You've Got the Time--Day 11

Luke 10-13

I thought I knew these chapters! After all, this is where the good stuff begins, the stories that I know and love! Obviously I have been doing some selective reading. Again, the listening to a whole chapter at once, an entire section of the gospel gives a different--somewhat disturbing, perspective!

First off, who are these 72 that Jesus sent out? Just a part of the nameless people that often roam through the Bible. But note that they have the same success that the 12 have. Could it be that the nameless people in our congregation are providing the same ministry as the "select?"

The best part of this section for me is that we start getting "the good stories!" Here we have the Good Samaritan. But what hit me (how often have I read this?) is that Jesus just tells this story in reaction to a question! How does he pull out THIS great a story off the cuff? How often am I hit with a question and days later think, "I wish I had said this!" But not Jesus! (Paul Duke once told me that his ability to tell stories this great is sign enough that he was the Son of God! I think he may be right.)

Has there ever been two more different sisters than Martha and Mary? (Other than the two sisters that lived in our house, or your house?) Mary is the one who gets the accolades here, but I often wonder what would have happened if Martha hadn't been "serving." I mean, who would have cleaned the dishes, put up the chairs, vacuumed the floor, put out the hymnals, kept the nursery.... Sorry, I fell into my Martha mode, worrying about many things! The things that often start conflicts and hurt feelings in churches and families. But who does this stuff? (I hate it when Jesus goes to meddling!)

And meddle he does! Jesus directs a series of "woes" at individuals. It seems that part of the condemnation is directed at those who have missed out on the signs before them. But there is also an element of those who condemn others, while living off the results of their predecessors' sins. That hit me as I heard that in Charleston, sitting in my home less than a mile away from the slave quarters at Boone Hall. It hit me hard, the grandson of mill bosses. How often do we accuse people of sins, even crimes, when we are in the position we are in due to the discrimination, the crime, the sin of those who have gone before us? Seems to be a reminder that we are all tainted with original sin!

Once again we hear the Pharisee's condemnation about sabbath violation. Amazing to hear that today, when I went out to eat yesterday, and passed by store after store that invited me in! We really don't take the sabbath very seriously today--and that is a loss for us all.

So I wonder, what are our "sabbath rules" today? What are those "rules" that we use to separate the sheep from the goats, the chosen from the left-outs, the saints from the sinners? What are our rules? Would they be Jesus'?

Hmmm. After listening to this, maybe I don't like Luke after all! What do you think?