Luke 18:9-14

 "Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 

Luke 7:48 (NIV) 

The key similarity between our Lord’s story of the Pharisee and the tax collector, and Luke’s account of our Lord and Simon the Pharisee and the sinful woman, is that only one person left the Lord’s Presence, forgiven. In this sense, both of these accounts are tragic. Two people meet God; they go the effort of making time in their day. They both speak to God and yet only one of them leaves forgiven.

Friend, do you need to be forgiven? Is it truly your greatest need this moment? When it isn’t, then we have a problem. You say: “Come on John. I am forgiven. I was forgiven all my sins past, present and future when I gave my life to Christ Jesus.” Ah that is so true, and it so good to have that peace with God through His Son. Yet the apostle John in 1 John 1 teaches us that we still sin, and we still need forgiveness. Do you need to be forgiven? Is it truly your greatest need this moment?

The woman knew that she needed forgiveness. The tax collector knew that he needed forgiveness. Only Pharisees believe that they don’t need forgiveness. Oh friend, may God reveal our sin to each of us, right now - wherever we are and whatever we are doing – may He open our eyes that we may see the sin that so easily entangles us! Then let us agree with Him. Let us confess our sin and have our righteousness restored, and that blessed sweet fellowship with the Trinity restored. Let us respond to His knock on our heart and let us get up, open the door and experience the close fellowship of our beautiful Lord and Saviour.

"I Come to the Garden Alone", via YouTube

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2 Samuel 12

"Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said." 

Luke 7:40 (NIV) 

Our Lord’s approach to Simon is very similar to Nathan’s approach to David as recorded in 2 Samuel 12. David and Simon had the same problem, not the same sin of course, but the same problem. Their problem was that they couldn’t see their own sin. The Bible refers to this inability to see your own sin as blindness. We question this blindness in the account of David, for we cannot imagine how a man of God – a man whose heart is after God - could commit adultery and murder and not be able to see his actions as sin. Yet spiritual blindness can be self-inflicted, and once we have this blindness we need God’s help; we need His healing.

It is interesting that Nathan's story uses David’s ability to recognize grievous sin in others to bring him to his senses. This ability to recognize sin in others and to condemn them for their sin, is also apparent in Simon, for he writes off the sinful woman. Our Lord warned us in the parable of the splinter and the log (Lk 6:41,42) that this ability to spot sin in other people, is a sign that we have sin in ourselves that we need to deal with.

David was forced by the story to see his actions through the eyes of his Holy God, and when David’s eyes saw what God saw, he immediately identified his actions as sin. He admitted to Nathan and God that he had sin. He agreed with God’s verdict on his actions. This is confession, and lest you wonder if it was just going through the motions, we have Psalm 32 and 51 to reveal David’s journey and heart through this period of spiritual blindness and then deliverance.

We don’t know what happened to Simon. I have great hope for him, based on David’s recovery, yet we are not told because that is not the point. The point is that a person can know the Bible, can live a righteous life, can be hospitable to Christians, can do all the things they are supposed to do, and yet be completely spiritually blind; not see their sin and live their entire lives in a state of unforgiveness. Oh friend, may we not be among them! May the prayer of David be our prayer each and every hour: Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. (Ps 139:23)

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Luke 7:36-50

"But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John." 

Luke 7:30 (NIV)

Why would this Pharisee who has rejected God’s purpose for himself, invite Jesus to his home? There are those who embrace God’s Way; they listen to His prophets and repent. They draw near to God continually. There are those who reject God’s Way; they won’t listen to the prophets for they are confident of their own righteousness before God. 

Why would a person who rejects God’s Way, invite Jesus to his home? The fact that Jesus accepted his invitation and sat at his table and ate with him, demonstrates that Jesus is truly the friend of all sinners. Not only a friend of those who are the down and out sinners, but also a friend to those who are self-righteous, the best of the best in society sinners. Jesus doesn’t condemn this man; He calls him by name and teaches him gently, and the text leaves us hope for this man by pointing out the other people’s reaction to Jesus forgiving sins. 

However I keep wondering about this man inviting Jesus to his home. Was he curious? Was he malicious? Possibly seeking to find a reason to dismiss Jesus? Was he seeking to enhance his own status? Was his home a happening place where the movers and shakers gathered? Or was he keeping up appearances, going through the motions, doing his good deeds, keeping his part of the ‘horse trade bargain’ that he was making with God for his own salvation? 

Jesus chose to teach him by using a ‘marketplace’ example. Jesus spoke to him in the language that this man could understand; money owed, the inability to pay what was owed, and the act of cancelling a financial debt. Jesus spoke to him in his language, but the lesson was about grace and forgiveness and love and faith. 

I hope this man received the Words of Christ and realized that he owed a debt he couldn’t pay. I hope and pray that all who ‘hang around Jesus’ in our church, will have their eyes opened to the truth that they owe a debt they can’t pay, and that they embrace God’s Way - the way of repentance, the way of faith in God’s Son the Lord Jesus Christ, and His finished work on their behalf!

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Luke 12:35-59

"It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them." 

Luke 12:37 (NIV) 

It seems backwards for a Master to wait upon His servants! Peter thought that it was backwards and he didn’t want to allow the Master to wash his feet. Do we make the same mistake? I have heard a number of messages about ‘servant leadership’ out of the account of the washing of the feet, and each time it was emphasized that Jesus did it as an example for the disciples – almost as if Jesus ‘modeled’ the behaviour He expected of His disciples. There is truth in that emphasis, but don’t make the mistake in thinking that our Lord was acting! NO – He was demonstrating His true character for He is humble in heart (Mt 11:29).

This text teaches that our Lord serves those whom He finds watching when He comes. Most of us can agree that the Lord Jesus came humbly and as a servant in His incarnation. He humbled Himself even to the point of death, but what about the 2nd coming, when He comes in power, authority and fiery judgment? This text teaches that He will also come as a servant for those He finds watching.  Watching is defined through this passage, as having your clothes on (righteous acts) and having your lamp burning (living by the Spirit). If we just stop and think for a moment about the truth that the Spirit brings gifts in our lives to do the works, that the Spirit equips us to do the works, and that the Spirit gives us the energy (unction) to do these works which were prepared in advance for us (Eph 2:10), we soon realize that these righteous acts are really done by God, but we get credit for them.

The Christian life is a matter of abiding in Him, resting in Him, surrendering to Him, producing fruit in Him, and trusting in Him. Friend – will you allow Him to serve you today? Do you have it backwards? Are you rushing around loaded down with a to-do list? Perhaps a list of dos and don’ts, or a list of works that you have to do in order to please the Lord. Don’t make the mistake of Martha; what she did was good, but what Mary did was better! All Mary did was draw near to the Lord, sit at His feet and listen to His Words (Lk 10:38-42). Oh friend, don’t be like Peter, or like Martha today.  Be like Mary and allow the Lord to serve you in your own house, in your own life, in your own situation! He is standing at the door waiting to come in.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28-30)

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Philippians 2:1-8

"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus..." 

Philippians 2:5 (NIV)

It appears that the new NIV added the English word “relationships” to this verse. The translators will have to answer to God for adding words to the Bible (I am sure they do their important work with fear and trembling), but this addition helps focus our attention on the central message of this text.

The focus of this passage is on our relationships with each other, not about our relationship to God. It is about actions, and words that come from Christ’s mind, not just simply thinking good thoughts. The command presupposes that we have relationships with other Christians, which of course means that we are part of an assembly or local church. It is based on the blessings and benefits we have through our spiritual union with Christ, and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our life. Paul is reminding us that the humility of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, should be evident in our relationships, and it starts with our mindset towards other Christians!

Are we concerned about our status? Are we muttering about a lack of respect? Do we filter every interaction with others through “somehow this must work to my advantage”? Will we truly serve others? That is - will we help them? Will we do or pray or work so that they can advance in their life and walk with God? Will we meet them at their level without condemnation, and rejoice with them as they take whatever baby step they should have taken years ago? Will we overlook their sin and encourage them to build their faith? Are we willing to go to the cross for them? That is - are we willing to die to our own desires, our own agenda, our own preferences, our own comfort so that someone else can advance in their own faith walk?

As I write this, it seems to me that this is a description of good parenting, and most of us will do this for our own children. What is being communicated in this text is that God expects us to treat all of His children, the way we treat our own children!

Last of all, are we obedient? Not obedient to those brothers and sisters around us. NO - that could be deadly! But obedient to their Father, our Father, and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We are to be the servants of each other, but we must always remember that the Lord is our boss.

Oh friend, can you imagine what Parkdale would be like if we worked hard at obeying this command? It starts with me and it starts with you! Let us have the mindset of Christ in our relationships with each other.

Help us Lord Jesus. Change us. Break us of our pride and selfishness this day. Help me to see the people of Parkdale through your eyes.

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Jeremiah 6:10-20

"To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it." 

Jeremiah 6:10 (NIV) 

The word of the LORD is offensive to them!

I wonder if you ever examine your thoughts as you read the Word. Are you able to identify what your innermost thoughts are when you read a passage? I have actually caught myself mid-thought as I read a text when my thoughts were unpleasant; I think, “Well I don’t agree with that!” or “That’s crazy, that’s can’t be true.” WOAH Baby - STOP the train! If you catch yourself thinking thoughts like that while reading Scripture, STOP right there. Pray and ask God to open your eyes, your mind and your heart that you might see, understand and find rest.

God’s Words are Life, and the whole Bible is truth for me and you. Our sin nature and the demons all whisper to us that God’s Words are wrong, and if we accept their lies we become the people that Jeremiah 6 is describing. I heard a preacher say one time that “you can’t stop the birds flying over your head, but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair!” Don’t get upset when you have evil thoughts about God’s Word as you read it, just deal with those thoughts. Don’t let them get a foothold and don’t let them lead you into death.

This text in Jeremiah accurately describes the issue with the leaders that refused to listen to John the Baptist and Jesus. Two completely different men, two different teaching styles, with two different lifestyles, and yet they had the same message: REPENT. But the leaders refused to listen; the Words of God were offensive to them. Oh friend, may we run as far away from their attitude as we can.

A dear older lady whom I love and respect, used to say to me, “Well that is just Paul’s opinion. I listen to Jesus.” Paul is different than Jesus; two different men, two different teaching styles, two different life styles, and yet God’s Word is God’s Word!

Will we listen to the LORD through His prophets, His Messiah and His apostles or will we find the LORD’s Words offensive?

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Luke 7:24-35

"The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails - given by one shepherd." 

Ecclesiastes 12:11 (NIV)

When I get to Luke 7:24-35, I wonder what happened to Luke, for it has been extremely easy to follow his train of thought, but this passage seems to be disjointed and hard to connect and hard to understand. I have to remind myself that this is a connected series of wise sayings. Wise sayings are designed to stick sideways in our heads. Solomon calls them goads. They sit sideways and poke and irritate us and therefore they are hard to integrate into our thoughts. You can’t come up with an easy application, instead we have to puzzle over them and allow them to do their work in our minds and heart.

Wise sayings do the work for us, all we have to do is be willing to allow them to penetrate our minds and then examine them from as many angles as we are able to. It isn’t a memorization technique, it is a willing surrender to God’s Word; it is a step of trust in the Holy Spirit, and it requires patience. But the reward is tremendous, for when we submit to the Spirit, trusting that these Words of Jesus will bear fruit in our lives, He will show us the application and we will remember it better than any other lesson, for the Holy Spirit will have firmly embedded them into us like nails into wood!

So here are the wise sayings. May God do a great work in us as we allow Him to embed them into us:

“Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” (Matthew 11:6)

“I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (Luke 7:28)

“They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other” (Luke 7:32)

"We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry” (Matthew 11:17)

“But wisdom is proved right by all her children.” (Luke 7:35)

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