As we read Luke in order, it is fascinating to see the teaching from the Sermon on the Plain from yesterday's reading acted out by Jesus in today's.
He begins by healing the servant of a Roman Centurion. How better to show love for one's enemies? Certainly many Jewish readers would have bristled at giving him any aid at all.
Jesus follows this with raising a widow's only son from the dead. We hear his words echoed, "Happy are you who weep now because you will laugh." She would also fit the description of the poor because children were the social security of the day and she had just lost hers.
Finally, Jesus enters into this discourse about judging and condemning. It seems that the Pharisees weren't baptized by John because in their own eyes, they didn't need the repentance that others did. They're willing to look at the splinter in their neighbor's eye but not the log in their own.
The last words of frustration by Jesus remind us of his words, "How terrible for you when all speak well of you". This is certainly not happening to Jesus.
In his day, what happens to gluttons and drunkards? Deuteronomy 21:18-21 gives us a strong clue of what they would like to do to Jesus when they call him this.
As we read through Luke's Gospel, we are likely to see this core teaching of the Sermon on the Plain represented by the actions of Jesus in each chapter. This gives us plenty of material to work on for our lives!
 |
| A photograph taken by Will Counts of Elizabeth Eckford attempting to enter Little Rock School on 4th September, 1957. The girl shouting is Hazel Massery. Do you think Jesus could understand how Elizabeth felt at this moment? |
No comments:
Post a Comment