Luke 7:36-39

Luke 7:36-39 

English Standard Version 

  You and I see things different ways.  We all view people and events separately.  Anymore, we get personalized views based on what some algorithm thinks we might click on.  We'll get shown different articles written by different people, and we might have completely different views on the same event.  This is not new.  In this ready from Luke, a sinful woman anoints Jesus' feet, and the event and woman are viewed completely differently by Jesus and the Pharisee.  (Let's give the Pharisee a little credit here for inviting Jesus into his house.)  

  The Pharisee sees the woman's past.

  Jesus sees her heart.  

  It's a reminder that there will always be people who judge us based on our pasts.  We cannot avoid this.  We cannot change it.  

  But we can give thanks that Jesus doesn't judge us based on our pasts.  The Gospels tell us that we are claimed by Christ in the waters of baptism and judged on the basis of Christ's worthiness (which is better than ours!).  So we are marked as worthy because of what Christ has already done for us.  

  Jesus sees us differently than many people in the world do.  May we give thanks for that, and may it inspire us to look upon others with mercy and grace.

Luke 7:29–35

Luke 7:29-35 

English Standard Version 

  There are people in the world who have made up their minds to never be satisfied.  Nothing you do for such people will ever be enough.  You can spend every ounce of energy trying to please them... and they will find the flaws.

  Jesus had people like this... John was too strict for them, Jesus was too celebratory for them.  They probably didn't welcome Paul or Peter or any of the others.  They'd made up their minds, closed off the doors of their hearts, and found what was wrong in everything offered.

  It's wise for us to pray to God for softening of our hearts.  We can easily close ourselves off if we're not careful.  May we pay attention to how the Spirit is moving, keeping an open mind to where God is on the move.  Think of all the Pharisees who missed what Jesus was doing in their midst -- it's one of the saddest chapters of history in my mind.  He was right there!  They completely missed it.

  So what might I be missing?

Luke 7:24–28

Luke 7:24-28 

English Standard Version 

  What's your goal?  What's your dream?  It's easy to think of riches or power or fame or peace.  

  Here is Jesus, telling the crowds that John the Baptist is greater than anyone else... and yet the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than John.  Jesus is urging us to think of eternity, to think of heaven, and to make that our goal.  We should dream of being citizens of the Kingdom of God, for there is no person in this world that can be so great that can even eclipse the least in the Kingdom of God -- it's that much better.  We're that much better.  

  So dream of heaven, friends.  Read the end of Revelation, which describes a city where the light never fades and the gates do not shut and the tree of life blooms for the healing of all the nations.  Think on that, and then make choices in this life that align with drawing closer to God's Kingdom.

Luke 7:18–23

Luke 7:18-23 

English Standard Version 

  I think back to the baptism of Jesus -- the heavens parted and a voice from God affirmed that Jesus was the Messiah.

  And yet, here is John, uncertain if Jesus is the one that everyone is waiting for.  We want to point back to the baptism and ask if that wasn't enough, if John needed more proof. But John wasn't sure, and he wanted to be sure.  

  Jesus doesn't give a direct answer -- instead, Jesus points to the miracles that have been performed.  Jesus points to his actions to affirm his identity.

  We're so much like John.  We have moments where we're certain of who Jesus is, and then there are others, where we're crippled by uncertainty, wondering if Jesus can really be who everyone says that he is.  How can we know? 

  Jesus points us to his actions.  He points to the miracles he performed.  We have the benefit of looking at the greatest miracle Jesus ever performed, his resurrection, which historians have never disproved.  All the research I've done has pointed to the historical reliability of the accounts of the resurrection, and so believe that Jesus is the Messiah.  Jesus was a known person at the time -- there are non-Gospel historical accounts that speak of him, written far closer to his life than many other historical accounts that we don't doubt.  

  Jesus doesn't scold John.  He points to things that affirm his identity.  In the same way, grace is extended to us, mercy for when we are weak, thanks be to God.