The Two Covenants

I am going to deal, here, with the parable of the beggar Lazarus found in Luke 16:16-31, but not so much with the parable as certain comments upon which this parable depends.

We all know the parable. Lazarus dies and goes to heaven; rich man dies and goes to hell. To the studied, this parable is about how the tables turn.

The statements upon which this parable depend are indicative of the two covenants, that is to say, the old and new testaments. This, then, is the framework within which the parable is presented.

The old covenant is represented by Moses and the prophets while the new covenant is portrayed, from the time of John the baptist, as the preaching of the kingdom of God. The two covenants, after a manner, are set against one another. There is, however, an addendum that highlights one particular fact about the difference between the two covenants.

It is this: the new covenant is not a departure from the law. As an example, Jesus states that if you commit adultery under the new covenant, you are still guilty. The old covenant laws are still fully binding. Yet, Jesus paints a picture of a mass-mental-migration from an old mold to a new, from an old standard to a new.

He said, “and every man presseth into it.” So then we must ask, what exactly are we pressing into? Is it into the preaching? Is it into something novel and different? Is it all about the new set of characters, or might it be, rather, a new mold – a new approach to the same desired end?

The parable shows us how the rich man with everything ended up in a reverse situation. Likewise, we see that Lazarus finds his situation reversed. We must remember that earlier in this chapter, Jesus told the Pharisees who derided him exactly the difference between the worldly and the heavenly. Everything is exactly the opposite.

If you know want in this life, you will know plenty in the afterlife. If you know plenty in this worldly plane, in a higher plane you will know want.

Believe it or not, the parable of Lazarus is a new covenant construct. It is the preaching of the kingdom of God. It is exactly what we would expect to hear from a John or a Jesus or any number of apostles, disciples, and the like. Although many of the old testament persuasion believed in a reward after death, and a place with Abraham in glory, that was not the focus of the older frame of mind.

The old testament focus was on the observance of the law in this present life. It was a bottom-rung frame of mind. In opposition, the frame of mind that everyone was pressing into, as Jesus spoke, was a top-rung frame of mind.

The point in all this is to say there was a predisposition to find a way around the law. The Pharisees found there way around the law by using the law. The ones who followed John and Jesus would, naturally, be attempting to make a break from all the Pharisees represented – that is the darker points of rule and oppression through law-mongering.

For the average Joe, pressing into the new, quite possibly for relief from the Pharisees always having their way, the law actually took a backseat to the needs of daily life. We may picture these average Joes by comparing them to modern day Joes. Sure, they go to church on Sunday, but what about the rest of the week? Strife and relief from strife. They strive to obtain a means upon which they might subsist, but for the sake of respite, they will spend much of it in bars, at dances, in theaters, and at worldly sporting events.

The point of the parable was to say that the law would always apply. Don't throw the law out with the wash. In the new covenant construct, the rich man asks that Lazarus be sent to his brothers thinking that if they were approached by one from the dead, they might repent and avoid the reversal of fortune.

The final say and ultimate answer for those pressing into the new is a stark rebuttal found in verse 31, “if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”

Of course, one did rise from the dead, and many of us press gladly into the resurrection of Jesus. But are we persuaded? Have we at all paid any heed to the will of God, to his law, or even to things just and wholesome? How many Christians say they believe in the Ten Commandments, yet regularly fail to observe the Sabbath of God? How many of us fail to honor our parents? How many of us totally ignore the needs of the less fortunate?

What is the divorce/adultery rate for our day and age? Just what is it that we are so blindly pressing into? It is the stewardship of our Father's goods which we gather to ourselves and withhold from our brothers. These are all simple bottom-rung matters, but we just can't seem to pass the test. Fail. Fail. Fail.

Our failures in simple matters have an outcome. We always prove who we are by word and by deed. What are the true colors of those pressing into what Christ offers? Bloodlust and the black smoke of war. The gray cloud of approaching enemies and the red flames of hell licking up from our eternal abyss.

When You Fail (Part Two)

We continue in Luke 16. Jesus had more to say on the matter of our last study. Here, I refer to verses 10 through 15. Are there more comparisons to make? Refer back to the previous study for a definition of the word unjust.

In verse ten 10, Jesus compares the concept of 'unjust' with the concept of 'faithfulness'. In other words, faithfulness is the antithesis of all that is self-serving and gratuitous. It all actually boils down to two sets of behavior. There is behavior that can be justified and there is behavior that is unjustifiable. We must, therefore, know the meaning of the word 'justification'.

Justification: Merriam-Webster calls it an acceptable reason for doing something. An unjust steward can be considered a steward whose actions (diverting his master's goods toward self-serving ends) cannot validate his purpose as a steward. If what you desire is not part of the deal, you should not try to wring them from the deal by hook and crook. Either accept the deal or go elsewhere.

Jesus continues, in verse 11, by saying the steward is also one of the mammon of unrighteousness. He is one of them – no different. Anything the mammon needs to borrow from the rich man who lends, the steward needs also. We are all so impoverished that we must borrow from the same source. The difference in the case of the steward is that he has been entrusted to faithfully dole out those things we all require.

That being said, Jesus places all of us on the bottom rung of the cosmic ladder. We must work our way up. A universal law is applied: if we can be faithful in the small things, we can be faithful in the big things. We must first prove ourselves in the small things. The reverse is equally applicable. If we prove ourselves unjust in the small things, we would not suddenly become faithful in matters that really count. The fact is that faithful people practice faithfulness, thus becoming even more faithful. The unjust also practice their self-serving ways. They will only ever become better at the thing they practice.

The bottom rung. It is a place for the things that belong to others. We may not be presumptuous. If we are unable to prove ourselves in the things that belong to others, we will never come to a place where something actually belongs to us. If we work hard, show integrity, we may advance our careers to a point where we are finally the boss and not the lacky. But, before we can be a boss, we have to keep our noses to the grindstone.

That is the common, ordinary, run-of-the-mill, daily, dog-eat-dog business model. It's just good business, they say. You have to crack some eggs and all of that. It's the way things are. That's just how it's done. I'm not saying anything new here.

There is a higher level to consider, though. There is a comparison to be made between two of the statements made in this section of text. The first statement, found in verse 12, is that if you can't be faithful in the dog-eat-dog business model of all our day to day unrighteous mammon, in the bottom rung where things belong to everyone but you, then there will be no one to hand off to you those things, which in a future time, should have belonged to you. Your own unfaithfulness impedes the system that brings you to your own.

The second statement is found in verse 11. It is the higher level, based by way of comparison, on the lesser of the two models. If you can't be trusted with ordinary worldly riches, who will entrust to you the true riches that surpass all worldliness? If you cut me, I bleed. Nonetheless, I am a spiritual being. I strive toward an outcome on a higher level of spirituality.

As Jesus said these things, the Pharisees (ever on Jesus' heels) being described as covetous, derided him for his statements. They mocked, scoffed, ridiculed, and poked fun at his statements. All that he said sort of painted them in a bad light – as the failed steward being called in to account for his unjustified actions. They were covetous – but of what? Of the admiration and esteem in which the people held Jesus? Of the office of steward to the God of Israel? Of the personal advantage of said office – which the rogue Rabbi threatened? Even the religious subscribe to a dog-eat-dog model.

The bottom line of this study is the bottom rung of the ladder. Nothing is yours yet. You are simply the steward. You have a place on a higher rung, but you must first prove yourself down here. To move up, your stewardship must find justification. By this, I mean true justification, not self-justification. When the Pharisees derided Jesus, he answered them in this manner.

You, the stewards of your God, have no justification for your stewardship. You merely justify yourselves before men. They see the outside, But God sees your spirits. All the things you covet are of the mammon of unrighteous, and therefore an abomination to God. Everything you seek to have and everything you fight so desperately to hold onto, none of that belongs to you.

Are you of the mammon of unrighteousness? Of course, you are. We all are. It is the bottom rung. Are you a steward of the riches of God? In a way, all of us are. Do you take your stewardship seriously? You must either practice faithfulness or expect to fail. Do you covet all the material and worldly facets of the bottom rung? You are doing all the wrong things. It is not for you to speak for God. You are a servant only. Forget about the power, the fame, the station. Do not seek to place your will above others. Changing things around is not the business of a steward. Not even a prophet may speak for himself, but all of us, as faithful servants, must bend to the will of a spirit who is above all worldliness.

Will we fail? Many of us will, but that only tells us this one important fact: we should have seen from the beginning that we are on the bottom rung where everything belongs to everyone else. From the beginning, we should have cared for them more than for ourselves. 

When You Fail (Part One)

Let's take a look at the first nine verses of Luke 16. It is a parable spoken to the disciples. It concerns a steward that could have been any one of the apostles, or for that matter, it could be any one of us.

When Jesus says such a thing, what is he really saying? He is saying, 'Look at what you are doing.' He is saying, 'Look to yourself. This is you.' When we read this parable, we see precise parallels. The comparisons could be no clearer. Jesus' summation and admonition should set off alarms.

At no point in his admonition does Jesus say, “If you fail.” He says, “When you fail.” Realistically, then, we must consider our own imminent failure. Let us look to the parable for parallels that might arm us against such nonfulfillment.

Here is a list of the comparisons:

The mammon of unrighteousness are those indebted to God.

The children of this world in their generation are compared to the steward.

It may be that a comparison is made between a beginning and an ending. The children of this world in their generation are set against the children of light. Are the children of light the angels of God? Are they the long-lived pre-flood patriarchs? Clearly, the children of light would never think to recover in such a manner as the failed steward. So, what exactly are the actions and reactions of this failed steward, and of these children of the world?

First, in his service to his master, the steward was charged with wasting his goods. The word 'his' is used here, and it is unclear from the text whether 'his' referred to the goods of the steward or the goods of the steward's master. My guess is that the goods involved belonged to the master. They were such things as the master had entrusted to the steward's care. The steward, for whatever his reasons were, had undercut his own employer. He had misappropriated; he had embezzled those goods to his own ends.

Second, when the steward was caught and forced to respond to his imminent loss of station, he did so by undercutting his employer one last time. While he was still empowered to do so, he handled the debts of his master's debtors in their favor, effectively saving them half of what they owed. In doing so, he made friends of the debtors, showing himself to be shrewd in business, and savvy enough to work for any of them.

Had the children of light failed their master, they would not have responded by undercutting him a second time. This survival mechanism, as a flaw in our nature, is so well developed that it is of a higher caliber than the integrity of the children of light. Despite suffering the initial loss, the ingenuity of the steward in undercutting his employer a second time, impressed the master in that he 'commended' the unjust steward.

In that we, the children of this world's present generation, are compared to the unjust steward, our being 'wiser' than the children of light is only a comparison between 'wise' and 'unjust'. That is comparing apples with oranges. Wise should be compared to just, not it's opposite. What is unjust, anyway? Here are a definition and synonyms.

Unjust: not based on or behaving according to what is morally right and fair. Unfair, prejudicial, biased, inequitable, discriminatory, partial, one-sided, wrongful, unfair, undeserved, unmerited, unwarranted, uncalled for, unreasonable, unjustifiable, undue, gratuitous.

Can any of that be called wise? Crafty, perhaps, but not wise. The children of this world are all of that. The children of light were morally right and fair. Their wisdom was the real deal. Our wisdom is a well-polished fake.

Let us make some of our own comparisons. How do we compare ourselves, certainly as children of this world and possibly as Christians considering their own imminent loss of grace? What was a steward's position? A steward held an intermediary position between the one who loaned and those in need of help. The steward was a manager and administrator who acted in the name of his master. Christians should think of their Christian stewardship in these terms.

When the mammon of unrighteousness (itself a comparison to one who is righteous) find themselves in need and turn to the righteous one who provides, it is the steward who brokers the deal. A Christian steward should bear in mind that such a loan is always at interest, which are the goods that a steward may either treat morally or partially. The goods are in your hands. What will you do with them?

The steward is the face of the master to the rest of the world. Befriend them now. Care about the burden of their interest. You are the children of this world – you inhabit the same place as the mammon of unrighteousness. Failure is not a matter of if; this world is full of failures. An honest eye will show you that you are in the same boat with the rest of them. Your hand is held out for a loan no less.

Joy In Heaven

Now, I come to Luke 15 – the whole chapter. It is 32 verses long and contains two questions and one parable. The parable is time-worn and well proven. It is the parable about the prodigal son. The two questions center on the man who lost a sheep and the woman who lost a coin.

What I wish to focus on may be seen in verses seven and ten. I include them here for ease of reference. “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” Also, “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

These two verses are the sum of the entire chapter. The two questions and the one parable were a response to the indignation the Pharisees and scribes felt when Jesus received and ate with sinners and publicans. This high profile chapter has been the base material for countless sermons. These are subjects taught to children in Bible school.

All of us remember what we've been told, but I am going to turn this around and ask the reader what Christ himself once asked in Luke 10:26: “How readest thou?” In other words, what is your take on it? Most people read through such verses so quickly, I doubt they actually see what they are reading. Do you see what you read? I know that is a strange question; most people will say, 'yes, of course, I see what I read'. Don't be offended.

There are interesting pictures which make little sense until one looks at them in a different way. When one begins to look at the empty spaces in the pictures, something new, and as yet unconsidered, presents itself. Let us examine the empty spaces in the verses I have included for ease of reference.

We usually see the thing we are told to see. In the case of verse seven, we see the lost sheep being found, or the lost coin being found. What we see is the joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. But, what about the empty spaces? Allow me to repeat verse seven here.

“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”

Look at the latter part of the sentence beginning with the word 'more'. As we can now see, there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, but that is just the 'more' part. In other words, there is more joy. An important new thought presents itself here. While it may not be more joy, necessarily, there is nevertheless still joy over the other 99 just persons.

So what is a just person, then? It is obviously the opposite of the sinner. It is a person who gets the whole thing right. It is a person who does not wander away from the flock, and therefore, have to be saved from peril and returned to the flock. The church would have us believe we're all lost sheep, yet, according to the words of the son of God, there are, statistically, 99 people who get it right for every one who gets it wrong.

This is what I mean when I use the words right and wrong in this context – to get it right is to understand one's place, to know where one belongs, to accept and remain in the relationship we have with our shepherd. To get it wrong, more importantly, to come to that state where repentance is called for, necessitates the need for help to find one's way back into the relationship.

Every member of the flock is a member who is prized and cherished. No penny in a dollar can make the dollar on it's own. That woman who lost her coin was unwilling to suffer the loss. The coin was hers. No doubt, she came by all of them the hard way. Her treasure was just not her treasure with part of it gone. In both scenarios, the return of the lost sheep and the finding of the lost coin, there was cause for joy and celebration.

Here, I repeat verse ten: “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

Here again, I wish to point out the empty spaces. Yes, there is joy in heaven – but how does Jesus put it? He could have said that the shepherd had joy, or that God or the Father had joy, but instead, Jesus employed an interesting application. The joy in heaven is not necessarily the joy of God, rather, it appears to be the joy of the angels of God.

To conclude, since God is a spirit (Jesus told us that), the angels would then be the administrators of a frame of mind, or a concept, or a creed, set of principles, faith, ideology. Angels may be seen, therefore, as the technicians who service a fundamental truth. Placing our focus on the angels, in this particular regard, may help us to make sense of such things as 'God' saying “Let us make man in our image.” Just saying . . .

Salt

So, here I am again. It is another Sunday morning with yours truly writing another Sunday blog. I have no idea if anyone even reads my blogs. Yet, I continue. A natural question to add in this place would be: “Why?” Why do I persevere? Of course, the answer must be: “That is just how important it is to me.”

It may be that some reader, say in far flung France, may some day benefit from something I have written, but that must come after I have benefited from writing it. To write what I do, I must understand something – I must study. A seeker of buried treasures never knows where he might unearth some wonderful gem or nugget. He or she must, therefore, always step forward with spade in hand.

There is something about each of us that makes us who we are, that validates our place in the grand scheme of things. That something, call it our salt, is what makes us worthy. It makes us worthwhile. God forbid that we should lose who we are. Who we are defines what we do. What we do can be a positive influence on others, but only after it is a positive influence on us.

In Luke 14:34, Jesus took a common knowledge and made it remarkable. “Salt is good,” he said. O.K. – we sort of knew that anyway. So, what was the point? The point is: there is something about us that turns the bland and undesirable into something worth having and keeping, into something that may actually be relished and savored.

Case in point: I like sugar. Me and sweets resonate on the same frequency. Baklava is sweet – but I don't like baklava. Not enough salt. Either hand me a salt shaker with it, or keep your baklava to yourself. I also put salt in my oatmeal. I once watched my Granddad eat oatmeal without sugar, cream, butter, and salt – and it totally freaked me out. I like salt everywhere, with the exception of in an open wound.

Here is what Jesus was saying. If your good points, and your only selling points, are your justification for existence – then do everything in your power not to lose yourself. There is no remedy for such a loss. No one can step in and make up the loss for you.

Knowing just what it is about ourselves that justifies our existence is not something that comes automatically. One may look, but still, it will not come easy. One must commit to vigilant seeking even to approach the truth about oneself. Here, I do not mean just any old fact about oneself – rather, the highest level of truth.

What is the highest level of truth about you? You may still be looking; you may still be clueless, but, I will tell you a few things it is not. Your truth is not your body. It is not your house, or car, or job. It is not the money you have in the bank. Your value does not lie in any of these. Your salt is a spiritual matter. More importantly, it is a spirit-to-spirit matter. In other words, your 'good' is not good unless it is good for all others. Salt cannot be good if it remains unused. If it sits alone in it's own little pile, the oatmeal will always be bland. 'Share yourself' is a useful clue for each and every seeker.

Is there something good about who you are? Share it. When you share it with others, do they also think it is good? That is an important test. Too much salt in the oatmeal ruins it just as surely as not enough. Forcing upon others what you alone think is good can be so so bad. Use the test to hone your value. Grow personally, and evolve spiritually, test again and again – but always share the salt. Of course, having value always presupposes something or someone other than the item of value. In other words, just who are you of value to?

Many people get excited when they find the truth of who they are. A fire burns within them. They are zealous. But, without testing it's value with others, they force it on them to their hurt. It becomes a weapon that crushes body and soul. There is no one right way, no one ultimate truth except Jesus whose very name is truth. There is no value in isolation, only to the whole. Yeast that is set apart will not make the bread rise.

Folks in a religious fervor, those who reject the value in others, those who bash the others for their differences, fail to see where true value comes from. Salt is the best and highest and most inclusive spirit. Salt is truth; truth is Jesus, who is one with God. God is love. If you don't have Jesus, get him. Seek your value in truth. If you had Jesus and lost him, I'm sorry, but Raul can't salt your baklava.

Addressing the Multitudes

The Holy Land. It was not as barren as the movies make it out to be. Instead of sandy crags and rocky outcrops, Jesus traversed a land filled with grassy hillsides, fields, and trees. You might say it was a kind of terrain that echoed less well. As we know, Jesus often spoke outdoors in open fields and on grassy hillsides.

We also know that Jesus was rarely followed by a singular multitude. More often than not, his following was named, not in the singular, as in a multitude, but rather in the plural, as in multitudes.

I am in Luke 14, beginning at verse 25, where the multitudes are following Jesus, where Jesus turns to address them. How does one address such a large gathering?

First of all, Jesus would have had to have a good set of lungs. He would need to be able to speak over the milling noises associated with crowds. He could not depend on the acoustics of canyon walls.

Second of all, his speaking manner would have had to be slow and deliberate, with ample pauses to let his words sink in. In effect, Jesus would have turned and shouted at the crowd. It may only be me, but when I hear shouting, my first association is with anger. To my ear, some of the more robust languages, like German and Spanish, sound perpetually angry.

I can, of course, imagine an alternative means of delivery. With his inner circle strategically placed, the message could then have been passed front to back systematically. Here, I am thinking of how Jesus ordered his multitudes – as in groups of fifty, as in the miracle of the fish and loaves. Still, this incident in Luke has all the hallmarks of spontaneity.

Was Jesus annoyed with his crowd? It is like he suddenly wheeled on them and said, “You know, you can't just follow me around like puppies! Following me means going where I go, even to the cross. If you can't commit, you should leave now.”

We see it, too. They were wide-eyed amazed. Jesus was a marvel. He healed the sick, raised the dead, sent evil spirits packing, and stood up to the Pharisees with unheard of authority. And, the things he said – wow!

Many of us, today, are no more than those same wide-eyed followers. We have the same reasons for being followers – and we are just as uncommitted. Jesus doesn't want puppies for followers. If all we seek is a pat on the head, or a bone, or a treat, we are just underfoot.

We are all the multitudes. We've all heard the sermons; we've all heard the parables. But, there is a limit to how much, or how loud, one can shout. Does any of it get through to you? It is you who have a choice to make. It is you who must commit to the calling. No one is going to do it for you. Only you can make it so.

Go Up Higher

I come now to Luke 14. I think, now, as opposed to my topical beginning, I have become comfortable moving chapter to chapter and verse to verse. It is still my intention to set forward the definition upon which a subject must be judged. We must know what it is we believe – and why. At any rate, the first 24 verses of this chapter deal with a single scenario.

Jesus was invited to eat at the house of an unnamed Chief Pharisee on a Sabbath day. For well over half a chapter, Jesus talks to Pharisees and lawyers. Many people had been invited, and it seems they were there to 'observe'. In that regard, it is notable that no one argued with Jesus or seemed to be angered by his discourse.

Challenges were made which no one there was able to refute. They had no answer. Also, two separate parables were told. But first, let us get a feel for the topography of the situation. Let's map it out. What kind of deal was this meal? It sort of jumps out at me that Jesus spent a lot of time in the company of the Pharisees. If Jesus wasn't preaching in a Synagogue on a Sabbath, he quite likely could be found in the home of some Pharisee.

This Pharisee's house seems quite large as it has many rooms for many guests. For that matter, unless it was a big town, some of the guests would have had to be visiting from neighboring provinces. They would have had to be invited in advance. Jesus was going town to town on his way to Jerusalem. This could have been voiced ahead, giving these people ample opportunity to assemble. I get the sense that it was planned. Moreover, since Jesus addressed the man who invited him on the topic of throwing a feast, I must assume that is exactly what the Pharisee had done.

All of them wanted to observe the sensation that was Jesus. They wanted to hear him speak and get a sense of who he was. Here are some things to consider. Most of Jesus' contentions were with the Pharisees. In most of the occasions where we find Jesus invited to eat at someone's home, it is a Pharisee that invites him. Most of the times that Pharisees are offended by Jesus, it is due to Jesus not doing things the Pharisee way. One has to ask: who was more of a threat to the Pharisee order – some layman out in the boonies, or a rogue Pharisee?

I am not here to give a sermon. Although I have dealt with many of the parables already, I will leave these for the preachers. I am here to map out the floor tiles upon which we stand. In other words, the foundation upon which our beliefs stand.

I half expected one of the Pharisees to complain that Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath. I find it curious that, among so many prominent dignitaries, there was found among them someone of the less fortunate. Dropsy. Edema would be no easy thing to cure, especially in a moment as Jesus had done. The man would have been all puffy from the accumulation of fluids as a result of any number of physical ailments. It is as if they had it all planned – and that might well explain why Jesus seemed so perfunctory in his healing of the man. “He took him, and healed him, and let him go.”

Finally, I just want to touch briefly on the concepts of humility, exaltation, and worship. Self-exaltation is something none of us appreciate – when it is found in another. It smacks of pride, willfulness, conceit, vainglory, vanity, and narcissism – all the things we hate to be accused of. Humility, however, is something we pride ourselves on. I guess what I am trying to point out is a right spirit versus a wrong spirit, a right mind versus a wrong mind, or even a good attitude versus a bad attitude.

When one keeps one's nose to the proverbial grindstone, one does not end up with less nose. Humility goes hand in hand with persistence – that is, humility as a daily practice. A good habit. We might even look at humility as leaving yourself elbow room, or room for improvement. When you go up higher, it is because someone who matters thinks you matter. Those around you will be impressed.

Worship. Normally, we place this one out of reach. It is only something we do to God or Jesus. But according to Jesus, it is a common state – being impressed, having admiration for, or finding joy in the fortuitous turn. When a gambler puts all his money on a single bet and loses, he loses big. Have we given ourselves the elbow room we need to go up higher?

Stages

I did not fully cover the last set of verses, so I will include verse 30 in this study. Luke 13:30-35 puts several small points under the magnifying glass. There are points like a 'prophet in Jerusalem', 'being perfected', 'time', and the way reality is 'ordered'. I begin with the latter point in verse 30.

First last and last first – that's just how reality rolls. I write, here, in the broader sense. Of course, we recall the parable of the last workers being paid first, and we think in terms of how one might enter the kingdom – indeed, we think of our place among the many who have placed their hopes in Jesus.

First last and last first is what I like to call a USM, that is to say, a Universal Spiritual Mechanic. It is a law that regulates how things work. Here, I would like the reader to picture in his mind the working of a pendulum. Envision the full scope of the pendulum as encompassing all there is. It moves from the one extreme to the opposite extreme and back again.

Let us call the one extreme 'first' and the opposite extreme 'last'. When the pendulum reaches 'last' and begins its return to the other end, it begins with the last. It is in that broader USM context that the last may be the first. Other models which explain the same mechanic are the 'Lemniscate', or the infinity symbol, and the Yin Yang symbol.

Next in our study, Jesus received Pharisees who warned him of Herod's intent to kill him. Jesus already had an audience when the Pharisees came to him. He had been going town to town teaching, and as we know, Jesus always had a crowd around him. When he answered the Pharisees, it seems as though he was also still speaking for the benefit of the multitude that traveled with him. In my mind, I have to picture the Pharisees pressing into the crowd, having to work their way to the center to reach Jesus.

When Jesus says that he must walk today and tomorrow and the third, to be perfected, it sounds to me like an explanation of the concept of 'stages'. One works toward perfection in stages, doing more and more, getting better and better, going higher and higher, until the goal is reached. Higher is a stage of development, better is a one-up within an ongoing process, more is an increased result in a series of actions or steps.

Stages and goals may both be filed under being a prophet in Jerusalem. It is clear from his own words that Jesus viewed, accepted, or at least promoted himself as a prophet in Jerusalem. From his answer to the Pharisees, Jesus went on in an oratory fashion to speak exactly like a prophet. One has to ask, at what stage of spiritual development must a man be in order to speak as a prophet of God?

Jesus mentioned only three stages: today, tomorrow, and the third day. In the first two days, Jesus is walking, or working (as in cures). In the third day he is also working (as in the final stage of the process of perfection). We think of the three days in the belly of the earth. We think of his public ministry, his crucifixion/resurrection and ascension. We must assume that the very fact of Jesus saying there was a 'today' means that he placed himself, not at the end, not in the middle, but at the beginning.

Let us examine the nature of his prophet's oration. If any of you have read extensively in the old testament, you may note a correlation between how Jesus spoke and how the angels spoke. In both cases they spoke as if they were God himself. To any who are unfamiliar with the nature of angelic discourse, return to the old testament and read of the angel speaking to Moses from the burning bush. The fact that Jesus speaks to Jerusalem as if God is speaking should clue us in to the stage of Jesus' spiritual progress.

Finally, some thoughts on the word 'perfected'. What is the common view on the concept of perfection? Not everyone in this world considers that concept to be relevant, but among those that do, Christians seem confused on the point. The Christ they believe in and follow said, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” That is a direct command. One must assume that would only be predicated on an established and verifiable truth – that man can indeed be perfect. Yet most contemporary Christians are fond of the addendum, 'I am not perfect'. They prefer the 'sinner saved by grace' stage of spiritual development.

Neither was it only the son of God who commanded us to be perfect. In Genesis 17:1 God himself told Abraham, “Walk before me, and be thou perfect.” In Leviticus 19:2 God himself told all of Israel, “Ye shall be Holy, for I the Lord your God am Holy.” It must be a consensus around the throne that the perfection of man is totally do-able. Mankind, however, including many Christians, seem not to believe the word of God. Rather, the common view of perfection is a mish-mash of super abilities with an absolutely negative amount of mistakes and ailments.

Therein lies the lament. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem – which is to say, O man! How can man be saved when he stubbornly clings to his own ways? When we take the truth of God and redefine it, what hope is there? We may not do God's way our way. That just doesn't work. Jesus knew what level he was playing on – some of us aren't even in the game. If I asked you, would you know? What stage of spiritual development are you at?

To Stand Without

Although I have written on this topic before, I have some thoughts to express here on Luke 13:22-30.

While Jesus was going from town to town in his advance upon Jerusalem, someone asked him, 'are there many saved?' Jesus responded that we should strive to enter the strait gate. This is not where he compares the narrow way that leads to life with the broad way that leads to destruction. That is found in Matthew 7:14.

Here, Jesus explained that the gate would be open just a short while, and his advice was that they should seize the opportunity. Indeed, there was a limited window of availability. Once the gate closed, there would be no further possibility of entry.

This is actually a warning to 'whosoever will.' If you want in, don't let the door close on you. It is also a statement that defines the type of people who will be forever 'locked out of' the kingdom of God. While it appears, from the text, that Jesus is speaking directly to the Jews, it is more a model of the type that believes he or she has a golden ticket to heaven – an irrevocable surety.

Jesus cites the Jewish mindset inasmuch as the Jewish mindset rested in the cultural and blood connection to the patriarchs. The model, then, is a person whose rests in something of this world rather a spiritual reality. By this I mean such solid connections as lineage, religious order, Synagogue/church/Mosque and the limited laws, practices, or traditions of such.

The Jew believes his fast track into the kingdom is found in Abraham, the law of Moses, the Synagogue. The Christian holds his to be Sunday worship and tithes. The Muslim thinks Mohamed's teachings will bring him to paradise. There is all sorts of hand waving involved – or sword waving as the case may be. But Jesus says there is a very narrow window of opportunity that will not always be open.

Jesus described himself as 'the way.' That is to say, he is the way into the kingdom of God. That is an avenue not all are inclined to travel. I like to say that the way is only open to those who are open to the way. A major downfall of the three faiths listed above is the underdog. Every one of those three religions has an underdog. Sometimes, they are called gentiles. Sometimes, they are called infidels. They are the Samaritans, the dogs, the other guy. They are always that poor red-headed stepchild that just doesn't meet the standard.

However, according to the son of God, the major religions, who assume they have a sure in, will find the door locked. They will knock in alarm and make such claims as their connections allow. You taught in our streets, we are the children of Abraham, we obeyed the laws of Moses, we went to church, we killed the infidel. They will see the kingdom of God filling, but not with them. Others will come from the east and west, from every nation and people – and it will always be the red-headed stepchild.

If the way is open to all ages and times from the slain lamb to the coming king, how can it be also closed? The answer, of course, is that it is only closed to those who are closed to the way. The way is Jesus. I'll say it again – the way is Jesus. Yet, I even must warn the Christian. To the Christian I say, the way, the only way, is Jesus. That does not mean that repeatedly saying his name is a golden ticket. The only way into the kingdom is to follow the path that Jesus took. You have to be a Jesus.

And you can't do that with the mind of the world.

The Spirit of Infirmity

Let's talk about miracles. It is a small account found in Luke 13:10-17 that describes the healing of a woman on a Sabbath and in a Synagogue. If this study dealt with the religious issues involved, I might write about the confrontation between Jesus and the leader of the Synagogue. I might highlight the shaming of Jesus' adversaries or the rejoicing of Jesus' followers.

This study has a narrow focus, however, as I wish to deal more precisely with the miracle itself. It will be my argument that whatever state the spirit is in the body will acquiesce to. Jesus had power over the spirits. When he delivered a person from an evil spirit, he often named them. If a possessed man could not talk, Jesus identified the spirit as he called it out: “Thou dumb and deaf spirit,” Mark 9:25.

In knowing this, we may better understand the spirit he dealt with on that Sabbath day with the afflicted woman. Here is what the verse says, Luke 13:11, “And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.”

These are clues the seeker may use to understand the truth that links spirit and flesh. We may assume that if a spirit is dumb and deaf, the flesh is dumb and deaf. We may assume that if a spirit is bent, the body, likewise, is bent. If the flesh mirrors the condition of the spirit, we may view the description of the physical ailment as an accurate description of the spirit as well. How was the woman's body described? For eighteen years she was unable to lift herself up, that is to stand straight. She was described as being 'bowed together'. In a later verse, this condition is further described as being 'bound' – as in chained or shackled.

One interesting synonym for 'infirmity' – as it reflects upon a more nearly spiritual aspect – is the word 'indisposition,' which is defined thus: “Lack of enthusiasm or inclination; reluctance.” Synonyms of a more strictly physical bearing include, 'weakness,' 'illness,' 'frailty,' disease.'

The description of being 'bowed together' offers up an image of someone suffering from osteoporosis.

My argument, as I have said, is that the condition of the body mirrors the condition of the spirit. Some people, I realize, will have a difficult time making the mental connection between such physical ailments and 'spirits.' Indeed, these people have a difficult time with the concept, as simple as it is, of a spirit. I'll say it again – mentality and spirituality are one and the same.

What binds the mind binds the flesh. The miracle for that bent woman was that she could stand straight again. The miracle for those of us seeking truth is that we now see Jesus healing spirits rather than bodies. We see the son of God, who is one with his spiritual father, as having power and authority over anything and everything spiritual.

Are You the Bigger Sinner?

We turn our attention now to Luke 13:1-9. In these verses are found mention of certain sinners who died. It was commonly believed that these people died because of their sins. It was thought that their deaths were punishments for sins so heinous they simply could not be overlooked. The sins and subsequent deaths of these people were spoken in hushed dread as warnings to quickly depart the wayward path.

Two sets of sinners are mentioned. First, there was the unnumbered group of Galilaeans whose blood was mixed with Roman sacrifices. It is not told how or why they died, but it is interesting to note that the blood sacrifices of the Romans are mentioned in such a matter-of-fact manner. Pilate is mentioned as either performing the evil action or having ordered it done.

Second, there were the eighteen people upon whom the tower of Siloam fell. Both sets of people were seen to have died an ignominious death. It is human nature 101 to have a bad reaction to a bad death. Jesus posed the question: were these people necessarily more sinful than anyone else? It is within these same verses that Jesus points out that all of us stand to die a similar death – unless we repent.

So, is Jesus saying that a tower will fall on us or that our blood will be used in unholy rites? No. He is simply saying that every sinner dies. Some die horribly, some seem not to deserve such an end, but there is a common thread running through each occurrence. An unrepentant dead sinner is no longer able to repent. All opportunities for repentance become unavailable after death.

Jesus, in his usual fashion, turned it all upon those who brought the matter up. He laid out for them, and for us by extension, the whole nine yards of sin and repentance, of second chances and extended grace. He did this in his signature vehicle of delivery: the parable.

Did anyone understand the parable? Do any of us? Do we get it, and if so, do we apply it to our own lives? On many levels, the unfruitful tree is symbolic of the life that is unconnected to God – a willful independent spirit that moves and acts contrary to the will of God. The natural and immediate determination is to remove the unfruitful tree as it is only taking up space that would be better used for anything that gave a return on the investment.

The parable shows us an advocate for the unfruitful tree, a champion who offers us that one final chance to turn it all around. Jesus is that champion who offers second chances to the unrepentant and unfruitful thing that just takes up space. Are you that one? Accept the help; it is a limited-time offer. If, after this, you remain unfruitful, you will be cut down. You have this time, as it is said, 'Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation; the acceptable year of the Lord.'

“Lord, let it alone this year also . . . and if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt thou shalt cut it down.” Take this final time to turn it all around. A falling tower may not be your demise; what's left of you after death may not be violated, but you will surely die in your sins with no remaining opportunities for change.

Fire on the Earth

Luke 12:49-51 gives us a quote from Jesus. It is not only an expression of his purpose but a fair description of the process of spiritual advancement. We look at the major religions of our day and age and we can't help but compare Christianity to Islam.

Islam is a religion out of which any individual may eventually decide for a stricter interpretation. Islam is a religion that may at any moment devolve into the blood lust and violence of Jihad.

Christianity is a religion that attempts to circumvent these flaws of human nature through love.

At least, that is the general consensus. Islam is all judgment and bloodshed while Christianity seeks a cozy state of peaceful coexistence.

According to the statements found in Luke 12: 49 and 51, the Christian process is anything but cozy. Let us examine the actual words of Jesus.

One: 'Do you suppose that I have come to bring peace? I tell you, no, but rather division.'

Two: 'I have come to send fire on the earth.'

This looks very much like judgment. In fact, Jesus continues on to describe how families will be divided. Some will believe; some will not believe. Clashes of this nature are never pretty.

About that fire – Jesus indicated that it had already been kindled. The spirit of some had already begun to pull away, to seek something other. Jesus merely fanned the flames.

Jesus indicated he faced the same thing. It was a sort of baptism by fire that all who seek spiritual advancement must face. It is the painfully bitter birth pang of an ascendant. Spirit. 'Birth pangs', as applied to the process of spiritual advancement and the future of our world refers to certain convulsive geopolitical, geophysical, astrophysical and world-wide socio-economic events.

There is a process called winnowing. That is where the fruit of the harvest is shaken up to remove all things undesirable. The wind of the ascendant spirit is the key agent in this process. As is said in Luke 12:57, each individual must ultimately develop to the point where they are able to judge what is right and good for themselves.

I say 'for themselves' to bring attention to the difference between undeveloped judgment and developed judgment. When we initially burn with enthusiasm, when we have allowed others to affect our inexperience, we engage in a form of judgment that is devoid of spiritual development and wisdom.

The infant may kick in the womb, but walking comes after the pangs of birth, where even more development is slated to follow. The newly enlivened may cry loudly, but the voice must be developed in time and with patient practice. The life must die many deaths and be restored through many trials by fire before a developed judgment and wisdom are attainable.

There is now, and will continue to be, violence in this world. When we compare the religions of Christianity and Islam, we see that judgment is involved in both. One must not be quick to allow another to motivate them. Rather, one must seek the winnowing wind of their own spiritual advancement. One must see that voices of others and their own voice are never the same. One's own voice, one's own ability to judge, will only develop from a fiery baptism.

Of that fiery baptism, Jesus said, “How I am straitened till it be accomplished.”

Strait is a noun. It is a narrow passage of water connecting two seas or two large areas of water. Jesus indicated being pressed between one certainty and another, as in The Strait of Gibraltar, as in being poised for the becoming, the transition. One synonym of strait is channel.

Strait is also used in reference to a situation characterized by a specified degree of trouble or difficulty. (The economy is in dire straits.) Some synonyms are a bad or difficult situation, difficulty, trouble, crisis, a mess, a predicament, a plight.

As I said, judgment is employed in both religions, but how does one reach the judgment stage? Does a person simply choose the form of judgment over a time-developed judgment? That would be a poor substitute. The agony of becoming. The absolute necessity the fiery baptism. Winnowing is built into the system. Ultimately, the desired spirit will prevail and the unnecessary chaff will be discarded.

Can you think for yourselves? Or, will you always be swayed by your preachers and imams? I urge you to the straitened path of spiritual development, to division from the chaff, to the fiery baptism and birth pangs of an individual who is wholly able to judge what is good and right. I urge you to reach judgment through love. I urge you to disavow the tools of bloodlust and violence. A rash and immediate fire is never the better choice.

There has always been a fire on the earth, Jesus just fanned the flames. It is the fire of spiritual discernment, of seeking what is good and right on our own. It is division from distractions and detours, from subjection to the will of undeveloped spirits in other people. It is a march, not of the many, but of the individual. It is a certain forward advancement of the spirit of each becoming man, woman, and child.