Leawood, Kansas, United States - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Saturday, 29 March 2014 "Confronting the self-righteous"
Daily Scripture: Luke 18:1 He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray, and not give up, 2 saying, “There was a judge in a certain city who didn’t fear God, and didn’t respect man. 3 A widow was in that city, and she often came to him, saying, ‘Defend me from my adversary!’ 4 He wouldn’t for a while, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God, nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.’”
6 The Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says. 7 Won’t God avenge his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
9 He spoke also this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others. 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: ‘God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
15 They were also bringing their babies to him, that he might touch them. But when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 Jesus summoned them, saying, “Allow the little children to come to me, and don’t hinder them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these. 17 Most certainly, I tell you, whoever doesn’t receive God’s Kingdom like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.”
18 A certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 Jesus asked him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good, except one—God. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Don’t commit adultery,’ ‘Don’t murder,’ ‘Don’t steal,’ ‘Don’t give false testimony,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”[a]
21 He said, “I have observed all these things from my youth up.”
22 When Jesus heard these things, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Come, follow me.”
23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was very rich.
24 Jesus, seeing that he became very sad, said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into God’s Kingdom! 25 For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.”
26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”
27 But he said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”
28 Peter said, “Look, we have left everything, and followed you.”
29 He said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children, for God’s Kingdom’s sake, 30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the world to come, eternal life.”
31 He took the twelve aside, and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be completed. 32 For he will be delivered up to the Gentiles, will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit on. 33 They will scourge and kill him. On the third day, he will rise again.”
34 They understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they didn’t understand the things that were said. 35 As he came near Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the road, begging. 36 Hearing a multitude going by, he asked what this meant. 37 They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38 He cried out, “Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who led the way rebuked him, that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “You son of David, have mercy on me!”
40 Standing still, Jesus commanded him to be brought to him. When he had come near, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do?”
He said, “Lord, that I may see again.”
42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight. Your faith has healed you.”
43 Immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, praised God.
Footnotes:
a. Luke 18:20 Exodus 20:12-16; Deuteronomy 5:16-20
Reflection Question:
People convinced that they were upright slandered Jesus—for setting people free from conditions caused by evil! Yet they fixated on washing for ritual purity (not for hygiene—remember, no one knew about germs in their day). Jesus strongly disputed their sense that outward rituals matter more than inner candor and openness. He was kind, but not a doormat, and he bluntly challenged their claims to have a corner on righteousness.
Sometimes our efforts to "clean up our life" don't work out, Jesus said in verses 24-26. It doesn't help much just to clear out the bad, to give up hurtful habits. What are some positive ways you have learned to allow God to fill your soul with divine purpose and love? Verses 34-35 urged us to examine how well our eyes— not just physical, but spiritual—are working. Jesus' enemies blinded themselves spiritually by refusing to consider any evidence that didn't fit what they wanted to be true. In what ways has God brought new light to your mind, to your ways of thinking, over the last year?
Family Activity:
Gather your family into the darkest space of your home. A closet or a dark bathroom would be good options. Bring a Bible and a very small reading light with you. When you are all together, ask someone to read Luke 10:17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
18 He said to them, “I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, don’t rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Describe how just as life can be dark at times, so are our hearts, lives and the world without the light of Jesus. In an age-appropriate way, discuss some of the evil in the world and how it makes us feel. Then share how as followers of Jesus, His light lives within us and He wants us to share it with the world! Open the door of the room, celebrate and be thankful for the light of Jesus! Commit to sharing the light of Jesus with all people.
Today's Prayer:
Lord God, open the eyes of my heart. Let me soak in the light of your love and grace, so that it may beam out of me to lighten the lives of all who come in contact with me. Amen.
Insight from Dan Entwistle
Dan Entwistle is Resurrection’s Managing Executive Director for Programs and Ministries.
We’re on a journey together through Luke this Lent. And in nearly every one of our daily readings, we’ve seen another illustration of how the “nobodies” of this world turn out to be quite important. And, on the flipside, we’ve seen how the “somebodies” of Jesus’ world, the ones who were convinced they were really something (or really really something), were grandly missing the mark.
With today’s reading, the tension between somebodies and nobodies ratchets up a few more notches. Like a spring adding tension with each turn, Jesus’ ministry (and his custom of meddling with the well-accepted somebody/nobody balance) moves a step closer to the point of no return with the somebodies of his day.
Now we’re on the 22nd day of Lent (Lent lasts 40 days beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending at Easter, excluding Sundays.) So, we’re half way through our journey, and in our readings so far, we’ve seen how Jesus sided with the unclean, hurt and pushed down. He stood beside the condemned and against the condemners. He joined the side of the humble and against the proud. And he was a collision course with (gulp) many of the most religious people of his day. He even had the audacity to announce that those who are most blessed are those who have lost everything, or find themselves hungry, and with those who mourn or find themselves rejected.
In today’s reading, Jesus healed a nobody and immediately ran up against the somebody bystanders who entirely missed the point of the healing. They made the situation worse by claiming Jesus did so under the power of the prince of demons. Audacious, right? Jesus’ reply forces everyone (including us) to pick a side. “Whoever isn’t with me is against me, and whoever doesn’t gather with me, scatters.” In the Message translation, this verse reads, “This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you’re not on my side, you’re the enemy; if you’re not helping, you’re making things worse.”
To make matters worse, he calls the Pharisees frauds. As you’d expect, they become inflamed to the point where one of them asks, “Do you realize you’re insulting us?” Jesus presses the point, “Yes… you’re hopeless, you religion scholars! You load people down with rules and regulations, nearly breaking their backs, but never lift even a finger to help.” Not only has Jesus sided with the nobodies, but now he is calling out the somebodies for using their religion as a weapon to harm the nobodies. And in this battle, Jesus leaves no middle ground.
This Lent, let’s take sides. In the second half of Lent, what if we make a dramatic move toward a “nobody”? Or instead of giving up candy, we could drop an attitude that weighs down someone who doesn’t measure up to a standard that we hold dear. Or maybe it is time to leave the neutral zone and actively become a healer. This Lent, let’s follow Jesus by siding with him, on the side of the nobodies.
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