Kingdom Praying

Prayer is an enigma. We reach out to a God who is all-knowing, all-powerful, who has proven that he both understands and loves us (Psalm 103:14; Romans 8:32). On account of his attributes and character, we are assured that, “your Father knows what you need before you ask him,” so we need not “heap up empty phrases” as though we will be “heard by [our] many words” (Matthew 6:7, 8). Yet, despite possessing this knowledge, we are exhorted, to “let [our] requests be made known to God” in “prayer and supplication with thanksgiving” (Philippians 4:6). Why would that be? Might it be because there is more taking place in prayer than our offering a laundry list of needs?

When Jesus responds to the request that he teach his disciples how to pray (Luke 11:1-4), he offers a succinct prayer (certainly not one of many heaped up phrases). But its effect is to focus our attention on the Kingdom of God. As those who have “entered the Kingdom” by reason of our having been made children of God (John 1:12-13; 3:5), we pray to our Father. We ask that His name would be held in reverence by us and all that he has made, and that we would not bring shame upon it, as his people had in times past (see Ezekiel 36:22-23); that his rule would be increasingly realized in our life, church, and world; we express confidence in his provision for all of our lives; we humbly express our need for his continuing grace and we live in that humility with others; and we pray with the self-awareness that we are “prone to wander,” and so ask God to not lead us into trials that will prove too much for us to bear. This is Kingdom praying with Kingdom priorities. If the matters we bring before our heavenly Father are brought under this rubric, it will condition what we pray for and how we pray.

This leads to another enigmatic aspect of prayer: asking, seeking, and knocking (Luke 11:5-13). If our loving Father knows what we need, why must we be taught to be persistent in our praying? It can’t be that he is like the reluctant and annoyed neighbor that Jesus portrays. Nor does he not know how to give what is needed. I suspect the delay is for the purpose of purifying our prayer. We are Kingdom people learning to pray with Kingdom priorities. How often might the requests we make be infected with desires that do not align with the desires of God? More often than we might realize. But as the need persists, we persist in our prayers, and God persists in helping us sort through just what it is that is going on.

Prayer is enigmatic, but it is not frivolous. God uses our prayers to accomplish his will in our lives and in his world. What an extraordinary privilege!

The Good Portion

A man schooled in rabbinic law challenged Jesus with a question: ‘‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’’ Jesus turned the question back on him by asking, “What does the law say?” The lawyer responded with the “summation” of the law: love God with all of your being, and your neighbor as yourself. The conversation then focused on the second part of the summation, with Jesus offering the famous Good Samaritan parable and the lawyer being directed to go and do likewise. Given the concentration of the exchange, the command to love one’s neighbor as oneself, some commentators consider the vignette that follows an effort by Luke to illustrate the first part of the summation (Luke 10:38-42). I think they may be right. Fulfillment of the second part, no matter how robust, does not negate the primacy of the first.

Martha was busy with preparations to the point of distraction. She had invited Jesus into her home, but the task of entertaining her guest had actually caused her to neglect him. She had to be reoriented to the “one necessary” thing, the “good portion” that her sister Mary had chosen. That can happen, can’t it? We can get so focused in doing good things for Jesus (and desiring that one’s guest be well-fed and comfortable is a good thing) to the point of being overwhelmed by the anxiety they produce. That’s when we need to sit down next to Mary and listen. Jesus is the one necessary thing. He is the good portion. Whatever we do in his name must be done for his name.

For many, however, the idea of the Good Samaritan exists with no apparent connection to Jesus. A man can do many good works, be lauded a 'Good Samaritan,' and yet not begin to scratch the surface of loving God with all of his being. What might Jesus say to such a one? “Only one thing is necessary. Sit and listen to my word. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him (10:22). Sit and listen. I am the one necessary thing.”

The Perfect Samaritan

The Good Samaritan is a parable that is almost too well known to be heard. It is often the case that we are so familiar with something that we no longer respond to it as we might if it were new to us. This is certainly true of oft-walked streets. We no longer see what’s around us as it all too familiar. I think the term “Good Samaritan” can be like that. People know what it means even if they’ve never heard the parable. And while it might be enlightening for them to actually read the story, they already know the basic message and, as a consequence, the greater import of the teaching can be missed.

It’s clear that the parable challenges us to transcend the racial and historic barriers that exist and, out of compassion for fellow human beings, be merciful. It’s effectiveness in communicating that ethic is evidenced by the many who have heeded the call to be a Good Samaritan, aware of the parable of not. But the initial inquiry was not for whom is one responsible, but how one obtains eternal life. The secondary issue arose as a self-justifying redirect of the conversation. Jesus’ illustrative parable calls the man (and us) to serve whoever is in need, regardless of our biases. But it also points to the answer of his initial question. 

What must be done to inherit eternal life? Fulfill the law -- fulfill the law by loving God with all of your being and your neighbor as yourself, and eternal life will be yours! There’s no amount of tweaking neighborly obligations that will save someone from the peril of not meeting that demand. 

But what is the gospel? Isn’t it what God has done out of love and compassion for us? Out of love, the Father sends his Son; the Son, also out of love, lays down his life. And what does this plan accomplish? It fulfills the very law that we are unable to fulfill. That’s the answer to the lawyer’s question. How do you inherit eternal life? You acknowledge with repentance and faith that only Jesus knows how to perfectly love God and neighbor. And miracle of miracles, his perfection becomes your perfection and, here and now, eternal life is yours.

We want to heed the call to be a Good Samaritan. It should be the aim of every Christian to reflect the ethics of the Kingdom. But we cannot substitute our good works for those of Jesus. It is his compassion that saves us, and it is only his compassion that will save the one we are helping. May God give us grace to offer aid as well as the message of eternal life.

Jumping for Joy

Joy is rare. Happiness, related to joy but not the same, is something more readily experienced. Joy is a deeper happiness, a more exultant happiness. It is usually attached to more momentous moments, moments that possess great significance and emotional weight. Examples are readily found in sports. Imagine what it would be like for a guy who grew up playing baseball. A kid will often pretend he’s playing in the final game of the World Series. His imaginary scene is fraught: there are two outs, bases loaded, count is 3-2. Out loud he imitates the play-by-play of the announcer: “There’s the pitch, it’s a sharply hit fly ball out to left-center, Jones is running back, he’s running, he’s on the track, he leaps and  —  and  — he makes the catch! He makes the catch!! Ball game over!! World Series over!! The crowd goes wild!!!” Now, what if that kid, who has been playing that tape in his head all his life, turns into a major leaguer and actually catches the last out of the last game of the World Series? He would be out of his mind with delight, with exuberant, exultant joy!

Such was Jesus’ response upon the joyful return of the 72 (Luke 10:1-24). They had experienced a foretaste of the salvation that he was to accomplish. And that it was to “little children” and not to the “wise and understanding” that it had been revealed made it even more exhilarating for him. Jesus was thrilled! Here the fulness of the Triune godhead, in perfect harmony, was carrying out the eternal plan of redemption, a plan that attacked pride, the root sin that had provided the deadly sustenance for all subsequent sins. 

Understand, it is not education or training that is being undercut (ignorance is not virtuous). It is the mindset that allows people to think that they can stand in judgment of the gospel rather than the gospel judging them. The 72 had embraced with faith, evidenced by their going out a lambs amidst wolves, the call of Jesus. Like little children they trusted their heavenly Father to protect them and provide for them and they experienced first hand God Almighty’s mercy and grace. Jesus’ response was totally appropriate.

To be rescued from the eternal consequences of sin is no less momentous than a man being plucked from a boat adrift in the ocean with no shore or ship in sight. It's not difficult to imagine what the reaction would be when the one who was lost is finally hauled up on deck. 

In those moments when God impresses you afresh with the reality of your salvation, let at least a hearty “Hallelujah” emanate from your grateful heart.

No Conditions

The interactions recorded in Luke 9:57-62 seem uncharacteristic of Jesus — at least as we tend to think of him. He calls a man to follow him. The response is positive, but the man says he must first bury his father. Jesus protests, “Let the dead bury the dead. You go and preach the kingdom of God.” Another declares his intention to go with Jesus but requests that he first say goodbye to his family. Again, Jesus remonstrates, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” These are tough, exacting demands. How are we to interpret them?

I think the key is to place side-by-side the call of Jesus and the conditional nature of the men’s response. Jesus says, “Follow me,” and each man says, “I will, but . . .” The issue is not so much the nature of their particular conditions but that they offer a condition at all. Jesus calls — the only appropriate response is to say, “Yes.” 

Easier said than done, right? Jesus’ farming metaphor is helpful in describing the challenge. It’s obvious that to plow a straight furrow a farmer has to be looking forward at the landmark that is guiding him. Looking backwards invites all sorts of problems, not the least of which is a field that is far from being capable of bearing the kind of yield that it was intended to bear. We can understand why Jesus would say such a one is not fit for the kingdom. God saves people for a purpose. They are to bring glory to him by showing off his redemptive handiwork. Too often, however, we are looking back as though where we have been is more desirable than where he is taking us. But if we evaluate our own walk of discipleship, I think we would find that our most fruitful and satisfying times have been when we kept our eyes focused ahead rather than looking longingly for what was behind. 

Remember, Jesus heeded the call of his Father “for the joy set before him.” He knew that what lay ahead was better than anything he could possess by taking his hand from the plow. It is the same for us. We are to keep our eyes fixed on Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, and we will receive the commensurate reward: “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8

The Son of Man

Jesus’ most used self-designation is “Son of Man.” The antecedent for this title comes from chapter 7 of Daniel, in which the prophet records a dream. The scene is the courtroom of heaven, in which sits the “Ancient of Days.” Before him “the books were opened” resulting in four beasts, who represent earthly kingdoms, being judged and undone. The fourth — the most terrifying — is killed and “its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire.” Into the vision comes “one like a son of man,” entering with “the clouds of heaven.” This figure, depicted as possessing divinity and humanity, receives from the Ancient of Days “dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.” In fact, Daniel understands that, “his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” It is an extraordinary portrait.

Jesus’ use of the title in Luke 9, however, directs us to the path he must tread to enter into his position of everlasting dominion. There he warns that, ‘‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’’ The writer of Hebrews appropriates language from Psalm 8 to explain the significance: “‘What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet’ . . . we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:6-9). 

Why must the Son of Man tread such a path? Daniel’s vision depicts “a thousand thousands” serving the Ancient of Days, and “ten thousand times ten thousand” standing before him. For one to be numbered among that multitude he or she must first posses a righteousness sufficient to stand before such holiness. This Jesus accomplished for all who identify with him. His obedience to the will of the Father caused him to receive “the name that is above every name,” the name at which “every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:9-10).

The Son of Man came into his authority by yielding himself to corrupt earthly authorities. They will be judged accordingly and receive their due punishment. But those who know him, who look and long for his glorious coming, of them he will not be ashamed to “call them brothers” (Hebrews 2:11). 

A New Beginning?

A lot of expectations attend the passing of one calendar year to the next. Yet, in truth, there’s no inherent reason for having such expectations. It’s just one set of 24 hours following another. Nevertheless, pretty much everyone envisions the coming year as offering hope that things will be better than the last: new skills acquired, adventures undertaken, persistent problems overcome, even world peace realized! 

The desire for better awakened by the coming of a new year, comes with the territory of being human. Since the Fall, we’ve been operating at less than capacity, and the world in which we live exhibits its “bondage to decay” in multitudinous ways. As a result, we are often yearning for things to be as they ought to be (whether we can put words to that yearning or not), and with the new year comes fresh hope.

Of all people, Christians have reason to believe that the coming year will be better than the last. We know that a good, wise, and omnipotent God is in control of history, and he is guiding it to the moment when he makes “all things new.” We also know that he is at work conforming his children to be like his Son, fitting us for the glorious existence he has purchased for us. That means that whatever transpires is designed by him to accomplish that extraordinary end. 

But we have a part to play in how this year accomplishes his design. We don’t just sit back and let the days roll by. The relationship we have with our Savior is meant to be active. As he works in us we can expect that we will be called to more and more yield our entire selves to him. Jesus teaches that if we try to preserve our life, we will lose it; but if we lose it, we will keep it. As C.S. Lewis urges, Jesus says, “Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You . . . No half-measures are any good . . . Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked — the whole outfit.” It is natural, indeed, too natural, for us to try to accommodate Christ to the life we envision. But our life’s satisfaction and joy, comes with embracing the vision he has for us. May 2018 be a year in which he more and more lives in and through us.

Eternal Bread for Eternal Life

It's hard to imagine what it was like for the apostles to experience the feeding of the 5000 (Luke 9:10-17). Their incredulity was already provoked by Jesus telling them that they should be the ones to feed the multitude. "With what? A boy's lunch? Just send them away. Problem solved." Jesus was aware that more was at stake than empty bellies. In John's account we're told that Jesus knew what he was going to do and actually spoke to the problem first: "Lifting up his eyes . . . and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, 'Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?'" (John. 6:5) There was a vital lesson that he wanted to teach, the consequences of which would reach into eternity. But as the apostles served the crowd, would they not have been awe struck at the continual filling of the baskets? Where was it coming from? The all-sufficient supply would speak to the greater reality.

Jesus was the Word made flesh. His mission was to bring life, eternal life, to all who would receive him. Such life does not come as does natural life, through the consumption of ordinary food. Eternal life requires eternal food. And this is just what Jesus offers: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh" (John 6:51). This life-giving sacrifice is what we celebrate each week as we take the bread and wine together. Jesus, the Word made flesh, given so that we might never hunger or thirst again.

The breaking of the bread for the 5000 was a prefiguring of the Passover meal that Jesus would share with his apostles just prior to his passion, which, in turn, is a prefiguring of the great banquet to be shared by all who have placed their trust in him. It is at that divine table that we will experience what it means to never hunger or thirst. All of our human longings will be consummated, all of our needs will be satisfied, as we partake of the richness of that meal.

Surely, the apostles could not have envisioned where the miracle was pointing as they gathered the leftovers. But their obedience to the word of Jesus was an integral part of his purpose being realized. We have the benefit of the complete picture. We know where all is headed and we know how one gains a place at the table. May we be faithful to heed his call and dutifully distribute the Bread of Life.

Apprentice to Journeyman

The apostles being sent out for the first time on their own to “proclaim the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:1-6), were being directed to take the next step in their apprenticeship. I suspect the concept of apprenticeship was more familiar in times past than it is now. It was the customary way in which a person would learn a trade. A certain of amount of time would be agreed upon for a novice to come under the tutelage of one accomplished in a particular skill, a Master, with the idea that, eventually, the apprentice would become a “journeyman” like the one instructing him. The practice still exists in trade unions and, one could say, in such things as the summer internships that many students undertake. The novice observes, listens, asks questions, does a lot of grunt work, all with the hope of acquiring the necessary skills to carry out the particular trade.

This is the point of this adventure for the apostles, for as New Testament scholar, Robert Stein, suggests, the mission of the twelve "served as an apprenticeship for their ultimate mission.” With the outpouring of the promised Spirit on Pentecost, the apostles exhibit their journeymen status by healing and preaching with convicting power (take a look at Acts 4:13 and see how this concept helpfully informs what you read there), but at this point in their tenure with the Master they have yet to have their mettle tested. But after enduing them with power and granting authority to minister in his name, Jesus sends them out. This experience will prove to be significant when later they serve as “eyewitnesses and ministers of the word” to men such as Luke (Luke 1:20).

The apprentice to journeyman status can be a helpful way to think of every believer’s discipleship. As the writer of Hebrews teaches, we start with “milk,” but eventually we are expected to eat meat (Hebrews 5:12-13). As a community of New Covenant believers the resources we need are available (see Jeremiah 31:31-34). But it doesn’t just happen. There’s intentionality in Jesus actions, and it would be wise for us to think about how the church goes about making journeymen and women for Christ. Soli deo gloria!

Faith Healers and Dealers

The Gospel of Luke is filled with stories of Jesus doing extraordinary things. He speaks to nature and nature obeys. He speaks to death and death flees. He speaks to illness and illness becomes wellness. What is going on?! It is the Kingdom of God being manifested in the midst of the kingdom of this world. Darkness is being overcome by light, evil by good, brokenness by restoration. It is an awe inspiring display of God’s grace. 

Wouldn’t it be great if we could capture it in a bottle and then pour it over our lives? In a way, that is precisely what some people purport to do. An entire industry of “faith” healers and dealers has people thinking that this is the end for which Jesus came. What is missing when you listen to the leading proponents of this industry is the message of hope preached by the apostles. For the apostles, it is the hope of eternal life that has been promised. For the salesmen of earthly bliss, Jesus’ death and resurrection are the means of releasing God’s power so you can live your best life now. But the healings and deliverances accomplished by Jesus (or in his name by others) are integrally linked to the full restoration that we anticipate at the end of the age, the salvation for which all creation groans. That is the end to which the miracles we read of (and may even experience) are to point. They are not an end in themselves.

That being said, in our day to day lives we are confronted with the fallenness of the world in ways less dramatic than overwhelming storms and incurable diseases. Nevertheless, we can feel as helpless as Jairus before the corruption of creation (Luke 8:40-42). What can we do? We can do what Jairus did, and reach out to Jesus in faith. Knowing that Jesus has lived in our skin, we can have confidence that he understands our plight. We can hear his assuring words, “Do not fear, only believe,” and know that his eternal power will sustain us through every trial. Remember, as children of the covenant, we know that nothing can “snatch us” from the Father’s hand (John 10:29). As children of the covenant, we can receive the blessing, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” (Luke 8:48)

Persecution

Why was Jesus persecuted? He tells us: “The world . . . hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil” (John 7:7). 

His very presence exposed the world for what it was. He alone lived as a human is meant to live. His perfect love for his Father’s will shines bright against the backdrop of the self-defining and self-justifying standards of righteousness that has characterized humanity since the creature turned his back on his Creator. When fallen man stands in the front of this divinely sent Mirror he has two choices: to acknowledge the ugliness he sees in its light and repent, or break the mirror. Humanity regularly chooses the latter. 

Why are Christians persecuted? Because they are united to Christ: "If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:19).

The more the disciples of Jesus reflect his image, the more they can expect that attempts to destroy them will follow. The prospect of such suffering is not pleasant to contemplate. If this is the reality that comes with the call, we might be tempted to leave off following Christ. But walking away is not an option. As Peter acknowledged when others found Jesus words hard to hear, ‘‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). No, we must not walk away. Rather, we must witness. The promised Holy Spirit who, himself, bears witness to Christ, also empowers us to testify (John 15:26-27). United to Christ, empowered by his Spirit, we are more than able to “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering” (Hebrews 10:23).

Demoniacs All

When I was a teenager, I was taking a car trip wth a few of my friends during which I acted cruelly toward a complete stranger. As we were driving up a hill, we passed by an elderly man who had gotten off of his bike to push it up the steep grade. When we were close to him, I leaned out the window and shouted an expletive in his ear. It was designed to startle him, and I’ve no doubt that I did.

Many might chalk it up to the kind of immature ugliness associated with high school boys. In hindsight, however, I believe it is evidence of my being under the authority of Satan,“the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). Don’t get me wrong, I’m not making excuses. I’m not mimicking the comedian Flip Wilson: “The devil made me do it.” What I’m saying is that I was as subject to the forces of evil, perhaps not in degree, but undoubtably in essence, as was the demoniac who confronted Jesus on the shore of Lake Galilee (Luke 8:26-33).

Demons delight in turning a man into a beast. They would have had no care, no desire, to see the glory of God manifested in the pitiful soul Jesus met. Anything they could do to vitiate God’s image in this man they would do out of their hatred for God. Their evil intent has not ceased, and will not cease until the day they are thrown into the abyss, the lake of eternal fire that God has prepared for them (Matthew 25:41). To the extent that my regretful actions participated in that vitiation, I showed myself to be in league with them.

But thanks be to God, in his mercy, those who have been made alive in Christ, are no longer at the whim of such evil influences. We have a new master to whom we are subject. And he is the one who has power over demons, even Satan himself. It is he who holds the keys to death and hell, and to whom all authority in heaven and earth has been given. And rather than being like a thief who only comes to steal and destroy, he has come to give life, and that more abundantly. Motivated by a deep eternal love, his intent is to cause the image of God to shine more gloriously through each of his brothers and sisters, enabling them to be agents of blessing and not sorrow.

By the grace of God, I believe that I would not now do what I did then, and for that I am grateful. I trust that you, too, can say such a thing, if you have been made alive in Christ. He really is making all things new (Revelation 21:5). 

What Manner of Man Is This?

Jesus is asleep in a boat. Being tired, he seized the opportunity to take a nap as they made their way across the Sea of Galilee — a very natural thing for a man to do given the day we can assume he’s had. He must have been exhausted, for when a violent wind came up, causing the boat to be swamped, he didn't stir. The others were clearly afraid and exasperated at his lack of awareness of the peril. They shake him, urging him to wake. Why? Perhaps they thought he could join in the effort of bailing out the boat. Perhaps they wanted to give him the chance to swim for it should the boat capsize. Either of these reasons could account for their urgency. But even if they were expecting him to do something extraordinary (he had done so many extraordinary things already!) what he ends up doing is completely unexpected. He commands the winds and the waves — and they obey!

The disciples are amazed, even terrified, by what they have witnessed. “What manner of man is this?” they wonder. But we know. We’ve been given the back story. At the beginning of Luke’s gospel we were told that he was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin and pronounced the Son of God. It shouldn't surprise us that he had the power to speak with Genesis 1 authority over earthly matter. He is the divine Word by whom all things were made who became flesh. 

In one person, therefore, two natures reside: one fully divine, the other fully human. The mystery of his unique existence is crucially important for the church to embrace. While it’s not easily explained, it can, and must, be affirmed. The church, early on, established boundaries concerning the humanity and divinity of Jesus that are not to be crossed. They set them because what is at stake is the authority of Scripture and the hope set before us in the gospel.

The rescue Jesus effected on the Sea of Galilee was a type of the eternal rescue that he accomplished by his atoning death. It serves to remind us that all who call upon him, who know they are perishing, will be saved. This we confidently confess because the Bible reveals a Savior who alone was suited to the task: “a true and perfectly righteous man,” for “the man who is himself a sinner cannot pay for others;” and “true God,” so “that by the power of his divinity he might bear as a man the burden of God’s wrath.” This is our "Lord Jesus Christ, who is freely given to us for complete redemption and righteousness” (Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 6).

The Preeminent Word

There are a number of sites online that offer quotes from famous people. It can be helpful for one called upon to make speeches or preach. A pithy quote that supports the point one is trying to make, adds variety and can prove to be memorable. In fact, if you look at the site BraineyQuote.com, you’ll find some attributed to Jesus. For the most part he’s quoted correctly, and if you know the context in which the quotes live, they are powerful ones. But what I discovered at the bottom of the page is a heading “Related Authors,” with tabs you can click for Ghandi, MLK, Jr., Buddha, Dali Lama, Napoleon, Martin Luther, Margaret Thatcher, and Sai Baba. Hmmmm . . . The inference is that Jesus is just another famous person who has something interesting, even profound, to say. You might be inspired by him, or you might be inspired by Napoleon, or Ghandi, or the Dali Lama (I didn’t take the time to click on the links, but I’m intrigued as to how Napoleon is a related author — I’ll look later). 

While it’s understandable how the curators of the site could list Jesus with other historical figures. To suggest that his words exist on a level plane with those of mere humans, however, is to not take seriously what he said was happening when he spoke. He was scattering the seed of God’s word and the expectation was that his seed should find good soil so that it could produce abundant fruit to the glory of God (Luke 8:4-15). His were not words, therefore, that could be taken or left at the listener’s discretion. They were to be heard and heeded, and they were to take priority over every other word that has been spoken or might be spoken.

But for the word to realize its full potential requires rich soil, an "honest and good heart" that bears fruit with patience. This is the soil found in the “sinful woman” who wept at the feet of Jesus (Luke 7:36-50). She knew she needed Jesus, and when she heard him it caused her to humble herself and, in gratitude, worship. Hard soil, like the heart of Simon the Pharisee, does not receive the word and in not receiving does not believe and is not saved. I fear that is too often the case for those clicking through the quotes of Jesus on BrainyQuote.com. His words do not generate faith, nor is humility engendered. As a consequence, the word that was meant to bring life becomes a one that ensures judgment. 

Let’s pray that the words of Jesus, whether preached, shared one with another, or even encountered on a website, will find fertile ground in the hearers so that they will receive the comfort Jesus offered to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”