Get Your Kid On

Luke 18:16-17 - But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

There must be more pictures painted and drawn of Jesus inviting the children to come to him than almost any other passage in the bible, save the cross itself. There is something incredibly compelling about this story that can touch the heart of any parent or grandparent and vindicate any child who has felt worthless until adulthood.

Some parents wanted Jesus to touch and pray for their children. If you ever had a screaming child at the next table in a nice restaurant or a visiting niece or nephew who destroyed one of your favorite curios, perhaps you can understand why the well-meaning, but misguided, disciples were trying to spare Jesus from the annoyance of those children. He had “more important” things to do than deal with some snot-nosed kids. Yet, Jesus did not view those children as annoyance. Instead he saw them as a joy and an opportunity for all to learn, especially the adults there.

Most people who will ever become Christians will do so before age 12. We need to ensure that we do what we can to help children come to Jesus. It is not by accident that as Dean of Southeastern University’s College of Christian Ministry and Religion I get more job opportunities for our graduates to serve as children’s pastors than any other position. I had the joy in June of helping with our church’s summer outreach to underprivileged children. As they heard the story of Jesus, they got it. They believed it. Certainly they returned home to tough circumstances: not knowing their fathers or having them in jail, mothers addicted to drugs, older siblings in gangs, etc. Yet, the greatest thing was to see some older teens who had been through the program in their elementary years coming back to serve, still believing in Jesus, succeeding in school, earning scholarships to college, and serving as living proof of the life-transforming power of the Gospel of Christ.

As Jesus says in verse 17, even adults need to adopt some childlike behavior to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus does not specify exact what traits he is looking for, but it is easy to imagine what he means if you spend time with children discussing spiritual things. Children are more open to spiritual things on average. They see with a clarity and simplicity that we adults struggle to obtain. They trust easily and believe completely. Let’s “get our kid on” today.

All That

Luke 18:9 - He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:

Status matters. To some people it matters a lot. Many of us judge our worth by comparing ourselves to others. Whether out loud or to themselves, some say, “I must be better, faster, stronger, richer, more beautiful, more popular, more esteemed, or more of something else than everyone else for me to be worthwhile.” Our capitalistic society was built on competition, and we have come to worship it here in America. Sadly, the status and comparison game has even made it into our churches. However, this kind of selfish posturing was not an American invention. Jesus saw it as a huge problem in his day, and he attacked that attitude.

In Luke 18:10-14, Jesus told a parable contrasting two people. The Pharisee represented everything that everyone in their society looked up to. He was successful. He was religious. He was generous. He prayed and fasted regularly. He had his stuff together. He was, as we say today, “all that,” except for one thing: He “trusted in himself and treated others with contempt.” He played the game to win, and that meant everyone else had to lose, and he eagerly rubbed their noses in it. Listen to the words in his prayer, “I thank you I am not like other people…” What a graphic image of arrogance!

Jesus then presents the opposite example. The tax collector was despised by everyone else in society. There is no reason he should be exalted by others, and he wasn’t. Yet, Jesus lifts him up as the example to follow. Why? Because of his humble repentance. His prayer was completely different, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

Our behavior matters and sin must be addressed, but the sin of arrogance may be the worst of all. We all are imperfect sinners in desperate need of the grace of a forgiving God. We have no business holding others in contempt. Let’s stay humble.

Keep Praying

Luke 18:1 - And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart

Do you ever wonder if your prayers do any good? Does it ever seem like God does not hear, does not care, or chooses not to act? It is easy to quit praying when your prayers go unanswered. Jesus anticipated our discouragement and told a vivid parable to keep us praying.

The story is of a widow who needed a judge to rule in her favor. First century Jewish courts were not like ours. This woman had direct access to the judge. Jesus makes the point that the judge did not make his decisions on the basis of what was right: “He did not fear God or man.” It sounds like he was easily bribed. This poor woman had nothing to bribe him with except persistent complaining, and that was enough to do the job. He gave in and gave her what she wanted just to get her to leave him alone.

Jesus uses this extreme example to contrast a good and loving God who wants and does the right thing in every case. Jesus wraps up with his main point in verse 7: If an unjust judge gives justice to a whining widow, how much more quickly will God grant justice for his elect children? 

Notice what Jesus did not say (but we wish he did): “…how much more quickly will God answer the prayers of his elect…” Doesn't that seem to be the point that verse 1 sets us up for? The word justice in Greek has the same root as the word for right. Even in English, justice has a legal connotation, but right functions in everyday reasoning: “It is the right thing to do.” It implies not just a legal settlement but the best decision and outcome possible.

What Jesus is promising is that God will speedily do the right thing for us. Many times that is exactly what we are praying for, but sometimes it is not. Sometimes we do not know the full implications of our requests, but God always does right by us, and our prayers move God to action even if he acts differently than we ask on occasion. Let’s keep praying.

When Will the End Come?

Luke 17:20-21- Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

People have been anxious to know when the world would end for about as long as there has been a world. I was 23 years old when the book, Eighty-Eight Reasons Why Jesus Christ Will Return in 1988, came out. The author was confident in his predictions that all the signs pointed to Jesus’ return at the Feast of Tabernacles, which was to take place on September 10^th that year. However, my marriage to Keira was set for September 17, 1988. As a devout young believer, but still a man, I prayed, “Lord, I am ready and eager for your return whenever it will come, but if you want to wait a week, I would be fine with that.” Obviously, Keira and I got married, and we are all still here. One more well-intentioned prediction failed to come true.

The Pharisees’ question in Luke 17:20, “When will the Kingdom of God come?”, has been echoed through the centuries. We want to understand the signs. We want it to be definite. Yet, Jesus answers their question by saying they are asking the wrong thing. The Kingdom is here and among us. The more important question is, “Are you a part of the Kingdom? Is God your King?”

Jesus is not saying he will not return in a physical way at a set point in time. In fact, he follows this statement in verses 22-37 with a detailed explanation of his return. However, his main point is that we cannot know exactly when Jesus will return. What we can know is what kind of people Jesus will return for. If we are not careful, we can get so focused on the question “When will Jesus return?” that we fail to ask, “Who should I be whenever he comes?” Make Jesus your King today.

When Does Healing Happen?

Luke 17:17-19 - Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

In Luke 17:12, Jesus was approached by ten lepers. This dreaded skin disease made them spiritual and social outcasts. In accordance with the command in Leviticus 13:45-46, they had to stand at a distance as they asked Jesus to have mercy on them. They had no doubt heard about all of the miracles Jesus had performed, and they wanted their share of his power.

Jesus responded to healing requests in a variety of ways. When one leper asked for healing in Luke 5:12-14, Jesus broke the taboo and touched him. This time, though, he strangely told the ten to “show themselves to the priest.” This was the Old Testament instruction for one who had been cleansed from leprosy (See Leviticus 14:1-32). Note that the healing did not occur until they left Jesus. They had no physical evidence of the healing yet. They acted in faith and they were cleansed on the way (Luke 17:14).

One of the ten noticed he was healed and turned back to thank Jesus and give glory to God for what had happened. Jesus was astonished the other nine did not return to give thanks, but he sent the one who did away with an interesting statement. The English Standard Version translates it, “Your faith has made you well,” but the Greek word for made you well is sesoken. This word most often gets translated “saved.” It can mean physical healing, as well as a natural saving (like being rescued from drowning) and the transcendent saving from Hell Jesus does for those who believe in him. In this case, it can certainly mean Jesus was referring to the former leper’s physical healing coming from his faith, whether the initial act of faith in heading to the priest on Jesus’ word alone or returning to give thanks to Jesus for healing him. Yet, if so, why did Jesus need to say it? Perhaps there was more Jesus had in mind to this healing saving.

All ten lepers got the tangible and immediate benefit of being cleansed from leprosy. The other nine left it at that, perhaps feeling they were entitled to the healing. Because they failed to acknowledge Jesus’ work in the healing and thanking him, they missed out on the full and lasting saving healing that came to the one who knew the value in saying thanks.

The Vain Hunger for Recognition

Luke 17:10 - So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’ 

So much of American life these days is a pursuit for recognition. Scroll through your Facebook feed sometime and count the ratio of posts that scream, “Notice me!” Isn't that really what a selfie is all about? Some people who take selfies to keep them for future personal reference, but most of the time we take those pictures with the intent of posting them on social media so other people can see them. The drive to be recognized goes far beyond social media, though. Think of the thousands who show up for American Idol auditions and the hundreds of wannabe artists, musicians, and actors doing whatever it takes to get noticed.

The hunger for recognition even extends to personal relationships. When we do something for a friend or a spouse, we want them to notice. We want them to be impressed. It is hard not to place our value as an individual on the accolades we receive from others. I have spent many hours counseling couples in which one or the other in the couple was in deep pain because of a lack of regular verbal appreciation from their spouse.  It hurts when others don’t notice. Far too often suicide is one last, loud attempt to yell, “Notice me!” Yet, this is not the way to live. With everyone else pursuing their own recognition, they will have little time or energy to give others much of the attention they crave.

Once again, Jesus turns our world upside down. Even in his day people begged for appreciation. Instead, Jesus called his followers to a radical attitude change: Do what you do not for recognition from people but because it is what you are supposed to do. On the one hand, this seems counter-intuitive. If we do not pursue recognition, how can we ever receive it? If we do not receive recognition, how can we ever find fulfillment? They key is the radical, paradoxical others-focused life that Jesus calls us to. The servant in this story serves his master without needing recognition. He gives his attention to another. He gives recognition to another, and in doing so he finds fulfillment in living his life’s purpose.

You and I can do the same. Rather than a selfish, often futile, effort to have others recognize us, let’s honor them and find the real joy that comes from getting the focus off of ourselves.

Effective Faith

Luke 17:5-6 - The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

There is no way to overstate the importance and challenge of faith. In Greek, the noun faith and the verb believe have the same root. Over and over Jesus tells us faith is the key to receiving eternal life (think of John 3:16 – “…whoever believes in him has eternal life) and answered prayer. A lack of faith and difficulty believing seems to keep many people who would become Christians from doing so. If Jesus were to ask me what I want most of all, I would be just like his disciples in Luke 17:5 – “Give me more faith, please!”

With a request like that in verse 5, verse 6 should be one of the most important verses in the New Testament. Jesus should have told us the secret formula, the seven steps to increased faith. However, to the disciples’ disappointment (and mine), Jesus did not do that. He did not tell them how to increase their faith. He did not touch them on the foreheads and shout, “BAM!” Instead, he described a seemingly impossible feat that came from one with a mustard seed of faith.

Why did Jesus not answer their question? He was pointing out that they were asking the wrong question. The grain of mustard seed was tiny. The size of the disciples’ faith was not the issue. What determined their faith’s effectiveness was what they did with it. Faith is not limited by size. Whatever faith you have, use it. Trust, believe, pray, follow, speak, act, and see what God will do through you.

Who’s to Blame?

Luke 17:1-2 - And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.”

I am sure there has been a time in your life that another person influenced you to make a bad decision. Perhaps you were a teen deciding whether or not to go to a party where there would be alcohol. Perhaps a friend egged you on to sneak out of your house at night. It may have been a coworker who encouraged you to fudge some numbers. So many times, a person is wrestling internally, trying to decide what to do when real consequences are at stake. In those occasions an encouraging voice from someone you think you can trust saying, “It’s OK. Everyone does it. It won’t hurt,” is all it takes to push you to do the “wrong” thing.

Who is to blame in those circumstances? You made the choice. Is it your responsibility? What about the person who encouraged you? You may not have gone that way had your friend not said, “Go ahead. I am with you.”

In reading the Bible as a whole, there is no question we are responsible for our own decisions. “The devil made me do it” is not a legitimate excuse. However, in this passage, Jesus clearly puts part of the responsibility on the one who does the tempting – causing another to sin – being the source of the scandalon (stumbling block). Jesus’s graphic depiction of being thrown into the sea tied down by a heavy stone makes it clear judgment awaits those who lead others astray.

Jesus’ message is that temptation is inevitable, but our participation in it is not. We do not have to sin, and we do not have to cause others to sin. We are responsible to one another. Our words and actions can build up or destroy another person. Let’s give life, build faith, and encourage good actions in others.

Convinced to Change

Luke 16:31 -‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ 

What does it take to persuade you to change your beliefs and behaviors? Would a rock solid argument win you over? What about an emotionally moving story? Would a miracle convince you of supernatural reality or do you trust what you parents told you? Do you find that any change is too uncomfortable and inconvenient to even consider? Perhaps your identity is wrapped up in tradition and to change would seemingly be to deny yourself.

Jesus tells a fascinating story in Luke 16 about a nameless rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. We do not know if he is the same Lazarus Jesus raised from the dead in John 11. The latter was the brother of Mary and Martha and did not seem to live in the poverty of the Lazarus in Luke 16. Yet, there is certainly the connection with the idea of being raised from the dead. Either way, Jesus’ points in this story seems to be to help his listeners understand 1) the reality of eternal rewards and punishment and 2) how difficult it can be to change some people’s beliefs and behaviors.

When the rich man is suffering in torment and Lazarus is now chillin’ on Abraham’s lap, the rich man begs Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers to get them to repent. “Surely they will believe if someone rises from the dead,” he says in verse 30, but Abraham says even a resurrection is not enough to persuade some people.

Certainly this is a prophetic reference to Jesus’ resurrection. Many of those most aware of what actually happened refused to change their behaviors when they knew that Jesus was no longer dead. They lived as they had been living and tried to stomp out any evidence of the truth. Why? Was it an awareness that their earthly position and possessions might be at risk? Did they want the short term benefit at an enormous long term cost?

It is wise for each of us to consider the cost of change and what it would take for us to believe it is worthwhile. This applies in nearly every area of life, whether eliminating a bad habit, succeeding in business, or improving our relationships. We can never improve if we are not willing to change. Yet the most important changes are eternal. Please do not be afraid to make the biggest change of all through Jesus Christ.