路加福音

Meditative Reflection
Mustard Seed

“What is the kingdom of God like…it is like a mustard seed which a man took and planted in his garden…” (Lk. 13:18-19)

“Nov. 3. I spent this day in secret fasting and prayer, from morning till night. Early in the morning, I had some assistance in prayer. Afterwards I read the story of Elijah the prophet. My soul was much moved, observing the faith, zeal, and power of that Holy man; and how he wrestled with God in prayer. I then cried with Elisha, ‘Where is the Lord God of Elijah?!’ I longed for more faith! My soul breathed after God, and pleaded with him, that a double portion of that spirit, which was given to Elijah, might rest on me, and I saw God is the same that he was in the days of Elijah. I was enabled to wrestle with God by prayer, in a more affectionate, humble, and importunate manner, than I have for many months past. Nothing seemed too hard for God to perform; nothing too great for me to hope for from him. I had for many months lost all hopes of doing any special service for God in the world; it appeared impossible, that one so vile should be thus employed for God. But at this time God was pleased to revive this hope. Afterwards I read the third chapter of Exodus, and on to the twentieth, and saw more of the glory and majesty of God discovered in those chapters, than ever I had seen before; frequently, in the meantime, falling on my knees, and crying to God for the faith of Moses, and for a manifestation of the Divine glory. My soul was ardent in prayer, and I was enabled to wrestle for myself, for my friends, and for the church. I felt more desire to see the power of God in the conversion of souls, than I have done for a long season. Blessed be God for this season of fasting and prayer. May his goodness always abide with me, and draw my soul to him.”

Meditative Reflection
Mourning over Jerusalem

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” (Lk. 13:34)

Meditative Reflection
A Friend of Sinners

“One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, He was being carefully watched.” (Lk. 14:1)

The four books of the Gospel record quite a few occasions when Jesus ate with the Pharisees, but the one in Luke 14 was quite unique in that He was invited by a “prominent” Pharisee. Luke mentions that He was being carefully watched. We can be sure that Jesus knew what was happening, and yet He was willing to accept the invitation.

Obviously, the Pharisees represented the worst of the sinners of Israel and Jesus pulled no punches as He often relentlessly rebuked their sins, especially that of hypocrisy (see one of the most severe rebukes against the Pharisees in Matt. 23:13-35 which in summary form was retold in Lk. 11:39-52). Yet, in spite of the hatred these Pharisees harbored against Him, Jesus did not cut Himself off from them, and in this incident, He did something rather unusual.

It was Sabbath and there was a man suffering from dropsy “in front of them” (Lk. 14:2); this probably implies that he was “planted” there to test Jesus. Instead of healing him right away, which He normally would have done, Jesus chose to ask them this question first, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” And, when they had nothing to say, He answered the question that He raised. Jesus demonstrated His heart for the Pharisees, He wanted their friendship too.

We often like to say that Jesus is a friend of sinners, but we are referring to the tax collectors and the prostitutes mostly (like in Lk. 15:1). However, He is a friend of all sinners, including the Pharisees. As much as they hated Him, were the worst offenders of the Law of Moses, and were bent on killing Him, He did not cut Himself off from them. He made Himself a friend to them until the end. Why? He came to die for all sinners, including the Pharisees.

Meditative Reflection
Whose Choice is it?

“Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.” (Lk. 14:20)

I invite you to also look at the wedding banquet’s parable in Matthew 22:1-14 which gives essentially the same message as the great banquet in Luke 14:15-24, except in greater detail.

In both parables, we find that the original invitees (who are the Chosen People, the Jews) turned down the invitation.

Some paid no attention and went off to their field, and some left to manage their business and in Luke’s parable, the invitee was preoccupied with his honeymoon!.They had no time for God. This is perhaps the picture of the majority of the people in the secular world. They are so caught up with life’s pursuits that they think religion is a waste of time.

But in Matthew’s parable, the “rest” of the invitees were very different. They were not only very religious, but were religious to the point that they “seized...mistreated…and killed” the messenger. These are religious fanatics who will resort to violence to silence or eliminate those they do not agree with theologically. The religious leaders of Jesus’ time did exactly that to Jesus.

But why would Jesus end the parable in Matthew by saying, “For many are invited, but few are chosen”? (Matt. 22:14)

I believe Jesus points out to us the two equally true aspects concerning our faith.

On the one hand, salvation is offered to all people, because “God so loved the (whole) world.” (Jn. 3:16) So, many, in fact, all are invited.

On the other hand, everyone has to make a choice, either to reject it, or to receive it. Even if a decision is not made, it has been made, and it is the decision to not to accept the salvation offered by Jesus. But, our all-knowing God remains the one that chooses. Thus, Jesus says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last.” (Jn. 15:16)

I know it is a mystery, but our attention should not be on its mystery, but on the fact that we have been chosen for a purpose—not ours, but God’s.

Meditative Reflection
You cannot be a Disciple

“In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” (Lk. 14:33)

It is worth-noting that Jesus asserts that anyone who wishes to follow Him has to “hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes even his own life” and to “carry his cross”; otherwise, he “cannot be” His disciple (Lk. 14:26-27). He does not say, that he had better not follow Him. Rather He points out the futility and impossibility of being His disciple. To many readers of these words of Jesus, two questions would naturally come to their minds:

(1) Why is it impossible to follow Him without hating those who are dearest to us?

(2) What is meant by carrying one’s cross to follow Him?

Of course, Jesus, and for that matter, the teachings of the entire Bible never teach us to hate anyone. Jesus, in fact, teaches that we have to love even our enemies (Matt. 5:44). So, in interpreting these words of Jesus, we need to compare Scripture with Scripture, and understand them based on what Jesus has said in a similar context. Jesus says in Mark 10:29-30, “(N)o one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age…and with them persecution and in the age to come, eternal life. “ (Italics, mine)

It is obvious that we have to love everyone, including those dearest to us, and yet for the sake of Christ and the gospel — that is when any of these loved ones of ours stands in the way of our love for Christ and the gospel — we need to make a choice, to put Christ and His gospel first, if we are to follow Him. While we still definitely love them, the world will see it differently and assume that we “hate” them instead. This in fact, is the cross we need to bear. However, our cross extends beyond this to the giving up of “everything” — again, that is when something stands in the way of our love for Christ and the gospel — even to death, which was where the cross of Jesus eventually led Him to. This is the true meaning of following Christ.

In His fore-knowledge, Jesus knew that there would be those who claim to follow Him, but without putting Him first before and above everyone and everything, and because of this, he stopped the large crowds who were following Him with a very powerful body language — He turned. When He turned, we can imagine that everyone stopped. Jesus’s message to them was, "before you take another step toward me, stop and count the cost".

- like the builder of a tower, except that for everyone who has enough resources to take on this biggest project of their life (that is to follow Me), the cost will be 100% of what you have;

- like the king prepared for war, knowing that by ourselves we have only 10,000 men, definitely not able to defeat our enemies (Satan and sin) whose army is twice as strong; but by surrounding our lives totally with Him as our Chief Commander, as Joshua did in Joshua 5:13-15, we can be His disciples.

But one question that most of us who wish to follow Christ fail to ask is, “What if, we claim to be His followers without really loving Him first in our lives, before and above everyone and everything?” The reason why we fail to ask such a question is often because eternal life, forgiveness of sin, joy and peace offered by Christ are just too good to turn down. Knowing that most of us will ignore such a question, our Lord points out the futility of such a “following”, likening us to salt losing its saltiness in vv. 34-35. Those who have ears to hear will not only hear His words, but His sigh behind these words:

“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is neither fit for the soil not for the manure pile, it is thrown out.”

The truth of the matter is: Following Christ is never for our own sake, but for the sake of Christ and His gospel (Mk. 10:29).

Meditative Reflection
Rejoicing in Heaven

“I tell you in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” (Lk. 15:7)

Some modern Evangelicals have followed the footsteps of the Liberals and deny the fact that a one-time repentance leads to eternal life. They see conversion as a process in which there isn’t a particular point of conversion. The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin should settle it clearly.

If the repentance of a sinner does not lead to eternal life and salvation, how can he or she be said to have been found? Why then would heaven throw a party and rejoice over the repentance of a sinner, if he or she might not be saved?

It is true that after we have repented and are found, we are still sinners, saved by grace. We then embark on the road of sanctification which is a life-long process, coming to its completion only when we see Christ. However, conversion has already happened and we are saved with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as our seal (Eph. 1:13).

The parable of the lost sheep has captured the hearts and imagination of many saints in the past. Let’s use some time to reflect on the lyrics of this famous hymn, The Ninety and Nine:

1
There were ninety and nine that safely lay
In the shelter of the fold.
But one was out on the hills away,
Far off from the gates of gold.
Away on the mountains wild and bare.
Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.
Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.

2
“Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine;
Are they not enough for Thee?”
But the Shepherd made answer: “This of Mine
Has wandered away from Me;
And although the road be rough and steep,
I go to the desert to find My sheep,
I go to the desert to find My sheep.”

3
But none of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed;
Nor how dark was the night the Lord passed through
Ere He found His sheep that was lost.
Out in the desert He heard its cry,
Sick and helpless and ready to die;
Sick and helpless and ready to die.

4
“Lord, whence are those blood drops all the way
That mark out the mountain’s track?”
“They were shed for one who had gone astray
Ere the Shepherd could bring him back.”
“Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?”
“They are pierced tonight by many a thorn;
They are pierced tonight by many a thorn.”

5
And all through the mountains, thunder riven
And up from the rocky steep,
There arose a glad cry to the gate of Heaven,
“Rejoice! I have found My sheep!”
And the angels echoed around the throne,
“Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!
Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!”

Elizabeth Clephane, 1830-1869

Meditative Reflection
Who is the Prodigal Son?

“My son…you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and found.” (Lk. 15:31-32)

We know that Jesus told the three parables —the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son — to show the Pharisees and the scribes that we are all sinners. However, it was the last parable that He used to show how equally lost they were compared to the tax collectors and “sinners”.

But the older son in the last parable does not only speak to the conditions of the Pharisees and scribes, but to ours as well.

We can all identify with the older son and his answer to his father.

- While we have become children of God, we do not appreciate the privilege and preciousness of our “sonship”; we have taken for granted the fact that God is always with us, not remembering our former condition in sin — the hunger, the loneliness and the tyranny of sin in which we used to live, so aptly depicted in Luke 15:14-16.

- We also spurn all the blessings that are ours even as we live in God and in His household — the daily nurture in His word, the company of His other children, the unseen attendance and protection of His angels, not to mention the peace and joy that come with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

- Worse, as God has seen fit to use us for His service, we take it as a chore, just as the older son did and he said, “all these years, I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders.” My goodness, we serve so grudgingly without feeling appreciated, we serve as if we were slaves, and we live a so-called holy life with no joy, but as an obligation.

- We feel that God has not been fair to us — He never threw us a party.

Brothers and sisters, I am afraid, there are many Christians serving in the church like the older brother.

And how and when does such an attitude come to the surface?

It is when God chooses to use and give success to other brothers and sisters. It is when others are being recognized while we are not that we immediately blow our fuse. We are angry, we are upset and we quit!

The problem with the older son ultimately lies in his lack of a love relationship with both the father and his brother:

- His relationship with father is only based on a sense of duty; he never wished to identify with the desires and joy of the father.

- He never loved his fellow brother as his father did.

In other words, the older son is just as lost as the younger son.