Leawood, Kansas, United States - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Friday, 28 March 2014 "Parables, priorities and prayer"
Daily Scripture: Luke 17:1 7 He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no occasions of stumbling should come, but woe to him through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
6 The Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7 But who is there among you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, that will say, when he comes in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down at the table,’ 8 and will not rather tell him, ‘Prepare my supper, clothe yourself properly, and serve me, while I eat and drink. Afterward you shall eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded? I think not. 10 Even so you also, when you have done all the things that are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants. We have done our duty.’”
11 As he was on his way to Jerusalem, he was passing along the borders of Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered into a certain village, ten men who were lepers met him, who stood at a distance. 13 They lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14 When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” As they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice. 16 He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus answered, “Weren’t the ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there none found who returned to give glory to God, except this stranger?” 19 Then he said to him, “Get up, and go your way. Your faith has healed you.”
20 Being asked by the Pharisees when God’s Kingdom would come, he answered them, “God’s Kingdom doesn’t come with observation; 21 neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, God’s Kingdom is within you.”
22 He said to the disciples, “The days will come, when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 They will tell you, ‘Look, here!’ or ‘Look, there!’ Don’t go away, nor follow after them, 24 for as the lightning, when it flashes out of the one part under the sky, shines to the other part under the sky; so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25 But first, he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 As it was in the days of Noah, even so will it be also in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, even as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from the sky, and destroyed them all. 30 It will be the same way in the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 31 In that day, he who will be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away. Let him who is in the field likewise not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever seeks to save his life loses it, but whoever loses his life preserves it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed. The one will be taken, and the other will be left. 35 There will be two grinding grain together. One will be taken, and the other will be left.” 36 [a]
37 They, answering, asked him, “Where, Lord?”
He said to them, “Where the body is, there will the vultures also be gathered together.”
Footnotes:
a. Luke 17:36 Some Greek manuscripts add: “Two will be in the field: the one taken, and the other left.”
Reflection Questions:
Part of what it meant for Jesus to "determine to go to Jerusalem" was the growing presence of legal experts and Pharisees testing him with questions that sought to trap him. He answered this one with a story showing in vivid human terms what it means to love your neighbor as yourself. He told his friend Martha it was vital to make him her first priority, and he taught his disciples how to pray—and why.
The Samaritan in the story didn't just offer casual roadside help. He put the injured man on "his own donkey" (meaning he walked), brought him to an inn, cared for him, paid two days wages, and offered to pay more on his return if needed. How did Jesus' description of the Samaritan reflect God's vast generosity to us? How can knowing we've received God's generosity move us to be generous to our neighbors in ways we never would achieve out of our own goodness?
After teaching them the Lord's Prayer, Jesus gave his disciples an insight into "answered prayer" (Luke 11:11-13). He compared the "good gifts" parents give their children with God's gift of the Holy Spirit to all who ask. But, of course, often we're not asking for the Holy Spirit. What things are you praying for today? If God answers by giving you the Holy Spirit's presence, will you thank God for that or be upset that you didn't receive the other thing you asked for?
Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, give me the bread I need for today. And give me your presence, too, because, in the words of the song, "you are my daily bread." Amen.
Insight from Darren Lippe
Darren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 6th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group & a men’s group, and serves on the Curriculum team.
When I was in the Boy Scouts, I took a Public Speaking class during which we had to prepare a persuasive speech, an extemporaneous presentation, &, most daunting for me, a 90-second speech. As Winston Churchill once said, “I will give you a long speech today, because I have not had time to prepare a short one.”
As I struggled with mastering the succinct presentation, (And still struggle – Editor.) one of the mentors suggested that Jesus’ parables would be a great example of concise story telling.
In a portion of today’s reading, we have The Parable of the Good Samaritan, which Jesus shares in only 164 words. (Interestingly, Jesus never uses the phrase “Good Samaritan.” I would gently contend that the title robs some of the power of the plot-twist in the midst of the story; I would opt for The Parable of the Good Neighbor. But I digress. (149 words – Editor.)
For today’s purpose we’ll focus on our friendly Samaritan & how Jesus’ initial audience might have reacted to the Samaritan’s actions.
Jesus has 3 people come upon a man who has been robbed, stripped, beaten & left for dead.
Aside: This is a familiar formula in story telling since it easier for people to recall things in groups of three. (Hence, when I order a sandwich at Subway I always group my requests to the Sandwich Artisan in trios: “Onion, Lettuce, Tomato & Pickle, Olive, Salt.” But I digress.) Of course the template is also a common shtick for comedic use: “There was a Priest, a Rabbi, & a Methodist Minister who walk into a bar. The bartender stares at them & asks, “What? Is this some kind of joke?”
Jesus’ audience would have readily understood/excused the Priest & Levite passing the man by. If the Priest came within 4 cubits of a dead body, he would be defiled. He would then have to return to Jerusalem for ritualistic cleansing. Embarrassingly, he would be ordered to stand at the Eastern Gate in front of the altar with all of the other “unclean” people. He then would need to locate, buy, and reduce a red heifer to ashes – a ritual that took a full week. (Speaking as someone who won’t even go through airport security a 2nd time if I forgot to buy a USA Today, I can sympathize.)
After our 2 devout Jews, Jesus controversially introduces a Samaritan into the story. Recall that the Jews despised the Samaritans. As one scholar noted, “The Samaritans were publicly cursed in the synagogues; and a petition was offered daily, praying to God that the Samaritans might not be partakers of eternal life.” Alrighty, then! (439 words – Editor.)
The Samaritan then binds the man’s wounds. Jesus’ phrasing here is no accident. He is echoing the same actions God took to heal His people noted in Hosea chapter 6: He will come to us, He will bind us up, He will raise us up, & He will revive us.
The Samaritan also pours oil & wine on the man’s wounds. This isn’t the normal First Aid procedure. But the pouring of oil & the pouring of wine ARE part of the sacrificial elements in Temple worship. The Apostle Paul refers to the pouring of wine as a sacrificial offering of his faith. So, Jesus is really pounding the distinction home: the Priest & the Levite, who poured wine/oil as an act of worship just a few days earlier missed the opportunity to pour wine/oil as an act of love for their fellow man.
Now, the Samaritan isn’t done. He places the wounded man on his donkey & brings him to an inn to care for him. Jesus’ audience would readily perceive the risk our friend is taking; since the Samaritan was in enemy territory, it wouldn’t be too far fetched for the villagers to assume he had been the one to waylay the victim.
The Samaritan then pays for his care & promises to return to pay any remaining balance. Jesus’ audience would have understood the importance this scene quite well. Innkeepers were a notorious lot. If the wounded man could not pay his bill, the innkeeper could have him arrested & imprisoned for his debt.
Thus, Jesus has brilliantly brought the story full circle: The man was impoverished, broken, & abandoned. Thanks to the Samaritan, his needs are satisfied, he is being healed, & he will not be alone.
One can’t help hearing this story & seeing Christ’s love for you & me. A man makes foolish choices. For a variety of reasons, society deems him unworthy of saving. Another Man, despised by the same society, volunteers to come to his aid. He gently tends to the hurting man. There is no limit to the price He is willing to pay to restore the man. He promises to be by his side forever.
The question for us today, is what should the healed one(s) do in response to this amazing gift of love? (832 words. Better luck next time – Editor.)
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