"When Jesus heard this, he was amazed..."

Bible Tangent(s) is back! I'm glad you're here.

I was studying Luke 7 today, and it occurred to me that this entire chapter is about faith. There are four episodes (three of which we'll discuss), and in each one Jesus responds to a person's faith. The people in this chapter are all over the map, so we get to see Jesus' responses to various strengths and types of belief.

A caution against formula: God does not always respond in the same ways to the same things. You've probably noticed this in your own spiritual life. Sometimes in prayer, worship, or Bible study, God may lead you a certain way, but other times God doesn't. So just a fair warning ("heads up!") that the principles here will not always play out exactly like this in your life.

This is true in part because God (in infinite wisdom) knows that different responses might be best to two different people in very similar situations, or with very similar expressions of faith. That being said, Jesus' reactions to the people in this chapter can teach us about his heart, purposes, and character. 


Here's the cast of characters in Luke 7:

1. The centurion
This guy isn't Jewish. It's difficult to overstate how important this is at the time of this story. It would have been almost impossible for Jesus' followers to imagine that a Gentile could have the same type of faith (or even better!) than the Jews. But then this centurion happens.

He wants Jesus to heal his servant, but he knows he's not worthy to have Jesus under his roof. So you might imagine he would leave his home to track down Jesus. But alas--he knows he's not even worthy to meet with Jesus in person! So he sends messengers to ask Jesus to heal the servant from afar. Jesus not only does it, but says that the centurion's faith surpasses any he's seen in Israel (Luke 7:9-10). To the centurion's humble faith, Jesus responds with healing.


2. John the Baptist
If you remember John the Baptist, he was an extreme dude who ate locusts in the wilderness. He preached about repentance and foretold Jesus' arrival. But now, in Luke 7, John is in prison. I don't want to infer too much, but based on what he does next, I think his faith is in crisis. He sends two of his followers to Jesus to ask him whether or not he's really the Messiah.

This is a significant ask from someone who had already publicly declared Jesus to be the Lamb of God. But now John is in prison, and maybe that has shaken his confidence. At any rate, Jesus responds in an interesting way: he quotes some passages from Isaiah that he has fulfilled through his miracles and ministry. Thus, he gives John two of the same pieces of evidence available to us: his miraculous works and his fulfillment of prophecy (Luke 7:21-23). He then affirms John's ministry to the crowd (7:24-28). To John's faltering faith, Jesus responds with evidence and encouragement.


3. The Pharisees
Pharisees appear twice in this chapter in quick succession: those in the crowd as Jesus preaches, and Simon who invites Jesus to dinner. To those in the crowd, Jesus reveals the hypocrisy in their reactions to John the Baptist and Jesus--John was an ascetic, and because of that they rejected him; Jesus wasn't an ascetic, and because of that they rejected him. The irony, of course, is that they responded incorrectly to both of them. They were like kids who hadn't cried during the dirge, and now they weren't dancing to the jig (Luke 7:31-35).

Simon also rejects Jesus, but in a more subtle way. Yes, he invites Jesus to dinner, but he shows him no hospitality and becomes indignant when a "sinful" woman lavishly loves Jesus at his table. Jesus rebukes him with a parable, revealing that the man (unlike the sinful woman) doesn't love Jesus because he doesn't realize how much he needs to be forgiven by Jesus (Luke 7:39-47). To the Pharisees' lack of faith, Jesus responds with rebuke and correction.


4. The sinful woman
This woman is sort of making a scene. She's interacting a lot with Jesus' feet: crying on them, kissing them, drying them with her hair, and pouring perfume on them. Maybe the outpouring of love is so profuse that it's making Simon the Pharisee uncomfortable, adding to his already judgmental disposition. This woman is going all-out in her expression of love.

And Jesus is moved by her actions. The parable he uses to rebuke the Pharisee also explains and commends the woman's love. It's because she knows how much she's been forgiven that she feels such immense gratitude to Jesus. In light of this, Jesus publicly declares her sins to be forgiven (Luke 7:44-50). To the woman's loving faith, Jesus responds with forgiveness.


How great our Savior is! When we lack faith, he rebukes and corrects us in love. When our faith wavers, he reveals himself. When we are humble, he brings healing. When we love him, he reminds us again of his saving forgiveness.

A (hopefully brief) hiatus

Friends,

I really want to get back to writing two Bible tangents per week, Mondays and Thursdays. The problem is that I'm also writing and (more so) editing devotional content for my church. This isn't always on my plate, so the months when I'm not working on that, I'll write these tangents.

If you're sad to miss out during those months I'm pulled away from this blog, don't worry-- you can receive the devotionals from my church via email! Just text NORTHWAY to 42828 and they'll prompt you for your email address.

Anyway, thanks for your patience and understanding!

Jon

Deuteronomy 28-- Filled with dread

Scripture: Deuteronomy 28 (especially verses 64-68)

When we started on this journey through Deuteronomy, I figured I might come to a section or chapter that is difficult to write about. An offensive command or a gory bloodbath. Here in chapter 28, in Moses' closing thoughts after re-giving the Law, we may have reached just that type of section.

Moses has given the Law, and the people have declared that they will obey it. Moses tells them to commemorate this by making an altar and writing down God's words. And now, he goes to the greatest lengths possible to persuade them to make good on their word and obey their God.

There are two easy ways to motivate obedience-- to promise reward for compliance and to threaten punishment for defiance. I'm sure psychological theories abound on these methods, not to mention old adages about catching flies with honey and vinegar. All that aside, Moses (and through him, God) uses both methods in this chapter to, at all costs, convince Israel to be in a right relationship with God.

If they will just follow Him, blessings will visit them in all areas of life: agriculture, military, possessions, children, reputation... an amazing picture is painted of a nation obedient to God's will.

However, in case that's not motivation enough, Moses employs a heavy dose of vinegar. If they turn their backs on God, the curses, plagues, and destruction they will experience will be even more widespread than the promised blessings. At one point in this chapter, Moses envisions a horrifying potential future in which besieged Israelites will be forced to eat their young to survive. It is a truly revolting and terrifying scene, as I'm sure it was meant to be.

And while this portrait may seem to indicate Moses is taking things "a step too far," is he? Can someone really go too far in expressing the downfalls of rejecting a right relationship with God? While those who reject God may be spared the external curses of siege and starvation, they will exist in spiritual death, separated from their Creator and Savior. 

They also might not be spared the inward calamities of life apart from God:

"...an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart... filled with dread both day and night, never sure of your life" (28:65b-66).

Sure, today there are more acceptable forms of warning and imploring than listing off blessings and curses. But Moses' point remains: woe to us if we turn our backs on God.

Deuteronomy 27-- Write it down

Scripture: Deuteronomy 27 (especially verses 1-8)

Moses has just finished a long recitation of God's Law. In it, God's character was revealed along with the expectations He had for His people Israel. As the declamation concluded, the relationship between the nation and its God was 'made official' as each declared the reality that Israel belonged to God (as we saw in the last post).

But that's not quite the last step for Israel before going ahead and starting this covenant relationship. It's great that they raised their voices as one and said, "You are our God!" But here in chapter 27, Moses instructs them to follow it up with an important step: write it down.

In the ancient Near East, that was actually a harder commandment to obey than it would be for you or me. If I wanted to commemorate, immortalize, or enshrine what God has done and said to me, I have at my fingertips paper, pens, a journal, Facebook, a blog, YouTube, etc. In Moses' time, though, the command to "write it down" meant building an altar and etching the Law onto stones.

But that is even better, isn't it? This commemoration will not just be an action, but an event: Moses describes what they should do as "eating... and rejoicing in the presence of the Lord your God." It sounds like a time they wouldn't soon forget... which is sort of the point.

And this is essentially why Christians get baptized. We already have the Bible in writing, so we don't need to write down God's words to us. Jesus already sacrificed Himself once for all, so we don't need to build an altar. But we do need to get together with our new spiritual family and "write down" what happened with a celebration we won't forget.

I think this idea is relevant far beyond our baptism, too. We greatly benefit from regularly celebrating with others what God has done and is doing in our lives. What has He spoken into your life that you need to "write down"?

Deuteronomy 26:16-19-- Declared

Scripture: Deuteronomy 26:16-19

We just finished moving through Moses' delivery of the Law to Israel before they finally entered the promised land. His delivery spanned Deuteronomy chapter 11 to verse 26:15, and we worked through the speech in sections that roughly correspond to each of the Ten Commandments. 

Today we'll meditate on the closing thought Moses shared as he finished his explanation of the Law and transitioned to the end of his book (and life). Something more happened that day than just a second giving of the Law. Moses didn't simply read a series of rules while his countrymen tried not to doze off. As the aging leader reminded his people of the character and faithfulness of God, the entire nation entered into a solemn and binding agreement with their Creator and Lawgiver.

Decalogue, part 10 (Deuteronomy 24:17-26:15)

Scripture: Deuteronomy 24:17-26:16 (especially 24:17-22)

We are moving through Moses' delivery of the Law to Israel just before they finally enter the promised land. Each section generally corresponds to one of the Ten Commandments, in order, and today we've finally come to the section related to #10:

You shall not covet. (The complete text: "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's wife or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.")

Decalogue, part 9 (Deuteronomy 24:8-16)

Scripture: Deuteronomy 24:8-16 (especially verses 10-13)

We are moving through Moses' delivery of the Law to Israel just before they finally enter the promised land. Each section generally corresponds to one of the Ten Commandments, in order, and today we've come to the section related to #9:

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Decalogue, part 8 (Deuteronomy 23:15-24:7)

Scripture: Deuteronomy 23:15-24:7 (especially 23:21-25)


We are moving through Moses' delivery of the Law to Israel just before they finally enter the promised land. Each section generally corresponds to one of the Ten Commandments, in order, and today we've come to the section related to #8:

You shall not steal.

Decalogue, part 7 (Deuteronomy 22:1-23:14)

Scripture: Deuteronomy 22:1-23:14 (especially 23:3-5)

We are moving through Moses' delivery of the Law to Israel just before they finally enter the promised land. Each section generally corresponds to one of the Ten Commandments, in order, and today we've come to the section related to #7:

You shall not commit adultery.

Decalogue, part 6 (Deuteronomy 19-21)

Scripture: Deuteronomy 19-21 (especially 19:1-13)

We are moving through Moses' delivery of the Law to Israel just before they finally enter the promised land. Each section generally corresponds to one of the Ten Commandments, in order, and today we've come to the section related to #6:

You shall not murder.

Decalogue, part 5 (Deuteronomy 16:18-18:22)

Scripture: Deuteronomy 16:18-18:22 (especially 16:18-20 and 17:14-20)

We are moving through Moses' delivery of the Law to Israel just before they finally enter the promised land. Each section generally corresponds to one of the Ten Commandments, in order, and today we've come to the section related to #5:

Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you...

Decalogue, part 4 (Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17)

Scripture: Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17 (especially Deut. 16:1-8)

We are moving through Moses' delivery of the Law to Israel just before they finally enter the promised land. Each section generally corresponds to one of the Ten Commandments, in order, and today we've come to the section related to #4:

Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you.

Decalogue, part 3 (Deuteronomy 13:1-14:21)

Scripture: Deuteronomy 13:1-14:21 (especially Deut. 13:1-5)

We are moving through Moses' delivery of the Law to Israel just before they finally enter the promised land. Each section generally corresponds to one of the Ten Commandments, in order, and today we've come to the section related to #3:

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.

Decalogue, part 2 (Deuteronomy 12)

Scripture: Deuteronomy 12 (especially verses 1-7)

If you missed the previous post, you missed the explanation of what we're doing in the middle of Deuteronomy. But it's pretty simple: in the heart of the book, as Moses gives Isreal the Law again to prepare them for the promised land, he gives commands that develop and clarify each of the Ten Commandments, in order. So we'll read through a section at a time, a Commandment at a time. Today, the second:

You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the waters below.

Decalogue, part 1 (Deuteronomy 6-11)

Scripture: Deuteronomy 11 (especially verses 13-17, and also chapters 6-10)

If you've been reading through Deuteronomy with me, you'll notice something's different. As the title suggests, we're changing up the structure of working through the book. This simply reflects the change in the text itself; we're transitioning from Moses' introductory exhortations to his recapitulation of God's law. 

One fascinating observation, made by Walton and Hill in their textbook Old Testament Today, is that Moses' entire presentation, covering chapters 6 to 26, is a detailed exposition of the Ten Commandments (also called the Decalogue)! That all of the law really serves to further these ten core instructions.

Deuteronomy 10-- The Lord is his inheritance

Scripture: Deuteronomy 10:1-9 (especially verses 6-9)

Returning from our reflection on God's command to destroy, let's recap where we are in Deuteronomy: 

Moses is giving his final discourse to Israel before he dies and they enter the promised land. In chapters 1-3, Moses recounted Israel's recent history in the wilderness. Now, in chapters 4-11, he gives warnings and exhortations for them once they've entered the land. Next time we'll look at the second half of chapter ten and at chapter 11, and we'll see some beautiful summaries of all these final encouragements. 

But first, an interesting aside on the tribe of Levi...

Deuteronomy 9-- The wickedness of these nations

Scripture: Deuteronomy 9 (especially verses 4-6)

Two chapters ago, we were confronted with God's command for Israel to destroy all the inhabitants of the promised land. I explained one half of "why this is okay," which was that God issued the command, it was in a unique way that is not common to history and thus not setting a precedent for religious violence, and that God can do whatever He wants. But this still seems to leave one glaring question... why did God command Israel to wipe out whole towns and tribes?

Deuteronomy 8-- When you have eaten and are satisfied

Scripture: Deuteronomy 8 (especially verses 11-20)

You may have heard someone say (or said yourself), "The hardest times in my life are what ultimately brought me closest to God." Isn't it interesting how much we loathe pain, uncertainty, loss, and sorrow, when we consistently credit them as the most important landmarks on our spiritual journey?

Deuteronomy 7-- Because the Lord loved you

Scripture: Deuteronomy 7 (especially verses 7-16)

We're moving through Deuteronomy, and doing so in a medium of short devotionals has its perils. For instance, it's hard to ignore that part of Israel's history in which God commands them to destroy all the peoples in the promised land. There is something deeply objectionable and disturbing about this when viewed through our current cultural lens. We'll look at this a little more when we get to chapter 9, so if you want to wrestle with this part of the account, we'll get there soon. 

Deut 6, part 2-- 'What is the meaning of these laws?'

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6 (especially verses 20-25)

Having just delivered what would become the most important text in Judeo-Christianity, Moses answers a very interesting hypothetical question starting in verse 20:

In the future your children will ask you, ‘What is the meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations that the Lord our God has commanded us to obey?’

Then you must tell them...