Good news for the whole world

      If repentance and forgiveness from God is good news, what are we doing to spread it? The Gospel of Luke is followed by the book of Acts.  This is the ongoing history of the Gospel going out from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.

        I notice readers of this blogsite are from  many different parts of the world. I would be delighted to hear of your service to Christ , spreading the Gospel. Sent your story to 

johnmckee@internode.on.net

Repentance - forgiveness

My meditations in Luke have come to the last chapter and I would like you to think on just two words from the risen Lord.

“Repentance”  and   “Forgiveness”

The need for repentance has been clearly highlighted in the narrative by Dr Luke. Jesus taught the need for a change of mind about money. He called for a change of commitment from self orientated things to total commitment to Himself. He denounced hypocrisy.  His story about the Pharisee and the tax collector illustrates the repentance that counts.  The Pharisee was all boasting in himself. The tax collector put briefly –“God be merciful to me the sinner” Jesus  commented on this as the real way to blessing. Indeed the Lord made known what it was that caused joy in heaven – when someone like the prodigal son came to his senses and said “ I will arise and go to my father, and say I am not worthy..........”

It is wonderful that God grants us the opportunity to repent and it is wise for us to turn from our own way to choose God’s way.

Forgiveness in our world is often taken to mean ‘no revenge’, letting a hurt go so that we do not become embittered. On a human level that is true. With God it is somewhat different. He is and always has been a forgiving God, but He is wiser than to just let people get away with it. God is complete in holiness and calls each sin into account. Just like a speeding fine, the law must be applied and all my pleas for forgiveness will fail until the fine is paid. So it is with God. He who understands the debt of sin, the fine incurred, the consequences of an unpaid fine (the wages of sin is death), He chose not to overlook the debt, but chose to pay the debt Himself. The Old Testament sacrifices illustrate the costliness of sin, and Jesus here states that it was necessary for Him to suffer (on the cross) so that forgiveness might be freely offered to people of all nations. This is good news that “Christ died for our sins” and now that He lives, He is able to make the blessing real in the lives of all who choose to change (repent).

This forgiveness which is based on the debt of sin being paid in the death of Christ leads to God being triumphant in His holiness, His grace achieves its objective (reconciliation) and His love is satisfied (relationship of children) and His name is honoured in righteousness.

How good it is to see things as God sees them!

How good it is to respond in faith and be blessed by God.

John McKee

The suffering Saviour

Luke 22/23

My recent meditations of Luke have centred upon the sufferings of the Messiah. These chapters are so full of precious truth. I will recommend some of the profitable ways of meditating on them.

Highlight the verses which contain a prophetic implication – prophecy by the Lord Jesus about His impending death ( It was no accident).

Carefully study the trial of the Jesus – before the Sanhedrin, before Pilate, before Herod – all being illegal by their own standards. It is interesting to see the Lord vindicated as righteous on all occasions. Also note how the Lord controls the situation e.g. before the Sanhedrin He answers no accusations except the one concerning His personal identity. This is just what He wanted – the opportunity to declare before the highest earthly court who He really was. (link this with Daniel 7) Any false messiah would have denied , knowing that under Moses law a false claim to be messiah meant the death penalty.

Before Pilate the Lord Jesus focuses on His identity as being ‘from above’.

Trace through these chapters, the physical suffering of the Lord – being bound, buffeted, scourged and crucified.

Trace again the mental suffering of the Lord – betrayed, forsaken, unjustly tried, spit upon, lifted up on a cross as a transgressor, mocked by soldiers and those who should have given Him praise.   Then go deeper to the spiritual sufferings – the distraught prayer of Gethsemane, the denial of God’s authority in Jewish judgement, the anguish of knowing the awful consequences  for the people of Jerusalem and the  ultimate desertedness of the three hours of darkness.

It is important to observe His unbroken consciousness of God throughout the ordeal. From the prayer of the garden, to the final prayer on the cross, the Lord Jesus was not only in full command of Himself, but also in complete understanding of what was happening in the Father’s will.

His own summary is important - ‘ought not Christ to have suffered these things and enter into His glory.’ (24.26)

It is right to be touched by the tragedy of the cross, but it is so important to be converted by understanding God at work at the cross. This is why the teachings of the apostles are so important.

“God spared not His own Son, but gave Him up for us all”  (Romans 8)

For you, for me.

John McKee    comments welcome johnmckee@internode.on.net 

Tomorrow

God holds the key of all unknown
and I am glad
or if He trusted it to me
I might be sad

The very dimness of my sight
makes me secure
for, groping in my misty way
I feel His hand : I hear Him say
'My help is sure'

I cannot read His future plans
but this I know
I have the smiling of His face
and all the refuge of His grace,
while here below

J Parker

A servant role

Luke 17.7  The servant

       The story from the Lord Jesus leads us to stronger ties of discipleship. What do I mean? The story is based on the duty of a bondservant or slave. He has finished his duties in the fields, and at the end of the day returns to the master’s house. He is then expected to serve the master at meal time.

     

       The lesson : We so often expect God to bless us “for serving Him faithfully”. We expect blessing on what we have done, blessing for doing it and a reward later on. The Lord Jesus said that true discipleship response is – “We are unworthy servants ( not in the sense of failing to serve, but in the sense of mercy and grace), we have only done what was our duty.”

       Elsewhere we learn that God is good, giving and generous. In the parable of Luke 12.37, the master rises to serve the faithful servants. However it is inappropriate to trade on the goodness and grace of God. We as bondservants ‘deserve ‘ nothing or worse. As a bondservant we can expect no more than our daily bread. As those who once, and repeatedly do offend the master by wrong actions , bad words, unhelpful attitudes, we have no rights, no right to assume the master’s generosity. The Lord Jesus would have us take the lowly place so that He might exalt us at His pleasure and His time.

   Let us remember we are saved by His Grace  -  unmerited favour.

   Take a moment to read Ephesians 2 again in the light of this story in Luke  17.7. It causes us to realise that we deserve judgement, but God’s mercy and grace have brought us into the ‘Master’s house’, not only to serve, but as children, sons, saints to worship! What should be the effect of mercy and grace ? Conceit and pride -  NO, NO, -  humility and gratitude.

By God’s grace – John McKee

The hard sayings of the Lord Jesus

The teachings of the Lord Jesus in the Gospel by Luke are  quite embarrassing for the average Christian. Rather than avoid them, we do well to ponder them often.

    In chapter 11 the Lord denounces hypocrisy.

     In chapter 12.9 “If anyone denies Me here on earth, I will deny that person before God’s angels”. He calls the disciple to unashamed commitment to God and Himself, and this being accompanied with simple dependence upon God for all things. He does not promise present rewards, but anticipates the blessedness of being ready for the return of the Son of man. Indeed the words are ‘wisdom teachings’ and to us Gentile believers, some of the expectations of the Master seem unreasonable e.g “sell your possessions and give to the poor” . Another – “  Do you think that I have come to give peace on the earth? No, I tell you rather division.”  Statements like this can be given a contextual interpretation, however I think we should let the general thrust of them ‘wash us clean’ from the culture in which we live. Often our culture is one of self centred greed and peace at any price.

       Dr Luke presents in this Gospel, the strong moral teaching (some might call it philosophical teaching) of the Lord Jesus.   Matthew concentrates on the Kingdom teaching. Luke’s presentation reaches deep  into the conscience, the character and behaviour of the disciple.  It is obvious why the Lord Jesus became unpopular with the leading men of His day.

    

       It would have been interesting to  know more about Luke the author, who though a doctor, followed along with Paul in keeping with this teaching. It would appear he did indeed ‘pay the price’ of discipleship.

         The effect on myself is this – ‘how small I am in the light of such teaching!  How little faith I really have! How quickly the demands of this world take over! How uncommitted I am to the path of true discipleship !

          I conclude with another one of those seemingly hard sayings – “So no one can become my disciple without giving up everything for Me” (Luke 14.33)

Let me suggest a different perspective – objective rather than subjective -  who is this one making such extreme demands of His followers ????? A mere rabbi?  An important prophet? 

This is the Son of God who in Himself trod this path before He asked anyone else to follow. The one “who was rich, yet for your sakes became poor” (2 Corinthians 8) . Luke presents the man in who God finds perfect delight, and we do well to ponder often the one of whom the Father said  “in Him I am well pleased.”

John McKee

Privilege

        The good news is gladly received by those who feel  their need of Jesus Christ the Lord. For those who believe on His name, the promises of Holy Scripture are vibrant with blessing. E.g. 

“ to as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God”  John 1.12

More than accepted as children, this is to actually become heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ!  Romans 8

        But the burden from Luke 10, that is pressing my spirit with grief, is the problem of people privileged to hear the good news, but refuse to receive  the Lord Jesus. It is so common in our western society for children and adults to hear the gospel, but choose to turn away to other things or other people. In some countries, where affluence is not so great there seems to be a greater thirst for the salvation and blessing of the gospel.

     In Luke chapter ten, the Lord Jesus spells out very clearly that privilege brings added responsibility. The present effect is, by refusing the good news, many others , in particular children are led away from Christ. The eternal effect is final accountability to God – the added terror and punishment for light refused. Let me quote from the loving Saviour: “ the truth is, even wicked Sodom will be better off than such a town on the judgement day”  Luke 10:12. To confirm the individual accountability, the word of God says:  “They are all judged according to their deeds”  Revelation 20:13.

        For the many, many people who think – ‘well I can choose, I can do as I please’   - the answer of the Lord is resoundingly clear.  

                “Anyone who rejects you is rejecting Me, and anyone who rejects Me, is rejecting God who sent Me!”  Luke 10.16

To reject God as creator has consequences bad enough, but to reject God as the redeemer is the ultimate insult, saying no to God’s love, mercy and grace. The ultimate loneliness resulting from such a response is intense, leading to the spiritual torment  uttered by Abraham to one lost man in hell  - “son remember.....”   Luke 16

The Lord Jesus came to the privileged city of Jerusalem Luke 13.34, and He who could have brought deliverance and peace to His people, wept tears of grief because He knew their evil hearts of unbelief. Soon they  would say “away with Him, we will not have this man to reign  over us” -  the rest is history – the temple destroyed, the city destroyed, the people scattered, hated and persecuted. All because of the light refused, the light of the world cast out.

Let us search our hearts today –

                           ‘what is my response to the light of the good news?’

The Lord Jesus said  “ I am come a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the darkness.”  John 12:46

You who know the Lord - let your light shine brightly for the glory  of our Lord.

John McKee