Reflecting the Image (by Carla Sunberg)

Many years ago -- Chuck showing off his "blowfish" skills. Did it make you laugh? Scripture: 21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Observation: Luke’s Sermon on the Plain is not identical to Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. There are nuanced differences that you find throughout his shorter version. He adds the word “now” to show the immediate need of the individual. If you are hungry now — you will be filled. These are fulfillments of Old Testament promises where God will satisfy the hungry and bring comfort and joy to his people.   There is the allusion to the Messianic banquet when the Lord will prepare a table, and wipe away all the tears from our eyes (Isa. 25:6-8). This vision of the coming banquet is common in Luke, and here he is making this introduction.   We sing about the comfort and joy that our Lord brings. Matthew says that those who weep now will be comforted. Luke’s referenc...

Life eventually comes to an end for all of us -- no matter how tough we are. What will be your legacy? Scripture: Luke 6: 20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Observation: Luke’s version of the Beatitudes is different from that of Mark’s. He begins with three blesseds and transitions to three woes . Again, this seems to be an affirmation of his role as teacher and Son of God, helping to develop his disciples, as well as the crowds. Notice, Luke says that Jesus looked up at his disciples and then began his teaching. He is gearing this toward them. The disciples had given up their livelihoods to follow Jesus. Tax collectors were wealthy, and fishing was a good business, but they had left all of this behind to be with Jesus. They became poor for Jesus’ sake and then he tells them that they are blessed because they may not have the things of this world, but they did have the kingdom of God. This is a world...

The beauty and power of a lion in Kruger National Park.  Scripture: Luke 6:17     He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them. Observation: Luke places the opening scene of the Sermon on the Plain right after the calling of the twelve disciples. Think about the progression of the story; Jesus spends the night in prayer and in the presence of the Father; Jesus calls the twelve; A great crowd follows Jesus and he heals all of those who come to him in need. Some have said that this moment is modeled after the life of Moses who comes down off the mount, filled with the glory of God. The difference is the response ...

The mountains of Idaho are a favorite place for me to  away -- read, study, and pray.  Scripture: Luke 6:12   Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. Observation: This section either concludes the previous, or begins the next, the commentators are not sure. We’ve had opening scenes of Jesus’ ministry and the criticism of the Pharisees. Now, we will move into the ministry that he does with his disciples. We’ve had mention of those who were following him, but now, it all becomes clear. Luke emphasizes the importance of prayer in preparation for...

Nazarene Nap! Scripture: Luke 6:6   On another sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. 7 The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. 8 Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” He got up and stood there. 9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 After looking around at all of them, he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was restored. 11 But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. Observation: Luke continues speaking about the Sabbath. The Pharisees were already upset about the disciples eating on the Sabbath day and were just waiting for another opportunity to catch him in some kind of act f...

Some of my family in a field of sunflowers.  Scripture: Luke 6:1   One sabbath while Jesus was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. 2 But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” 3 Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave some to his companions?” 5 Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.” Observation: Luke brings us into two stories about Jesus on the Sabbath. The first involves his disciples and, of course, interaction with the Pharisees. Whether the Pharisees were present looking over the shoulders of the disciples, or simply heard this story later, we do not know, however, they seemed to have known that the disciples were hungry, and while ...

Old methods of making leather shoes.  Scripture: Luke 5:33   Then they said to him, “John’s disciples, like the disciples of the Pharisees, frequently fast and pray, but your disciples eat and drink. 34 Jesus said to them, “You cannot make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? 35 The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” 36 He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and sews it on an old garment; otherwise the new will be torn, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, ‘The old is good.’” Observation: This conversation between the religious leaders and Jesus takes us to an interest...

Scripture: Luke 5:27   After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And he got up, left everything, and followed him. Luke 5:29   Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them. 30 The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 Jesus answered, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; 32 I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.” Observation: Luke introduces us to another sinner, Levi. This man is a tax collector, and John the Baptist had already called these people to repentance. These individuals were viewed as some of the very worst of society, specifically of the Jewish community, for they had turned their backs on their own people for selfish gain...

These special lenses were a gift to my husband  on his 60th birthday! Scripture: Luke 5:17   One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting near by (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18 Just then some men came, carrying a paralyzed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; 19 but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. 20 When he saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, “Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22 When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgive...