Healed vs Whole

Luke 17:11-19 is now our subject of interest. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. In a certain village, he is hailed by a group of ten lepers. This village was in an area associated with Samaria and Galilee. In that regard, the writer thought it appropriate to mention that one of the ten was a Samaritan – as if the other nine were not.

All ten of them, as a group, cried out, 'master, have mercy on us'. There is nothing particularly special in this account; it is wholly a matter of human nature to call for help when in difficulty. It is human to seek out and implore the one thought to be able to render said aid. It is, as I say, human nature. How, then, can we look at this account and not include ourselves.

When we pray to God in our difficulties, we beg his mercy. Like the group of lepers crying aloud, we bring attention to our own needs and desires, asking, 'master, have mercy on me'. Many of us have some real issues to work through. We could definitely use some help. To whom do we turn? We turn to the one who has the power to help. Since, at that point, we have yet to see the effective power we seek, since we lack empirical evidence, it must be accounted a matter of hope and faith.

Those ten lepers might never have seen Jesus heal another person – they weren't exactly the social type. It was part of their stigma to stand afar off. If people wandered close to them, it was required that they loudly proclaim their disease. That made it hard to even be a beggar.

So Jesus agreed to heal them; he said to them, 'go and show yourselves to the priests'. They asked for nothing more, but turned and headed for the priests. If Jesus had told them to do back flips, they would have – that is desperation. When human nature calls out under dire circumstances, it is in the spirit of desperation. To be done with and past some of our problems, we would jump through flaming hoops.

It is important to note that when the ten lepers turned to leave, they were not yet healed. Their first steps were steps of hope and faith. It was within the parameters of the exercise of faith that they were healed. When we consider that spirit of faith upon which ten lepers acted, we must also see the concomitant spirit of obedience.

What spirit do we find ourselves in? When we hope for relief and call to God in prayer, is our spirit of hope in any way connected to a spirit of faith? Do we act upon our faith? Obviously, there is no Jesus standing before us in the flesh. There is no corporeal master to instruct us. Yet, we have at our disposal literal volumes of instruction. Do we act on our hope and faith? Do we seek the instructions we need from the Bible?

It is true that thousands upon thousands turn to God in prayer. It is also true that many of us, like the ten lepers, receive an answer to our desperate pleas. Like the nine, we keep plugging along in the same direction. I'm not saying we are wrong to continue forward if it is in the spirit of obedience. But, let us examine a case of disobedience.

Ten men asked for help. Ten men received instruction. Ten men moved forward in obedience. One man turned back. On the way to show himself to the priests, one man saw that his body had been healed. It is safe to assume that the other nine did, as well. What did the other nine men do? If they continued forward in obedience, they showed themselves healed to the priests. What if one or two of the men, in their excitement, instead ran back to their families and lives? Would that have completed the spirit of faith that healed them?

In this scenario of healing, the spirit is vital. The spirit of faith belongs with the spirit of hope. The spirit of hope stems from the spirit of desperation. The spirit of obedience must, therefore, be seen as inseparable from the other spirits. This is human nature. When I say 'spirit', the reader should know that I mean 'mind'. The mind of desperation leads to hope and faith and, yes, obedience.

So, what about the Samaritan? What was on his mind? Certainly, he did not complete his march to the priests, as instructed. Instead, he did just the opposite. Why? Had he been healed of his disease by the local MD, it would still have been his duty to show himself to the priests. Jesus told the lepers nothing special. They would have had to do that, regardless.

Yet, the spirit is vital. Jesus gave them ordinary instructions. They obeyed. The spirits of obedience, faith, hope, and desperation come as a package deal. They are all part and parcel of human nature. They belong together.

There is, however, one spirit we have yet to deal with in this study. As a spirit, it is just as connected to faith as hope or obedience. It is the spirit of thanksgiving. The Samaritan who turned back turned back in the spirit of overwhelming joy and humble thanksgiving. He felt that Jesus and God deserved something personal from him.

How often are we humbled by the answer to a prayer? How often do we turn back to give personal and real thanksgiving? How often do we see the person who was instrumental in our succor as more than just a person? There is something very important in the spirit of thanksgiving that we must absolutely take note of. When the Samaritan threw himself on his face and thanked Jesus personally, Jesus himself equated the act with giving glory to God. You have to get it; the two are the same.

The spirit of thanksgiving and the spirit of giving glory to God are the same. That does not only apply to Jesus, otherwise, his message and work could not have continued through his disciples. Anyone who saw an apostle of Jesus as 'just another fallible person', closed himself off from the message and work of Christ. The spirit of dismissing just another fallible person negates the avenue through which the spirit works. It sets you outside the loop so that whatever mind you have – be it desperation, hope, obedience, thanksgiving – they are all disconnected from the source of spiritual power which provides the spirit of faith that heals. At that point, don't even bother.

When the Samaritan gave thanks to Jesus for the healing which his own faith delivered, Jesus said this: “Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.” Jesus did not say that the man's faith had healed him, that is altogether different. He was healed along the way with the other nine.

The concept of wholeness, especially that of spiritual wholeness, speaks of a completeness whereby all the necessary parts and connections are in their proper places. The Samaritan completed that spiritual circuit in a way the other nine did not. To give no more than an off-handed or perfunctory “thanks” just isn't enough to complete the circuit. To be whole, one must take it to the personal level.

No matter whether the answer comes to you via Jesus or a follower, or even the Bible, if you do not practice real thanksgiving, and thus, giving glory to God, you are not whole.

The Thing About Faith

Luke 17:5-10 offers us an opportunity to consider our faith. Many of us know the part that goes, 'if you had the faith of a mustard seed'. It is that small thing that works wonders and miracles. We know the part about moving mountains (or Sycamine trees) and casting them (or planting them) in the sea. Faith can move mountains. Right?

Realistically, however, there is not one recorded instance of a person performing such a miraculous act. It is still wholly a matter of faith. But, that's the thing about faith – some see it one way, others discount it altogether. Among those who see it, I fear it is often misinterpreted.

Man often sees the attributes of God in man as a supernatural state. To be perfect, for example, necessitates a flawless state bordering on that of the superhero. At the very least, it establishes arbitrary lines which the normal human may not pass. I have often heard arguments from the non-Christian, such as, 'you can't smoke and be a Christian', or, 'you can't drink', etc. Even the Catholic church sets such lines when it tells it's monks and nuns they may not have relationships.

From practicing Christians we get similar limitations, such as, 'I'm just a sinner saved by grace'. Seems everyone equates being good with self-limitation. We set the standard so arbitrarily high that nobody can reach it. I think the same is true for our interpretation of faith. Many Christians, in their prayers, ask for faith in the same way the apostles did in Luke 17:5. It is seen as a thing in itself that may be given, intact, as a gift.

But in his answer, Jesus said, 'you have to work for it'. Let's look at his answer to a request for faith. It appears the apostles believed they had faith which Jesus could just 'miraculously' ratchet up. And yes, Jesus did tell them a little faith can work wonders. I think what he meant by the mustard seed was not so much the quantity, or the power per quantity, but rather something that grows, becomes, accrues, etc.

After his statement about faith, Jesus made this point – and he made it loud and clear: if you want faith, you have to work up to it. There are no short cuts, just the long way around. What is the long way around? Essentially, it consists of all the pennies that add up to a dollar.

This is what Jesus told them. Luke 17:10, “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”

The servant coming from the field cannot reasonably expect his master to set aside the order of things to elevate the servant beyond his station. There are still a lot of little tasks that must be completed before the servant can reach his desired goal.

Christians know the parameters of their service to God. The many small and ordinary tasks are laid out in black and white. These tasks are where we are at. We must focus on the little things. If we want faith from God or an increase in faith, we must approach it on our own – by the numbers. A dollar is achieved one penny at a time. Perfection is a goal we may come to, not by avoiding the commands of God, but by attending each and every one.

Christians assume that perfection is outside the normal reach of man, but it is not. This is what the Bible tells us about the perfection of man. Matthew 5:44, 45, and 48: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

These are some of the small and ordinary tasks the Christian must remain focused on. You may obtain faith, and even perfection, by working for it. Focus on the commands of God and do not try to get ahead of yourselves.

What is Little?

In this study of Luke 17:1-4, I begin with the salient points. Point one: Jesus is directly addressing his disciples. Point two: there will always be offenses in the world, that's a given. Likewise, it is a given that those through whom the offenses come will suffer greatly. Point three: in the making of this statement, Jesus points his finger directly at his own disciples by saying, “Take heed to yourselves.”

Just how bad that suffering will be is addressed in point four. Jesus tells his disciples that it would be better for them to tie millstones around their necks and cast themselves into the sea. Who is affected by the offense is part of the same statement, it is “these little ones.” Please note the use of the word 'these'.

Point five: is the example of trespass and forgiveness. Many people only see that the good Christian is someone who forgives no matter what. There is more to this example. What I would first like to note is the possibility that the words 'trespass' and 'offense' are applied as different concepts, that the offense is not the trespass but, rather, the failure to forgive the trespass. Second is the possibility that the expression “these little ones” does not apply to children but to adults struggling with faith, and who need forgiveness to grow spiritually.

The strongest points in my list of five are that Jesus directly addresses his disciples (one and three), while the most confused and confusing point is that of the interplay between trespass and forgiveness (five). The concept of 'offense' is not a point in this study but, rather, an outcome of the points in general.

What do we as seekers need to understand in regard to this study? We need to know the meanings of the words 'offense' and 'trespass'. We need a spiritual take on the expression “these little ones.” We need to understand where the word 'rebuke' fits into the repertoire of the forgiving steward.

The definition of the word 'offense' is a breach of a law or rule. One synonym for the word offense is 'sin'. However, this definition is by no means so two-dimensional. There is much more to sin than just breaking the law. A secondary definition involves the connection between 'offense' and 'trespass', and not only that but also the connection between the one who trespasses and the one who forgives.

It goes like this: annoyance or resentment brought about by a perceived insult to or disregard for oneself or one's standards or principles. You can easily see, then, that offenses and trespasses are normally found on the personal level. Some connected synonyms are anger, indignation, exasperation, displeasure, vexation, and animosity.

These mindsets, or spirits, stand opposed to the will of God in that they effectively negate the possibility of spiritual growth in the people we have set ourselves against. As an example, the Salem witches may have been struggling with their faith and had the good Christians rebuked and forgiven them, they might have moved forward spiritually. They might have become upstanding members of their community and pillars in the church.

We see in the examples given by Jesus in this study (point five), there is no option for wrath, or anger, or destructive actions. The only thing allowed here is a rebuke. Rebuke is defined as an expression of sharp disapproval. Some related synonyms are reprimand, reproof, and admonition. These actions go hand in hand with forgiveness as an outlet for spiritual growth for those who struggle with their faith.

Those who are weak and small in their spiritual stand may be considered the little ones that Jesus brought to his disciples' attention. Ask yourselves, who was it, mostly, that followed Jesus through the open countryside night and day? The multitudes that followed Jesus were comprised mostly of men. It was, after all, a patriarchal society. Of course, some women and children followed the men, but they were for the most part managed by men, possibly kept behind the press of men.

When Jesus mentioned offenses against the little ones, he used the word 'these'. Imagine, as he said this, that he gestured with his hand – a sweeping motion that took in all those with enough muscle to get a good seat. Imagine the jostling to get in close enough to hear the Rabbi. Imagine the men with their families in tow, concerned for their safety.

What is Little? I ask that in a spiritual sense. Jesus said the physician came not to heal the healthy but the sick – that is, the weak and ailing. That case is a case of a spiritual physician concerned with the spiritually weak and struggling. These little ones are you and me, who struggle with our faith, who make daily blunders and seek to be set right again.

The offense is to interfere with our spiritual progress in any way or for any rationale. If someone makes you angry or displeased, if someone vexes you, exasperates you and brings about a condition of animosity – rebuke them. Always. That should never be the end of the matter. Ignoring or avoiding them is not a state of forgiveness. The forgiveness must follow for there to be spiritual growth. The two must work hand in hand.

Ignoring or avoiding is just as much an offense as murder. Anything that keeps your brother from reaching his spiritual potential is an offense. This study concerns a warning issued to those who seek and serve God. If you are zealous about the tenets of your faith, then as a steward, you are called upon to rebuke trespasses, forgive the trespasser, and by all means at your disposal, facilitate the spiritual growth of your fellow man.

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.