Day 43: Paul's Journeys, until Jerusalem....

This is where it's a good idea to start looking at a map, to keep track of the towns Paul travels through, the seas he sails through, as well as the people he meets.  At the beginning of chapter 19, Paul is traveling through Ephesus and meets some believers who have not yet received the Holy Spirit.  Not only that, they haven't even heard of the existence of the Holy Spirit.  He prays for them, and immediately they begin to speak in languages and prophecy.

Coincidentailly, there are "about" twelve of them. hmmmmm.

In the meantime, things are not going so smoothly in the synagogues.  There are people who are convinced about Paul's message, but many more who are not. One small, odd story concerns some exorcists who do not appear to believe in Jesus but who like to cast out evil spirits in his name.  At one point, the spirits ask the exorcists, "Jesus I know, and Paul I am familiar with, but who are you?"

Personally, the very small detail about people being healed by touching even small pieces of cloth that have been touched by Paul is the strangest to me.  This reminds me of the stories of medieval relics that have healing power.  What do you think about this?  In the midst of all of this trouble, the power of healing through Paul only gets stronger.

Paul decides to return to Jerusalem, which a lot of people think is a big mistake.  Many people try to talk him out of it.

At the same time, Paul is getting into trouble not just with Jews but with Gentiles who feel that he has "dissed" their goddess, Artemis.  He is a friend of no one's status quo.  His truth disturbs everyone, in some way or another.  His words and presence cause riots.

Aside:  during a theological conversation that lasts all night, a young man named Eutychus falls asleep, and falls out the window.  He is pronounced dead, but Paul raises him from death.  (possibly where the saying "bored to death" is from?)  (Just asking.)

Despite many many protests, Paul returns to Jerusalem.  Many of his friends plead with him, pray for him, beg him, but he leaves.  He arrives in Jerusalem to find it just as his friends have feared.  James tries to protect him, but Paul is the center of controversy and gossip in Jerusalem, because of what people have heard about the Gentiles, and what they claim that Paul is preaching.  Paul purifies himself to prove that he's still a good Jew, and James and other Jerusalem leaders repeat what they told the Gentile churches:  all they nee to do is abstain from eating blood, eating food sacrificed to idols, and from sexual immorality.

It does no good.  Paul is set up and arrested.  He appeals as a citizen of the Empire for the right to speak.

And speak he does.

(to be continued)

Day 40: The Message Expands outward, with opposition

There's a shift coming here -- in chapter 12, it is the preaching and message of Peter which still take precedence, but shortly the apostle Paul and his exploits will take center stage.  Though right away we can tell that the church is growing, and that the opposition is growing too.

James, John's brother is martyred, Peter is put in prison, and the church is under duress.  It is not explicitly stated, but the implication is that Peter is about to be martyred.  But an angel leads him through locked prison doors, until he is comes to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark.  (this is where the believers often met.)  He knocks on the door, and a little servant girl named Rhoda answers the door.  She is so excited to see him that she forgets to let him in!

Also, just inside, many disciples are sitting in a circle and praying for Peter.  Imagine their surprise when the answer to their prayers is suddenly standing among them.

Perhaps it felt as if Jesus had been resurrected again.

Answers to prayer are not always (or even usually) so dramatic or immediate.  But this gives you an idea of  how the Spirit directed the early believers.

So the Spirit sends them out from Antioch, even farther out.  Paul, Barnabas and John Mark head down to Seleucia, to Cyprus,  and to Paphos and Perga, preaching in the synagogues and then going out to tell the Gentiles as well.

Paul preaches a sermon telling the basic story about Jesus.  He meets with success at first, but later on, some of the other Jewish leader come in with questions, and their success is diminished.  This is the pattern wherever he goes, whenever Paul goes out into the world; he always goes to the synagogue first, and then later on, they go out to the Gentiles.

Even when Paul meets with success, there are complications.  Paul heals a man in Lystra, and then has to deal with the problem that the people there think they are gods, like Zeus and Hermes.  They are too popular for their own good.  Even so, it appears that the crowds of believers are easily swayed, and later on Paul is stoned and left for dead.

Crowds are fickle.  It is ever so.

And even success bring complications, for the early church, and for us.

Day 36: "We Are Witnesses Of These Things"

These are words we here over and over again in these three chapters of Acts.  Peter and John heal a lame man as they approaching the Beautiful Gate at the 3:00 prayer time.  (In Jewish tradition, there are seven times a day for prayer.  If you know this, you will find several references of people turning to prayer "at the appointed time.")

So, the man who is healed does not just walk away, he leaps away, and he praises God.  Suddenly, the disciples are doing Acts of healing just as mighty and impressive as Jesus did.  The Holy Spirit has empowered the to be witnesses, which does not only involve speaking, but also acts of healing and compassion.*

But witnessing does involve speaking as well.  In fact, the disciples seem to spend as much time defending themselves as they do healing and preaching.  They are brought up against the council more than once in these beginning chapters of Acts, and they are thrown into prison, only to let out by the power of the Holy Spirit.

"You know those uneducated fishermen you threw in prison?  They're preaching in the temple again?"

For a little while, at least, the faith community seems to lead an ideal life.  They are devoted to Jesus, and to one another.  They have no secrets (it seems) and they share everything -- not because they have to, but freely.  They sell property and lay the proceeds at the apostles' feet, to be used for the good of the whole community.  Wow.

Until Ananais and Sapphira.  It doesn't take long for someone to come along who gets the idea that they will sell a piece of property, give some of the proceeds to the apostles, tell the apostles that they have given everything, and secretly keep some of the money for themselves.  The motivation for this behavior is unclear.  The apostles seem more concerned that the couple has lied than that they held money back.  The ideal seems to be that no one has any personal property any more, but the truth is, the apostles do not require anyone to give.  As Peter says, "It was yours to keep or to give away.  Why did you lie?"  And then Ananais is struck dead (and later, his wife).

The death penalty for duplicity.  This is sobering.  No second chances for Ananais and Sapphira.  This is one of those stories that I kind of wish was a metaphor.  Because I can understand it as an object lesson, but not as a real event.  In real life, I'd like a little more room for repentance and forgiveness, another chance to get it right.

Finally, there is the figure of Gamaliel the Pharisee.  He warns the other religious leaders to watch out for the followers of Jesus, take a "wait and see attitude."  After all, there have been supposed messiahs before. After they died, their followers scattered, and that was that.  See what happens with this man Jesus and his followers, Gamaliel says.  "If their plan or activity is of human origin, it will end in ruin.  But if it originates with God, you will not be able to stop them."

Gamaliel was wise in many ways.  We could learn from him even now.

*P.S. I do not know the significance of the age of the man who was healed.  Why was it important that he was over 40?  Anyone?

Day 23: As Jesus Gets Nearer to Jerusalem....(Luke 17 -18)

The mustard seed re-appears again in this section of scripture -- if only we had that teeny amount of faith, we could uproot trees and plant them in the sea (why we would want to do that is another question).   Chapter 17 opens with a number of small vignettes:  about not causing a little one to stumble, about faith, about the servant not expecting a reward.  How do they connect with one another?

An amazing healing follows:  ten lepers are cleansed -- sort of matter-of-factly, actually.  Jesus doesn't say anything but "go and show yourself to the priest," and they go, they obey.  Just by going, they are cleansed.  But one notices what has happened and turns back to give thanks.  Only one -- a Samaritan.  Huh. 

After the amazing act of thanksgiving, Jesus warns his disciples about coming persecution.  Jesus says, as in the days of Noah, there will be no warning given before the time of persecution.  Don't try to go back and get your suitcases, don't hesitate.  And the famous phrase, "Left behind" is in this section of scripture, as in "two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and one will be left behind."  I remember that in college one of my friends told me that he thought "left behind" should be interpreted as just the opposite of the way we have heard it.  The one who is left behind is the fortunate one, and the one taken is "taken away", as in the days of Noah.  I find this idea intriguing.

The next two parables are both about prayer, although in different ways.  The first, about the widow and the unjust judge, is one of the most haunting to me.  Prayer and justice -- to Luke, these two go together.  In modern life it often seems to me that those who are most concerned about prayer are not so concerned about justice (at least, justice for the poor); those who are concerned about justice often don't make much mention of prayer.  But for Luke, they go together and are, in fact, the basis for faith. "Persist in seeking justice; persist in prayer."  Both are difficult, maybe impossible, like the camel going through the eye of the needle, or the rich man getting into the kingdom.

But with God, all things are possible --- justice for the widow, justification for a tax collector.

Jesus is almost to Jerusalem.  He heals a blind man -- his last reported miracle.

What will he do next?

Day 19: Jesus Preaches, Heals, Casts Out Demons....and Prays

You may find much of this section of Luke somewhat familiar, as many of the stories you have heard before, either in Matthew or in Mark, or in both.  But, as you read along, you might notice some additions, some differences, and different things might leap out at you.

As for me, the controversy involved in Jesus healing on the Sabbath becomes more prominent.  Jesus makes the point that it should be valid to save a life, even on the Sabbath (and in fact, the Jewish rabbis speak in favor of this), but the man with the withered hand did not have a life-endangering injury.  So, something else may be going on.  What is it? 

You know what else I noticed?  Jesus goes up the mountain to pray, and he prays all night long.  You may notice references to Jesus praying often in Luke.

Then he chooses his apostles and goes back down the mountain to teach.  That's right:  it's not the Sermon on the Mount.  It's called "The Sermon on the Plain."  There are very many similarities between the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain.  Luke's version is shorter (for example), and instead of simply saying "Blessed are the poor in spirit" for example, Jesus has three "Blesseds" and three "Woes."  And forget about the "Poor in Spirit" -- Jesus says, "Blessed are you who are POOR." Not spiritual.  Literally.

Jesus heals the centurion's servant, a story we might be familiar with.  Then he balances that story with one about Jesus raising a widow's son from the dead.  Luke is careful to include many stories about women in his gospel.

There's also the unnamed woman who anoints Jesus' feet with her tears while he's dining at Simon's house.  She is identified as a "sinner", which leads many people to consider he to be a prostitute.  Really, is prostitution the only sin open to women?  Also, I still wonder about identifying people as "sinners."  To me, it's like saying, that person is a "human being."

Mary Magdalene is named as one of the followers of Jesus at the beginning of Luke 8.  Luke also mentions (without saying much more) that several women travelled with him and supported his ministry.

The next two stories are familiar ones:  the man healed of a legion of demons (notice how the people want Jesus to leave after he does this great miracle?) and the little girl and the woman who are both healed.  Unlike Mark, Luke doesn't portray Jesus' words to her in his native language of Aramaic, "Talitha cum."

Day 12: Preaching parables, stilling storms, and healing

The first thing I noticed when I started reading today is that Jesus is preaching these parables from a boat.  Why have I never noticed this before?  And why do I think it's sort of cool?  So here Jesus is, telling the story of the sower and the seeds, and he's speaking from a boat, to all the people gathered on shore.

I know that there's a parable and then there's Jesus secret allegorical explanation of it, but may I say that I think the original parable is way more interesting?  The focus in the original is on the sower and the fantastic yield at the end, despite all of the obstacles in the way.  In the later explanation, all of a sudden the focus becomes on the different types of soil.  That's okay, but for good endings, an 100-fold yield can't be beat.  (and is impossible to believe, by the way....)

Though I am liking Jesus in Mark, mostly, there's a little verse I'm going to have to wrestle with a bit more, in Mark 4:24  "Those who have will receive more, but as for those who don't have, even what they don't have will be taken away from them."  This seems to be extremely harsh, and I'm not quite sure what the point of it is.  I'll let you know after I've wrestled a bit more.

There are two storms stilled next:  the first, the storm on the sea, the chaos that threatens the disciples, and the second, the storm inside the Geresene demoniac.  The storms are Legion, inside and outside, then and now, and Jesus kicks them out.  So, Jesus is Lord over the storms, the chaos, the demons, whatever you care to call it.  But, how does it matter to us now? 

Finally, the stories of the bleeding woman and the twelve year old girl intertwine in Mark.  The woman has been suffering for twelve years, the whole time this girl has been alive.  In Mark (who is known for spare language, but also for the telling detail) the woman has spent everything trying to get relief from many doctors, and instead of getting better, she has gotten worse.  I can imagine the second, the third, the fourth opinions, and the money taken from her by people who didn't help her.

By the way, Mark employs a "sandwich" approach to storytelling often.  Here the story begins with Jairus' asking Jesus to heal his daughter.  The bleeding woman is the middle of the sandwich.  After that story is resolved, Jesus goes on to raise the 12 year old girl from the dead.  But, always pay attention to the middle of the sandwich.  That's where the meat is.

Day 11: Off and Running with Mark, the Evangelist

There is no introduction to the gospel of Mark.  There is no geneaology, no birth story, nothing to pad the entrance of Jesus onto the scene.  Well, that's not exactly true.  There is that one sentence, "the beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, God's Son", and the prophecy (a mix of Isaiah and Malachi) about the messenger who will prepare the way.  But that's it. 

John the Baptist blows in, baptizes, and blows out.  Everything is happening very quickly.  When Jesus is baptized, the heavens don't just open, they are split open.  And the Spirit doesn't just lead Jesus into the wilderness, s/he drives Jesus into the wilderness.  In Mark, Jesus is tempted by Satan, but we don't get to know the content of the temptations (which I kind of like, by the way, more room for the imagination.)   With such a spare description, I notice that out in the wilderness, Jesus is among the wild animals.  This sort of reminds me of "The Peaceable Kingdom." hmmmm.

Also, it is apparent in these first three chapter that Jesus' first claim to fame is as an exorcist.  Now, my "Common English Bible" doesn't say exorcist, but what else is "throwing demons out"?  I ask you.  How do we modern people want to think about that?  Do we still need someone to "throw the demons out?" (I say yes, but of course, there needs to be some conversation about this.)

What I like about the little story about Jesus' healing Simon's mother-in-law is this appears to be one of the few times he actually heals someone he knows.  Almost all of Jesus' healings are strangers.

Jesus is popular (except with the religious leaders).  Right away, even before chapter 2, there are large crowds following him.  And he teaches some, but his teachings are shorter, interspersed with exorcisms (there, I said it again), and healings.  LOTS of healings, too. 

Jesus is popular with the tax collectors and sinners.  I have to wonder just who the "sinners" are, since, in my way of thinking, we're all sinners.  So, who does Mark mean by "sinnners"?  Enquiring minds want to know. 

One of the problems with Jesus (according to Mark) is that he's not fasting like John and his disciples.  He appears to be having too much fun (or something).

The end of chapter three was our gospel reading today.  In only three chapters, people have already become convinced that Jesus is crazy, casting out demons and healing by the power of  Satan.  Jesus confronts them with the absurdity of this argument.  If Satan is casting out demons, isn't he working against his own interests? 

And why would you consider healing fevers, withered hands, and making people whole to be an act of evil? 

And yet -- there's something dangerous about Jesus.  Admit it. 

What is the most intriguing aspect or detail of Mark's gospel so far?
And -- for extra credit -- why do you think the symbol for Mark's gospel is a lion?

Day 3: From Preaching to All Kinds of Miracles, or "What's Going On?"

Jesus has a little more to say on the mountain, more about judging and taking the log out of our own eye, and about watching out for false prophets.  And when he's finished, the people are amazed.

And then he comes down from the mountain, and the healings begin.

Leprosy, paralysis, a fever, demon possession, paralysis (again), death, hemmorhaging, blindness, inability to speak.

But somehow the healings can't be reduced to the names of the illnesses -- we need to know the people who were healed, and something about them:  So there is a centurian's servant, healed by command from a distance, a twelve year old girl, a man lowered on a mat through a roof by four of his friends, a man who was made an outcast by his skin disease, a woman who touches the hem of Jesus' robe.  Oh, and Peter's mother-in-law.  Among others.

I'm still getting my brain around Jesus' tough words in his sermon, and his compassionate acts here. 

In the middle of all these things, Jesus finds time to quiet a storm, to call another disciple (Matthew, from his tax booth), to answer questions regarding fasting.   By the way, Matthew the tax collector and the four fisherman might not be inclined to be so friendly with each other.  Tax collectors were collaborators with the Roman occupiers, and they did really well by collecting more taxes than they needed to.

Jesus is putting together a really interesting group of followers.

so, how are you doing?  Are you right on schedule?  Behind?  Take a deep breath.  Don't worry.  Catch up little by little. 

What are you wondering most about in these passage of scripture?