Jesus gets to the slave, the officer decides that instead of troubling Jesus to come all the way to his home, he sends friends to ask Jesus just to speak the word and the slave would be healed. The officer thought, "If I can command people to come and go, surely Jesus can do the same with sicknesses." No doubt he had heard of Jesus healing people!
Jesus, in verse 9, was amazed! This guy blew Jesus' mind! Jesus turned to the crowd that was following him and basically called everyone out by saying, "I haven't seen faith like this in all of Israel!" He basically said, "this Roman has shown more faith in me than any other Jew I've seen."
I bet that was a hard pill to swallow for his followers. And, oh by the way, the slave was healed, too.
This is another instance where one person's faith saved someone else (remember the guy lowered through the roof in Luke 5?).
Jesus continues to travel with a large posse behind him. They come across a funeral procession. Instead of shiny black Cadillacs and a hurse, this scene probably looked more like people openly weeping aloud, dressed in sackcloth (like a burlap or potato sack) as they follow the casket to its burial site. It was the procession for a widow's only son.
Jesus' heart overflowed with compassion (verse 13). This is an example of when Jesus produced a miracle even when it wasn't asked for. In this instance, with the mother being a widow (which means she has no one to provide for her), losing the only male in her family would ultimately leave her poor. The only women who "worked" were pretty much prostitutes. Any who did common labor would be characterized as abnormal. So Jesus repaired the life of the mother just as much as he did for her son.
Jesus' miracle produced great awe, instead of ridicule. Its almost as if Jesus knew the positive reaction he would receive.
Its evident that John and Jesus aren't hanging out or even communicating that much because John send two of his boys to Jesus to ask, "Are the Messiah we've been expecting, or should we keep looking?" For some reason, the news of all of Jesus' miracle haven't made their way back to John. John doesn't know all the stories we know, at this point.
Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:18-19 in verse 22 by saying (paraphrasing here), "I've done the same things that Isaiah said the Holy One of Israel (or Messiah) would do." That answers that.
After that, Jesus decides to tell his following crowd about John. He refers to John as more than a prophet (remember, one who speaks for God), but as the man destined to prepare the way for Jesus. John pretty much gave Jesus' ministry a launching point with his baptism.
Jesus builds John up BIG TIME and then says something that is completely befuddling. Jesus says, "I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!" This was so confusing to me that I had to seek help.
John was the last and first of a generation. John was the last of the generation to live by the 600+ laws. He was the launching point for Jesus' ministry, which was all about fostering a relationship with God through forgiveness of sin. So, John was the greatest of the "Law generation," but when it comes to people who accept God's forgiveness, Jesus deems the faith to accept forgiveness as being greater than following the old Law.
Naturally, all the people, thought that accepting God was easier and more understandable than trying to please God through the Law. It seemed "right." (verse 29)
Everyone agreed except the enforces of the Law, the Pharisees and religious experts. They rejected God's plan of forgiveness (through accepting Jesus instead of the old way of following the law and offering sacrifices).
Jesus says that "this generation" (or these people) are unsatisfied with whatever is done for them. They can't be pleased. And to make matters worse, the Pharisees and religious experts spread rumors about John and Jesus. They called John demonic and Jesus a fat drunkard who hangs out with scum.
Jesus gives out one more little shot to those "experts" when he says the true wisdom is shown by those who follow wise teaching. That's just a fancy way of saying, "Pharisees you're so smart that you can't see the obvious wise (and easy) thing to do."
Questions
1.) The thought of Jesus being amazed is mind-blowing! Do you think you've ever amazed Jesus? In other words, do you do the unexpected? Have you exceeded what the average person does?
2.) Jesus says that anyone who accepts him is blessed and greater than John the Baptist. How does it make you feel to have Jesus say that anyone who accepts him (is that true of you?) is greater than the greatest prophet that has ever lived?
3.) Are you thinking too much about the Christian faith? Everyone except the "experts" thought that accepting God's forgiveness and turning from their old ways was the right and obvious thing to do. Do you set too many rules for yourself and forget that the Christian faith is more about being led by God? How can you break free of the Law and huge expectations that you put on yourself? Why not focus that energy on serving others instead of just being a "better person." Being a "better person" was what the Pharisees wanted people to be.
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