#Luke4 - Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Click here to read Luke 4:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

Multiple times in this chapter, Jesus says that he has come to "proclaim the good news." Although he wasn't the one standing on the street corner shouting it out like a newsboy, it was spoken with the same idea. "I've got news to share, and it's good! Freedom for the prisoners, good news to the poor, the year of the Lord's favor, and the kingdom of God." In a sense, when Jesus read the scroll in the synagogue and said that the words in the Scripture were about him, he was basically announcing, "This is it. Listen to me." In a sense, that's what God said at his transfiguration, "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him." But as soon as Jesus began to speak a word that was even slightly negative about the people in the congregation, they tried to chase him out of town and get rid of him. Apparently, even good news can be offensive if received with the wrong attitude. :)

2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?

The account of Jesus being tempted helps me to see that Jesus was human. He was tempted, just like I am. The difference is that he was totally reliant on the Scriptures and the Spirit of God within him to resist temptation. This is exactly what the writer of Hebrews wanted us to know about Jesus, our new high priest. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin." - Hebrews 4:15 I also thought about the verse in James 4:7, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." That is exactly what Jesus did, and that is exactly what Satan did.  These connections are really cool, because it helps me to believe that these verses can be for me too. It's not like Jesus is superman repelling bullets. He is fully human and resisting temptation in the same way we CAN resist temptation when we face it daily.

3. What does this mean for my life?

When Jesus began to quote Scripture, he started with "The Spirit of the Lord is on me..." The Holy Spirit that he received at his baptism also came upon the apostles at Pentecost, and also lives inside each believer in a mysterious way that unites, equips, and empowers us to be his hands and feet in the world. I need to constantly remember that living a life that honors God is less about "trying hard" and more about listening and surrendering to the movements and guidance of the Holy Spirit within me.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

How could the crowds so quickly move from being amazed at his teaching to furious rage that caused them to want to throw him off a cliff? If someone speaks with great authority from Scripture, and then points out something in my life that needs to conform to Scripture, I'd like to think I would be pretty open to hearing that instead of wanting to throw that person off a cliff.

Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!

In Christ,
Dan

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#Mark3 - The Plot Thickens...

Click here to read Mark 3:

1. What stood out to you from this chapter?

I was taken aback in Mark's gospel that it only took until the 3rd chapter before the Pharisees and teachers of the law began to plot together how they might kill Jesus. That didn't take long. I know Jesus didn't do things the way they did, but this seems a little extreme. Even at the end of the chapter they accuse him of being possessed by the prince of demons. The funny thing is that Jesus didn't set out to do any harm to these leaders. Rather he came to show everyone the heart of the Father. Yet when their hearts were not only hardened but persistently unreceptive, Jesus uses strong words to try and wake them up and bring them back.

2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?

In the last verse of the chapter, Jesus says that whoever does God's will is his brother and sister and mother. In the book of Hebrews, the author describes God as a Father who is redeeming his sons and daughters. It says in verse 11, "Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters." So besides being Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Messiah, Son of God, the Light of World, and other things, we can also think of Jesus as our big brother. What a powerful relationship that creates.

3. What does this mean for my life?

When Jesus was talking to the religious leaders about the Sabbath, he said, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or do do evil, to save life or to kill?" Neither the leaders nor Jesus gave a verbal answer, but the unspoken answer was to do good. In Galatians 6:9-10 says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." As I look at Jesus I am reminded that there is NEVER a wrong time to do the right thing.

4. What questions do I have about this chapter?

It appears that talk about demons and dealing with demons is very common in the early church. It was even the stuffy religious leaders that brought up the issue of demons. My question is, are there still demons today? I know that even in Acts the apostles were driving out evil spirits, and from a historical standpoint we are still in the same "chapter of God's history" as the disciples in the book of Acts. If not, where did they go? Are they just not as prevalent in the U.S.? That seems silly. If they are still around, how do we know what they are and who they might be affecting?

Those are my thoughts from the day. I hope you'll share yours. God's blessings to you and keep digging in!

In Christ,
Dan

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