In the Morning: Luke 24

In Summary:

He is risen! It’s that easy to summarize Luke 24: HE IS RISEN!


In Focus:

Risen indeed! The certainty of the resurrection of Jesus echoes throughout this chapter. Wherever we might focus, that is what we will find. Whether you look at the angel at the tomb, or at Peter and his sprint to the tomb, or the two on their way to Emmaus, we see Jesus alive. When we look at the fish by the sea in 24:42-43, we see that He is clearly risen! Not just appearing to be alive, but Jesus is fully and truly alive.

These appearances were needed to reassure the disciples, including the women involved, because they knew He was dead. They had been at the cross. They had seen the body. They knew where He was buried.

Yet after all the darkness and sadness of the human story that ends in Luke 23, Luke 24 puts the focus right here: Risen, indeed!

In Practice:

At this point, for me, I accept the Resurrection of Jesus as a settled fact of history. I revisit the narrative to remind myself of the glorious hope that comes from knowing the Risen Christ and to ponder this section—What does it mean “In Practice?”

What does it matter that Christ is Risen? Am I living in the light of that truth? First, for certain, it matters that we can live in salvation from the wrath of God. Everything proceeds from that point. Because I am saved from the wrath of God, I live in gratitude to God. In all things, therefore, I seek to further His honor, glory, and reputation. All this above my own. Because I know salvation from the wrath of God is possible, I seek to proclaim it as far as possible. At times directly, at times through supporting those who will proclaim where I will not be.

Second to those considerations is this one: that life as we see it is not the end, and therefore not the primary concern. If something is only of value for a few decades, then it must take a backseat to eternal considerations. If the world around us turns against our faith, turns against our practicing the truth as we understand it, then what of it? If death is no obstacle for the power of God, then humiliation, ridicule, difficulty are all even less of a true problem.

Because He is risen, risen indeed, we as believers are able to walk boldly in obedience, glorifying God through our actions. The real issue is not about what we can do, or what we cannot do, but what we will do.

In Nerdiness: 

Nerdiness? How about the running thread of “wrapped in cloth” that goes from Luke 2 to Luke 23, with the earthly life of Christ done in Luke 24 when the cloths are left behind?

Consider the possibility that Luke draws a metaphor for the Incarnation here—at birth, the fullness of God is wrapped in human flesh. At death, in Luke 23, He is more evidently wrapped in that flesh than any other time. Yet in Luke 24, in the end, He goes back to revealing the fullness of Divinity rather than shielding it any longer.

In the Tomb: Luke 23

In Summary:

Luke 23 is the conclusion of the human story of Jesus. Luke has tracked the miracle-working, people-loving “Son of Man” from his birth all the way through his death and burial. If Luke had written the chapter divisions, he almost certainly would have placed the break here where we find it.

As you read through Luke 23, it feels like a conclusion. Especially in the modern era of leaving stories with unhappy endings (Nicolas Sparks, anyone?) in the interest of reflecting reality, we see all the opportunities to stop the execution of Jesus and think, well, no, that chance was missed. He’s got no one to save him now.

You have the political machinations with Herod and Pilate, but through those, there is no stopping the crucifixion. We expect the crowd to support the one who has done so many miracles, but they do not. We see Jesus falter under the weight of the cross and think…is there no limit to the cruelty? Is there not a centurion who will say “He’s too weak now, let’s do this later?”

There is not. The sin-soaked world we live in keeps hammering away. The problems just pile on, and there is nothing to stop it. Luke 23 runs Jesus through the gauntlet we live in, where everything from friends to government fail us. Life seems to conspire to our destruction.

In Focus:

The last verse, the last half of the last verse, draws our focus today. Jesus has died. The Gospels all bear witness to this as historical fact, and he is at this point in the tomb. Joseph of Arimathea (who inspires Arthurian legends and Python references) has buried Jesus in a new tomb. Some effort to prepare the body for burial has been made, but the full preparation must wait. It is the Sabbath, after all, and that work will need to be completed the next day.

Being the Sabbath, all work was prohibited. This was the Covenant Law, dating back to the Exodus, and part of the strict observance of the Jews. The Sabbath law was drawn from the example of God, who according to Genesis 1-2 rested from labor on the Sabbath. If the Lord their God had taken off that day, it was surely possible for the people of Israel to do so.

The women, then, are following the command of God when they rest. Luke notes this as he highlights that they “rested according to the commandment.” Even in the midst of the frustrations and death, the Word of God was to be obeyed: rest on the Sabbath.

In Practice:

What, then, shall we do? Here are my suggestions:

First, obey the Word of God as far as you know it. The women in Luke 23 knew it was time to rest to obey the Ten Commandments. We see, frequently, commands in Scripture that should be obeyed—and rest remains one of those. Whether that is in the Sabbath connotation or as we see in Psalm 46:10 to “cease striving” with the Lord, in 1 Peter or in Philippians where we see that our cares and anxiety should be subsumed under rejoicing in what God has done for us.

Second, remember that you are not living in a world driven by the human story. Our world, like Luke, does not end in the tomb. We get one more chapter. Not because people are writing the story—the best efforts of humanity end in the same place, but because God is writing the story. The very next word, Luke 24:1, is “but,” the great contrasting conjunction that brings hope—because the results are always different than expected!

In Nerdiness: 

What can be said in nerd land here? I’ll give you one quick one, then suggest you grab some history books and catch up on what happened in those days. It’s often presented that the crowd that cries “Crucify” in this chapter is the same crowd that shouted “Hosanna” in the previous one. Or it’s presented that people who think that are just stupid buffoons. I’ve seen both in the Internet world.

The truth is, as it often is in history, probably in the middle. Consider the differing situations of the two events. The Triumphal Entry occurs on a Sunday afternoon. The trial/near-riot happens early on Friday morning. The city of Jerusalem is pretty crowded at this time of year. It is within possibility that there are crowd participants in both events that are far enough away from the action that they are swayed by those up close.

After all, it would not be the only time in history that a cheering crowd turned on the ones they cheered, would it? History is replete with those examples. I would suggest the solution falls here: close in to the entry route for Palm Sunday were those who had followed Jesus. Likewise, close in to the trial and leading the shouts of “Crucify” would have been those seeded there by the religious leaders. Outside of that? An easy place to be swept up without knowing what’s happening, especially for outsiders making the trip to Jerusalem.

So let’s avoid claiming the whole crowd turned…but let’s also avoid ridiculing those who suggest the possibility there was overlap. We’ve got better ways to spend our energy.

In the Night: Luke 22

In Summary:

In the night, both good and bad happen. In the history of Israel, they were delivered from Egypt in the night (Exodus 12,) thus setting up the primary celebration of the Passover as a night-time event. This was one of the most important remembrances for the people of Israel

However, night was also the time when evil things happened. Historically speaking, prior to easy lighting, most cultures avoided nighttime activities. It was impractical to have light enough at night to do anything useful.

(An interesting anthropological study would involve how night-aversion is different in cultures where the buildings aren’t as confined, like one finds in tropical cultures. I digress.)

Most of Luke 22 happens at night. The opening 13 verses summarize events that occur prior to that night, but even these are feeding into what occurs in the night of the Passover celebration.

In Focus:

Take your magnifying glass to Luke 22:24-34 and look at the disciples and their argument. What is the argument? Same old stuff: Who’s the greatest? Or, more clearly, who is the most important? It’s an argument among them regarding their own rights and privileges. I think one can look at v. 26 and see that part of the underlying issue was the cultural expectation that the younger were expected to give way to the older, by virtue of age only.

Further, Jesus goes on to highlight the Gentile practice, especially among the dominant Roman system, of expecting to be noted for using authority. In that system, the ones in power expected to be called “benefactors” or other positive terms, even as they used their situation for their own improvement. It’s not unlike the modern reference to the politicians in Washington calling themselves public “servants” when the goal is get re-elected and line their own pockets—the only “service” is to further themselves.

Jesus instructs that the disciples are not to copy this system, but to serve. He goes on to point out that the ones who thought they were strongest—ones like Peter—had only been strong because of His support. The key here is in vv. 29-30, where Jesus grants the Apostles the right to sit at His table in the Kingdom. This is the highest honor one could experience—and so, there is no need for them to chase earthly recognition and privilege.

In Practice:

Practically, this gets a little hairy. First of all, it’s easy to get into a “serving-to-lead” mentality, where we serve for a time in expectation that we will be lifted up into something greater. That motivation is seen by God, and even if we accomplish that goal, we need to realize it’s not the way to approach life. Second, there are appropriate ways in which we should honor the ones who have gone before us, and respect those who do lead. This should be freely given, though, and never sought. Third, we like our privileges. Many times, it appears that we would gladly serve as long as we still get the comfy bed at the end of the day. That’s not how it works.

I would note, however, the difference in spiritual community and employment. Your boss gets to tell you what to do. He’s the boss. She’s the commander. Whatever the case may be, there are venues in which leadership *is* positional and absolute.

How does this inform our behavior? First, we set aside our ambition. Not our desire to work and accomplish, but our ambition to be important. Our ambition for recognition. Second, we put on deliberate service. Look hard for the little tasks, the behind-the-scenes things that have to happen. Do them. Third, forget you ever did them. Your recognition is not that now people will listen. It is that it will be granted to you to sit at the table in the Kingdom.

Now, the other side is this: look for the people who are serving. Pay attention to them. Ask the opinion of the people who are quietly dependable. There is likely more wisdom in them than in many visible people.

In Nerdiness: 

We get a fun nerd discussion when it comes to the timing of the crucifixion. John indicates that Jesus is crucified while the Passover is being prepared, while Luke here suggests that the Passover meal happens the night before. What do we do with this?

A few possibilities exist. One, that there was a multi-night observance of the Passover, is certainly plausible. Another, that John tweaked a fact to make a point, seems less likely in light of the inerrancy of Scripture. I think he presents a theological biography in context, meaning some events may be shifted in order, but to muff an actual fact is beyond that scope.

In considering this, remember that some of our understanding is traditional more than Scriptural. It is clear that there was a “holy day” after the crucifixion, one that could be termed a “sabbath” without being an actual Saturday. We also know that the Jewish people counted a day as beginning at sundown. It’s possible the solution is in there, somewhere. Study up and see what you think.

In the Future: Luke 21

In Summary:

Luke 21 opens with what is probably the most famous of all Jesus’ teaching on giving. This is the story of the Widow’s Mite, where a widow gives her small amount at the Temple. She is contrasted with the religiously self-important, who give greater gross amounts, but do it for the publicity. Additionally, she has put a larger percentage of her resources—without divine support, she will be in great need. The important folks? These gave from what they did not need.

After observing the giving at the Temple, Jesus goes on to speak of the end of time. His return will come after a great deal of chaos and destruction. One challenge in using this chapter to foretell a specific date—or even era—is that two major events are intermingled here. The return of Christ and the end of the ages is the major one, but secondarily included is the destruction of Jerusalem, likely at the hands of the Romans. (Or, perhaps, the destruction of Jerusalem at the end of time. You get the challenge.)

As always, the main issue in “end of the age” timing is the imminence of the return of Christ. It’s clear enough that it could be almost any time. Be obedient. Be ready.

In Focus:

Rather than putting a few verses under focus today, let us consider the context of this entire chapter. Many times we have heard sermons about giving based on the Widow’s Mite. I will acknowledge the virtue of giving with regard only for the glory of God. Those who give without regard to the opinions of others or their own comfort are more often blessed than those who focus on logic in giving.

Looking at the context, have you ever considered how the whole section is connected? Jesus begins to teach about the impending doom and transition to eternity after seeing the Widow and her giving. This tells us that, whether we like it or not, the events observed and the teaching given are related. Jesus did not see the Widow and say “Well, changing the subject…”

If these are connected, then what is the connection? The connection is this: why hold on to material wealth in light of eternity? And why give to build buildings, even the Temple, what will be destroyed?

In Practice:

Where is the practical look of this going? You might think it’s heading to “mail a check to your church!” Or even more likely, “Mail a check to your pastor!” (Or pastor-blogger! Address is available…)

That’s not the direction I want to head. If you are a Christian, you have a responsibility to honor God and support the work of the Kingdom through the church you are a part of. That’s not what is in view here—Jewish Law commanded the giving to support daily existence of synagogues and teachers. While that command is subsumed under grace, we still bear that responsibility for the church today. The giving in view was the extra giving, the giving for something greater and extra.

Instead, I would challenge us all to consider this: in light of eternity, what good is any of our spending? This includes how your local church spends its money. Are we spending it on matters that carry through? On growing fruit? On honoring God?

Or is it all going to stuff that will go away? That big, beautiful church building? Guess what? It’s doomed. Fancy car for your pastor? Destroyed. Copies of the Word of God for the multitudes? That carries forward, for the Word of the Lord endures forever. Hungry fed? That’s worth it.

Are there needs for administrative or helpful tools like buildings or employees…sure. But keep it perspective. If the Widow is going to give her Mite, then she shouldn’t be doing it just to build a building that’s destined for destruction. Let it go to something of value.

In Nerdiness: 

Luke 21:24 speaks of “the time of the Gentiles.” When are those? Some would suggest that this was the Roman domination until the modern nation of Israel. Others suggest that the “time of the Gentiles” continues even now, as Jerusalem continues to be ruled not by the Jewish people but in all sorts of chaos.

The reality? We don’t know for certain, but I would suggest that the “time of the Gentiles” continues in Jerusalem to this day. I’m not the perfect interpreter of prophecy, but I think there remains a future restoration of Jerusalem. In the long run, there will be a time when Jerusalem will not have to consider the opinions of Gentiles. But that is not yet.

Could it be soon? It could. Which is why the ultimate eschatological plan is always the same: be ready. The Lord is coming soon.

In Answering: Luke 20

In Summary:

Luke 20 sees the chief priests and elders confronting Jesus. Again. This is habit of theirs. It’s an ineffective habit, but a habit nonetheless. Perhaps we can learn something right here from the chief priests and elders: if you find yourself constantly arguing and losing, maybe you’re wrong? It’s worth considering.

They come and confront Jesus with a question about his authority to do what he is doing. The likely inciting incident for this direct question is the cleansing of the Temple—they want to know how Jesus thinks he has the right to say what can and cannot happen in the worship center of the people of Israel. Rather than answer them directly, Jesus gives them a question to deal with. Here we see that Jesus is not only the master of answering trap questions, but also the master of asking questions. He hits them with a choice: speak the truth or be politically expedient. They fail and try to equivocate.

The remainder of Luke 20 sees a continued effort by the religious leaders to stymie Jesus. They toss various questions at him and are dissatisfied with the answers. They’re also undaunted in their efforts by the answers. Here’s a question for most of us: are we more interested in getting answers or asking questions?

In Focus:

As in the last few chapters, Luke gives us one of Jesus’ parables in the midst of the other activities. The parable of the vineyard serves is the hinge for this chapter, and so draws our focus. The action after the parable is driven by the response of the religious leaders to Jesus telling it.

First, though, consider that Jesus tells this parable after silencing his critics, again. He is not out to silence critics: he is out to proclaim the Kingdom of God. We would do well to gather that truth. Be more concerned with proclaiming the Kingdom. We may have to stir up the critics a second time, but we cannot be satisfied with being “right.” We must share God’s loving truth.

Now, the parable of the vineyard runs a familiar story line for Jesus’ parables. There is a metaphor for God’s Kingdom. This time, a vineyard fills that role. There are people who are the initial participants in the Kingdom. These are vine-growers (or tenant farmers.) There is the stand-in for God, in this case the owner (or “lord”) of the vineyard.

The vineyard makes its produce and the owner sends for his share. The tenant farmers decide that they will not give it—so they refuse with violence. The violence escalates alongside their refusals until there are no servants left to mistreat. At this point, they kill the son of the vineyard owner, expecting that this will allow them to claim the inheritance that should be his.

Jesus points out that the result will not be what the vine-growers expect. Instead, their violent refusals to recognize the vineyard owner’s authority will be met with violence, and the vineyard will go others. Jesus was teaching that the religious leaders would not be permitted to hold the Kingdom of God hostage to their personal preferences and profits. Keep in mind, this is told in response to the religious response to cleansing the Temple: Jesus made a direct assault on religion-for-profit. Now he makes a didactic (teaching) follow-up on the principle. Verse 19 tells us that his target audience understood him exactly. And they were not pleased.

In Practice:

When we look at this for practical application, two things jump out. First, the vineyard belongs to God. Whatever our preferences, the Lord God sets the rules. Not us. We are commanded to bear fruit and to bear the fruit that God calls for from our lives. Too often, we spend our time and effort setting our definitions of fruitfulness and living up to those. That’s not our place.

Second, we want to define our reward for our work. But the inheritance is not ours, nor are the fruits of our labors. Instead, we rely on the gracious lord of the vineyard to provide what we need. Our work is constant—like tending a vineyard—but our reward is in pleasing the master, not in claiming our own rewards.

In Nerdiness: 

There are two follow-on questions that Jesus deals with in Luke 20. They are the typical response of the theologically curious when we don’t want to deal with the implications of what we are being taught. The questions on taxes and marriage? They point to obvious answers but ultimately are side-points to the real issue.

Don’t get so bogged down on the nerd side that you miss the main point. 

In Triumphant Arrival: Luke 19

In Summary:

Luke 19 gives us the story of Zaccheus in the opening section. This is a well-known event, so I won’t dwell on it. Two things are worth remembering in this story, though, that occasionally get overlooked. First, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. In Luke, that means on his way to the Cross. Yet he takes the time to interact with Zaccheus. I don’t know where you are going today, but you likely have no more on your mind that Jesus did. Second, Zaccheus does not see Jesus from the tree, but when he comes down from it.

Next, we see the parable of the minas and nobleman. It is similar to the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, and I will not attempt to deal with harmonizing or separating the two. For me, I don’t see a problem with Jesus using two similar parables. I am not persuaded that every parable must be a true story. Some may fall into the fable-type category. This one, I think, falls into an allegory category. It is a story that reflects the work of Jesus as King of Kings. Whether there was an earthly individual who went through a similar event is not the point.

This parable reflects the importance of being faithful with what we have. Further, I think there is something to be seen here about rightly understanding and associating the character of the King. I think further study would be useful in looking at Luke 19:22 and raising the question of how much people will be judged on their false assumptions about God.

In Focus:

Moving forward, let us put the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in focus. He comes into Jerusalem riding on a colt, as Zechariah’s prophecy indicated (Zechariah 9:9). Further, this echoes the coronation of Solomon in 1 Kings 1:33 where he is placed on a mule rather than a mighty, noble steed. The throng acclaims the blessedness of the coming of Jesus.

Rather than a happy moment, though, this turns into a terribly sad and difficult one. Jesus first weeps over Jerusalem and the coming destruction of the Temple and the city. He is aware of the final destruction that the Romans will bring. From there, Jesus steps forward to address the glaring problem in the Temple at the time: the sales folk. There is some level of debate about who and what Jesus drove out, but the general consensus puts a monopoly in the Temple, selling necessary sacrificial items.

It worked like this: Scripture demanded sacrifices without spot or blemish. In what likely started as a good thing, animals were available for sale in the outer courts of the Temple that were effectively “guaranteed” to meet the qualifications. That grew to a thriving business, where only Temple-sold animals were acceptable. Further, only Temple-certified coinage was acceptable, so you also had money changers who would swap out your drachmae for acceptable Temple coins.

Worship had become big business. In the process, it had ceased to be worship. True, it was clean and pretty, uniform and polished. But the central point of worship is not being polished or shiny. The central point is the Lord God Himself.

In Practice:

In this, Jesus lays out a critical concept for us. Heartfelt worship may not always be pretty and polished. Truthfully, we often snuff the passion and heart of our fellow servants of the Lord in our quest for shininess. Admittedly, there have been times when a little more effort should have been poured out, and some of us should *never* sing solos. However, worship as big business, worship as picture perfect is antithetical to worship as the response of those freed by the grace of God.

Why? Because the worshiper is still human and not God. The One we worship is perfect. We who worship are not.

So let the heart go. Not to the points of disobedience—nowhere does Scripture endorse some of the nonsense done in the name of worship. Yet singing a little flat of voice? Or the messiness of children among the body of believers? These are more than just alright. They are part of gathering the redeemed. Let them be as welcome as you are.


In Nerdiness: 

Just a brief nerd thought about “the stones crying out” in Luke 19:40. First, there is Matthew 27:51 to consider.

Second is this thought: Ebenezer. 1 Samuel 7:12. Sometimes, our remembrance is weak. Let us never fail to have reminders, even stones, to cry out of the deliverance and work of God to remind future generations. Let the stones speak in our absence.

And then there is this question: how should Luke 19:38 be related to Luke 2:14?

In Prayer: Luke 18

In Summary:

Luke 18 continues the travel of Jesus to Jerusalem. Along the way, he continues teaching his disciples. This chapter, the opening focus is on prayer. The stories used by Jesus to teach here are often misapplied. Let us sum up by noting that God is far more righteous than any earthly judge—the point of that parable about persistence is not that we have to keep bugging God—we should see here that the widow of 1-8 and the publican of 9-14 (oh, that a Republican would cry out for mercy like that!) understand their utter dependence. That is the primary point: prayer ought to be born out of a heart that knows there is no where else to go.

Skipping ahead, we meet Blind Bartimaeus in 35-43. He is near the city of Jericho and cries out for Jesus to “have mercy on him!” His prayer echoes the prayer of the lepers in Luke 17. There is something to acknowledging our need without specifying our remedy as we see in both of these events. And we see it in the story of the Pharisee and the publican: no instructions to God about what these men thought they needed, only a confession of their deep and dire need.

It is worthwhile in prayer to trust God and not ourselves. In fact, it is pointless to pray as if we know what we need and just need a little assist from God. That is, unfortunately, the background noise in our prayer life.


In Focus:

Turning to the middle narrative, it is the well-rehearsed story of the “rich young ruler” that many of us have seen and heard before. It’s in Luke 18:18-25 but also in Matthew 19 and Mark 10. This meeting comes immediately after Jesus’ rebukes the disciples that wanted to keep the children from coming to him. That’s not an accident.

For ease, we’ll refer to the man who comes to Jesus as the ruler, based on Luke’s description. He has, apparently, just seen Jesus be open and accepting of children. This was unusual in the time, as many important people did not have time for children. One a child grew up, then he was important (and often, that was an exclusive “he”), but until adulthood? Keep that kid away.

The ruler, then, wants to know what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. A few notes: he’s looking for an action. Jesus gives him an action. He rejects the action, and then Jesus notes how hard it is for the wealthy to follow Christ. This is a story recorded to teach us to give up all material wealth, right?

In Practice:

Practically, I think there’s more to it than that. Let’s apply some concepts here:

First, the ruler is looking for a specific action. Look at his question. What shall I do? He wants a checkbox. It’s the same thing we often look for, and when we find one or two things that fit, we make that checkbox our defining characteristic.

Jesus, though, does not give him a specific action. Wait, you think selling his stuff was supposed to be the action? Nonsense. Nowhere in Scripture do we find salvation based in the works an individual does, even if he gives all he has to the poor. (1 Corinthians 13:3, perhaps?) Eternal life is found in the following statement: “Come, follow me.” Following Christ is where life comes.

The idea of selling all the stuff is secondary to the relationship. Jesus tells the ruler to come into a relationship with him, to walk in obedience. The stuff has to go for the sake of freeing the ruler to obedience. Beyond that, discipleship is an open-ended, never-ending walk with Christ.

We often try to find “one thing” to do when it is “one relationship” we need to walk in obedience for. That is the essence of Christianity and the point of this event—your salvation does not have anything to do with your wealth and everything to do with your obedience.

In Nerdiness: 

There are some good examples here of what is called the Synoptic Problem. First, the focal passage is found in all three Synoptic Gospels. Those are Matthew, Mark, and Luke. They are called “Synoptics” because they see (optic) the events together (syn). There are many similarities between these three accounts of the life of Jesus.

Yet there are also significant differences. For example, is Bartimaeus on the way into Jericho or the way out? Mark 10:46, Luke 18:35 present different ideas. There are some suggestions about how this balances—but the truth is we do not know for sure. As you find these passages (there’s one person, there are two, or others) the real issue is this:

Do we trust God to know what He’s talking about? Or do we assume there’s an error?

Whatever the outcome, I will stand on this: Scripture says exactly what God intends for it to say. If we have to search harder to understand, that’s not his fault but rather our opportunity to rely that much more on the Holy Spirit to illuminate.

In Misery: Luke 17

In Summary:

As Jesus is headed to Jerusalem in Luke 17, he continues teaching the disciples. (It’s worth noting that Luke, like Mark, uses the “on the way to Jerusalem” for heading to the Cross. Neither have a casual trip to Jerusalem for Jesus.) First, he issues a warning against those who cause others to stumble. This is coupled with commanding the disciples to be forgiving toward one another—and this isn’t just between the Twelve, but for all the followers of Christ. Is it possible that our unforgiving attitude causes others to stumble? We need to consider this.

Further, Jesus speaks of the need for faith. I find it telling that Jesus responds to the request to “increase” the disciples’ faith with a statement of “if you had faith.” The implication is not that they have too little faith. It’s that they have none at all. They lack trusting obedience in Jesus, based on the following statements about what their lives should look like in response to God’s commands.

The ending section of Luke 17 is why I choose not to get worked up about anyone’s prediction of timing of the return of Jesus and the end of the world. He assures his disciples that he is coming back. He assures that this will bring the final judgment. And he describes it as quite unexpected by many. We should take this in this manner: there are signs, just as there are signs that allow prediction of weather. But our ability to predict is imperfect, so we must live as if it will be any time. Stressing about blood moons or any other nonsense is just that: nonsense. Do what needs doing.

In Focus:

We’ll put the middle story, Luke 17:11-19, in focus today. Jesus encounters ten lepers. They call out for mercy, and Jesus commands that they go show themselves to the priests. As they go to meet that ceremonial need, they are healed. Nine of them continue on, but one returns to give thanks to Jesus and glory to God. That one? A Samaritan, typically an outcast in that society.

Three key ideas in this passage:

First, misery knows no ethnicity. The average first century Israelite would not have stuck around a Samaritan. When the misery of being a social outcast, a leper, hit them, the other lepers welcomed the Samaritan. Or perhaps he welcomed them? The backstory is unknown, yet from the current events we can tell that what had divided people pales in comparison to misery forcing them together.

Second, mercy restores. Lepers had to show themselves to the priests, who would pronounce them as clean and restore them to society. Given that differing skin diseases all fell under “leprosy,” it’s possible that these lepers were not afflicted with the rapidly fatal form. Instead, their misery was social rejection and the slow approach of death. The mercy of Jesus restores them to the community.

Third, there’s always time for gratitude. This event raises a question: why is the tenth leper praised, and the other nine criticized by implication, when the nine were being obedient? The issue is this: there would always be time to handle the details of going to the priests, but Jesus was on his way somewhere…the nine will not find him there when they come back. They should have taken the time to express gratitude and then continued in obedience. (One could also argue that Jesus knew they’d never try, but that idea does not seem like the point here.)


In Practice:

First, misery knows no ethnicity. Neither does need, nor salvation. Why, then, do we spend so much of our time only with people like us? The Samaritan shifts from misery with Jews as a leper to praising God, with Jews (the disciples!), after healing. If we have been delivered, our focus should be more on the One who delivered us than on who looks like us.

Second, mercy restores. Mercy does not say to others “you’re forgiven, but get out.” With all proper consideration of protecting people from their attackers, the community of faith should be a place of restoration. The Samaritan never forgot he had been a leper. You don’t have to keep reminding people of their past. Let mercy restore them among the community. And yes, our sanctified segregation of pigeonholing people into ‘ministries’ to folks whose sin is similar to their old life is often our way of maintaining their guilt. Maybe that thrice-divorced person actually has a passion for something other than divorce recovery? Or that single mom wants to work with the elderly? Let us consider that.

Third, there’s always time for gratitude. Always. Take time to say thank you. How long did it take the Samaritan? Not very. We’re not talking about derailing obedience to spend hours upon hours. We’re talking about putting gratitude first on the list, and then working out from there. Do it. Allow your obedience to reverberate with the gratitude of a healed heart, rather than a cold list-check.

In Nerdiness: 

I want to look back and raise a question from Luke 17:10. We are in heaven because our Master has allowed it, for we are his servants (or slaves, as you read it). Is our service deserving of ‘reward’? Or is it just what we should have done?

Why, then, do we talk so much about how we expect to be rewarded in heaven for what we do?

In the Money: Luke 16

In Summary:

Luke 16 recalls two stories, and they both deal with material possessions. First is the unjust manager (Luke 16:1-12) and second is the story of Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). In both cases, Jesus is addressing people’s use of material wealth and the overall destruction that it wreaked on their lives.

The first story gives us a man charged with watching over someone else’s wealth. He is called to account for his use of that man’s wealth, because he had not been diligent with his stewardship. Knowing that his well-being was on the line, he rapidly rewrote a few of the debts that were owed his master. He used this leverage to improve his relationships with the debtors.

His master praises him for it. There are hard parables because obeying them is hard. Then there are hard parables because we just don’t quite get the point. That is what this is. Augustine suggests that the praise here is in planning ahead, being prudent. I think the praise here could be taken differently: Jesus is highlighting that the people of this age know how to make friends in this age. If you are not going to follow Him, you had better find ways to make friends.

Take a look, after all, at the audience. Luke 16:14 highlights the Pharisees in the audience. What do we see the Pharisees as doing? Mismanaging their master’s wealth: they poorly used the Word of God. In the preaching of Jesus, they are called to account—but rather than seek forgiveness or change their ways, did they perhaps start loosening their hard ideas to make more friends?

In Focus:

The second story will take our focus. We see the story of the rich man and Lazarus. I do find it odd that we typically refer to it as the story of “The Rich Man and Lazarus,” putting the unnamed antagonist first rather than the named, righteous man. That probably says more about us than about the text.

In this story, we see a key element missing. There is no mention of the religious leanings of either of the men. I would suggest that is safe to assume that both are Jews, likely in the same era as the life of Christ, perhaps from just a bit before. We can make that leap on decent ground because of the familiarity both men have with Abraham, Moses, and the Prophets. (This is a parable that I am inclined to think is a true story with some aspects, for lack of a better term, dumbed-down for audiences that can’t really see eternity.)

It is important, then, to realize that Lazarus is not in heaven simply because he was poor. He has gone to where his faith brought him. Likewise, the rich man is not in hell for being rich, but rather because he had Moses and the Prophets. He knew better than to behave like he did, and he has gone where his lack of faith sent him.

In Practice:

Practically speaking, there are three points I would highlight for us from these stories:

1. You cannot serve God and wealth. Jesus made that point Himself in 16:13. If your thoughts are consumed with improving your earthly abundance, then you are not serving the Kingdom of God. That is true if you are a person, a business, or a church. And woe, woe unto the church that falls into this trap.

1A. Just because you “talk holy” about your wealth does not mean you are not in violation of this idea. God sees your heart.

2. How we use the material we have reveals our faith. The rich man, the unjust steward both show a lack of faith in God because they lack integrity and compassion. The result? They have comfort and friends on this side, in this world.

3. Faithful stewards are found in those who are faithful in all things. Why? Because character shows through, wherever you are and whatever you are doing. This is part of our national problem: we keep putting people into situations that they have never grown the character for. The job does not make the person—the job reveals the character of the person. Skills can be taught, character must be grown. Grow character in children, encourage character in your workplace, develop character in your churches—and then train skills as needed.

In Nerdiness: 

Ah, my nerdy friends, what shall we do with 16:17? It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than an iota of the Law? Here is a suggestion:

The Law did not pass, but it was fulfilled in Christ Jesus. Therefore the Law serves to instruct in the holiness of God, demonstrating our need for grace and salvation. Rather than serve the Law, though, we serve the One who fulfilled it.

In the Finding: Luke 15

In Summary: Luke 15 has three of the better-known stories told by Jesus in his ministry. We see the story of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. Better, perhaps, is to view these as the stories of the found sheep, the found coin, and the found son.

After all, that is the focus of the message here. Jesus does not detail how to handle lost items, nor does he spend the time lamenting their lostness. Instead, the focus rests on how people respond to finding their precious possessions.

The three parables run in parallel to one another. Keeping in mind that parables tend to use simple images to explain more complex ideas, so we want to understand the simple images. The key, generally, is there.

In Focus: The simple images from the three parables are these:

1. The lost item.
A. The lost sheep: a sheep tends to just wander off, it’s an animal. It needs guided and cared for, and if it wanders it needs found.
B. The lost coin: gravity and physics, and a dropped coin becomes a lost one. It is totally unable to find itself—it must be found.
C. The lost son: the first two are most likely lost due to accident or misfortune. The son? He is lost due to his own will. Unlike the others, the son chose to get lost and has the capacity to return.

2. The finder.
A. The sheep-owner: he knows just how many he should have, and has the capacity to protect the remaining ones while he looks.
B. The coin-seeker: again, she is aware of how many coins she should have, and then goes to great lengths to find the missing one.
C. The son-finder: he does not go out to find the son, but he did hold a seat at the table for him. He also allowed the son’s departure, though he obviously laments the son’s choice.

3. The celebratory crowd.
A+B. Friends and neighbors: Both coin and sheep result in celebrations with friends and neighbors, as joy is shared with others.
C. In the son story, we do not get the exact participants in the crowd. The father says “we,” and so one can assume the presence of members of the household. It is possible that the neighbors are there. Of greater concern is the highlight of the missing participant in the celebration: The unhappy onlooker. He appears only in this parable of the three.


In Practice: Attaching a practical significance to this passage requires us to understand who these simple characters are. From there, we see who we are, who we should be, and who we are not.

First, who we are not. The finder. The shepherd, the woman with the coin, the father, all are examples of the character and compassion of God the Father. Is it possible for us to act like the Father? Yes, but we are not God. These characters show us His character that we strive to emulate, but God is the one who finds the missing.

Second, who we are: the lost coin, the missing sheep, the wandering son. This is us. This is humanity: we have wandered off. We have gotten lost in the course of life. We have taken the riches of our heritage of the image of God and spent it on our own pleasures.

Third, who we should be and who we should not be: to get this, take a look at Luke 15:1-2 and see why Jesus told these parables in the first place. Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors—and “sinners” here are likely “sinners” by reputation more than anything else. The Pharisees and scribes were angry with the celebration of sinners repenting and especially with one who claimed to be God participating.

The Pharisees and scribes, then, are acting like the brother at the end of the Prodigal Son story. We should be more like the friends and neighbors who celebrate the repentance of sinners rather than the brother. These parables are an invitation to join in the celebration of repentance.

What, then, do we do?

We repent, so that we are permitted to be in the presence of the One who throws the celebration in the first place. Don’t miss that: if you are not found, you can’t celebrate. Let the Father find you.

We celebrate, without excessive complaint. What difference does it make what sins were forgiven? Or how lost someone was? Celebrate the finding.

In Nerdiness: Feels like I took it all the way apart, leaving nothing for nerds, right?

The nerd question comes through with every parable discussion: did these 3 things happen or did Jesus create teaching stories?

If He only used real stories, what does that say for us as teachers and our use of fiction?

If He used fictional stories, what does that say about balancing truth with fiction in explanation?

In the Counting: Luke 14

In Summary: We come back to Luke 14. Jesus continues to teach His disciples, but He also takes the time to go to dinner. After all, the Incarnation involves taking on flesh, even with its weaknesses. Jesus got hungry, too, and had to eat.

I think we would do well to learn from His habits, though, as we often see Him use the fellowship and interactions brought about by meals to interact with others. None of His actions were needless or pointless. We see the opening of this chapter that Jesus entered the house of one of the Pharisees for dinner.

On the Sabbath. This is referred to as “eating bread,” probably because the Pharisee is being meticulous to avoid work on the Sabbath by only serving bread that had been pre-prepared. I do not have that in a definite source, but that seems a logical reason. There is a problem. There always seemed to be, and this time it was that a man in need of healing was present at the meal. Given the overall impression that the Pharisees are watching to see if Jesus will do anything, he’s likely there as bait for a trap.

Jesus springs the trap, heals the man, and proceeds to teach the Pharisees what is most important. He stresses humility and challenges His hearers to seek what is best for others. This is a valid question for every decision made by disciples of Jesus: “Am I doing what is best for me or provides others with the best picture of Jesus?”

Answer that one honestly and see how it changes your behavior in the years to come.

In Focus: That question, that type of thinking, brings us to our focal point. This chapter culminates with Jesus’ running off a good number of the crowd that followed Him. He points out that the defining relationship for His disciples is the relationship with Him, not with anyone else. He raises the important point that we must “carry our own cross and come after Him” (v. 27, pronouns shifted) if we are to be His disciple.

This includes considering just what it might cost us to be His disciple. This section presents the very real possibility that some will follow Jesus and falter when it gets too tough, to their own shame and embarrassment. An interesting side note is that He does not highlight that God will be embarrassed…just that the faltering disciple will be.

Further, take note that neither of the scenarios presented invoke unknown problems. The tower builder and the king going to war are both aware of the costs they face. It’s safe to assume this includes expecting one to prepare for a few things to go wrong! But there is no condemnation or ridicule for the one who sets out to build a tower and then finds it demolished by the angry king going to war! Only for the one who sets out to build without considering the knowable costs.

In Practice: What, then, do we do? First, we consider the cost of our discipleship. The primary cost is paid by Jesus when He dies for our sins. That is the portion of the debt we will never pay on our own. We just can’t. Every action we take to pay for our own sin is a rejection of God’s grace, which increases the debt rather than decreases it. We must surrender to Christ as Lord rather than keep trying to fix ourselves.

Second, though, is the cost to our own lives as followers. Here is where we can count the cost. It’s a simple inventory: what have you got?

Because it all belongs to the King of Kings at this point. More specifically, we should consider our preferences, our comforts, our plans as subject to change—or be discarded!—for the sake of His will. This is part of the cost: would you serve the King? Then you must not hold back.

This is especially true as we begin to walk with Him and start seeing the ways in which we have our own towers, our own structures in process. We have to learn to walk away from them, for the greater glory of following Christ.

In Nerdiness:

First, don’t get too thrown by the apparent weirdness of “no healing on the Sabbath” as a rule. There’s two reasons for it. The first is this: we’re not talking emergency medicine here. Nor are we talking time-limited life-saving surgery. We’re talking, generally, simple medicine or surgeries that you were fortunate to survive. There were no compelling reasons to do these things seven days a week. Second, there were quite a few false messiahs or fake faith healers then—just as there are now! (I’m looking at several fruitcakes in my own denomination on that, plus many others elsewhere…)

Constraining them to not heal on the Sabbath kept them away from the Synagogue or Temple crowds. Plus, it made for a religious litmus test. Not entirely bad.

What the rules didn’t account for was the possibility that God would get involved Himself. Man-made rules, even ones intended to honor God-made rules, are not restrictive to the Lord God. He will do as He has said—nothing we devise restrains Him. When we see that, clearly, we do and understand better.

Second, notice the motif of discard and abandonment in this chapter. I would suggest this: the problem is not the Jesus will discard if we are not salty enough (v. 34-35). It is that we will be cast out from the world we are here to salt if we are not salty enough. And salt, for all of its uses, is this: distinctive. Salt does what it does, without trying to be mustard, or pepper, or anything else! Be salt. The world will then need the Living Water to quench its thirst.

In the Villages: Luke 13

In Summary:

We return to Luke’s Gospel and see familiar themes. We see another “healing on the Sabbath” controversy, this one intensified by the presence of a crowd seeking healing. There is something to the idea that we should not be angered when our worship traditions are interrupted by those seeking the healing of the Lord God Almighty. People may show up at church in the middle of our themed-out parties and need something. Let us not be so obsessed with our orders and structures that we cannot meet the obvious needs.

We also see a pair of parables that bracket the Sabbath healing. The first is about an unfruitful tree, the second provides clear illustrations of what faith is like. Taken on their own, these are good illustrations: be fruitful, be faithful. If you put them alongside the healing then you see something additional: the Kingdom of God brings life and growth wherever it goes. If there is no life, then it is not the Kingdom. The tree? If it responds, then it stays. The mustard plant? The loaves that grow? Life. Death and uninformed repetition are not. What characterizes our lives as Christians? Or in our churches?

In Focus:

Let us tighten a little focus on Luke 13:22. Jesus is traveling through villages and cities on His way to Jerusalem, and teaching as He goes. Luke does not record exactly which cities and villages are visited, or even the specific people He encounters. We do have specific teachings, though, and they are not all comforting.

For example, we have the question “Are just a few being saved?” and Jesus’ response that says, basically, “Yep.” Here He uses the image of the narrow door and the eventual locked door to illustrate that salvation is not always available. This is extended by pointing out that people will come from east, west, north, and south and dine with the prophets and Abraham in the Kingdom.

Overall, the narrow door that Jesus speaks of is complete trust in Him. Surrendering to Jesus as Lord, rather than trusting in our own righteousness or seeking another savior elsewhere, is the only path back to God. And why shouldn’t He know that? Let’s keep in mind what John brings up in John 1: Jesus is the only one who can truly explain God, since He is God.

In Practice:

Where this gets practical is twofold:

First, we need a relationship with Jesus. This starts with knowing that we’re not Jesus. That means our hearts surrender to Him, and our lives are His to command. It also means that we don’t get to be the judge of who comes through that narrow door. There are evidences, to be sure, of who is headed toward it, but the final decision is not mine…or yours.

Second, we need to share His message with the world. Guess what? Jesus came to seek and save. We don’t have to do the save part, but we should seek those He came to save. It is of far greater value to proclaim where the door is than to make people act like they’ve found it.

In Nerdiness: 

The opening verses of this chapter should inform our response to tragedy. Jesus declines to label those killed by the wicked Pilate as either righteous or unrighteous. Instead, He highlights that death comes to all of us, and it behooves us to be ready for that reality.

This counters our typical Americanized response to tragedy, where tragic death means “They all went to heaven.” Nonsense, says Jesus in this passage: they went wherever they were headed in the first place. If they were not repentant toward God, then tragedy did not save them. Only the Cross saves. It’s how Jesus died that matters, not how you do.

In Barns: Luke 12

In Summary:

Remember that Luke records substantial portions of Jesus’ teaching moments. Breaking Luke down into chapters does not isolate specific teaching concepts or even moments, so any given chapter will cover a variety of topics. Luke 12 is no different.

First, Jesus warns his disciples of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. In doing so, he highlights that hidden deeds and whispered words will not remain secret. Combining these two makes sense, as the Pharisees were experts at public righteousness. Many times it is easy to be righteous when observed, but we hide our wickedness. That is to be avoided: be the same person on display and in public.

Second, Jesus stresses the right one to fear. NASB capitalizes “One” because it refers to God. We often allow fear of everything else—I’ve seen Luke 12:5 misapplied as suggesting we fear Satan. Satan has no authority to cast into hell. That’s judgment based on God’s Word, not on anyone else.

Third, Jesus teaches that our trust is to be in him, not in our skills or wealth or friendships. All of these will push back against our obedience and public acknowledgment of Christ as Lord, but we cannot allow it. Our choice really is simple: Jesus or anything else.

In Focus:

Let us turn our focus to the parable of the rich man with the barns. First, consider the precipitating question for the parable: Why does Jesus teach with this parable? That question is often overlooked, but it matters. Jesus is asked by a man to settle a probate question. The man wants his share of an inheritance, of the family wealth. Jesus refuses to be involved and instead warns all of his hearers about greed.

The warning takes the form of a parable. Sometimes called the “Parable of the Rich Fool,” it’s the story of a man who has a great farm year. He wonders what he should do, and decides to tear down his existing storage units and build bigger ones. His expectation is that he will now be able to take many years off from working.

Instead, God calls the man a fool, a rarity in itself, and points out that death has come for him. Now. This very night, the man’s soul is demanded and he leaves everything behind. What good does it do him to have everything stored up?

I do find it noteworthy that the man never even gets the barns built: he just plans to do so. His intentions are judged here, not his actions. Again we see God knowing the heart of man and acting on wickedness before it comes to fruition.

In Practice:

What was so wicked about the man’s plan? Should we take this to mean we ought not save or prepare for the future?

Let us nip that in the bud: Scripture speaks plainly of relying on God for our futures. It also speaks, in the book of Proverbs, of the wisdom of savings and planning. There is nothing inherently evil about recognizing that God provides, at times, for both today and tomorrow.

The issue here is slightly different. First, the man has a great year and his first thought is for himself. He gives no consideration to the needs of others or even of his worship of God! How do we respond to unexpected material blessing? Do we look for good to do for others? Or for the spread of the Gospel? The selfishness inherent in seeing growth as only for himself is condemned. We should be wary of that attitude.

I recommend, highly, the book The Generosity Factor by Ken Blanchard and S. Truett Cathy. If you are a believer and a business manager or owner, you need to consider the amplification of Biblical principles found in that book.

Second, the man considers that his great storehouse will enable a life of luxury. He has provided for himself, and has no need to do anything else. We cannot, as Christians, think this way. If we have a great storehouse, it was provided by God. Through our hard work, perhaps, but provided by God and not ourselves. Additionally, God does not provide so that we can be lazy. He provides in one area so that we may serve more actively in another.

Take, for example, retirement from going to work every day. Many people want to reach “retirement,” but to what end? The question should be “How can I serve God now that I do not have to punch the clock everyday?” rather than “How much fun can I have?” The fun comes with the service.

In Nerdiness: 

One of the big questions regarding the parables of Jesus is this: does he create the stories or is he telling something that happened? I have known quite a few that think he must always tell the truth and that requires no use of fiction. Besides, Jesus would know everything, so he’s bound to know a true story.

I do not think the honesty of God requires no use of illustrative fiction. In fact, typically a parable was just that: illustrative, instructional fiction. Only of Jesus would we demand that they not be fictional. Whether this is the case falls to you to study and discern.

This leads to the question: is it possible that the man of the parable in view is the father of the man who wants Jesus to intervene in his inheritance issue? After all, that would be very personal: your own father didn’t think of you in his wealth, and now you and your brother are fighting. That might be the case, but it may just be that Jesus told a story that made the point perfectly.

In Judgment: Luke 11

In Summary: First, we have Luke’s recollection of Jesus teaching the disciples to pray. This parallels the teaching in Matthew 6, and that has caused some to think this records the same event. That is an unnecessary leap: surely Jesus taught similar lessons to differing crowds—and sometimes to the same crowd! The term used here is “disciple” rather than “Twelve,” so it could have been one of many.

Second, Jesus follows this with an extended explanation of the need for persistence in prayer. He notes that his followers should keep on praying, keep on seeking, if they wish to see answers. He reins in any foolishness, though, by noting that even people know not respond to unsafe or foolish requests! If a human father knows that an undesired fish is better than a requested snake, how much more does our Heavenly Father? Even if we persist in asking, God will not give us that which is foolish. In fact, His answer, according to 11:13, is the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Third, we see the source for Abraham Lincoln’s famous “House Divided” speech. It was Jesus. Sidebar: I wonder when we’ll see Lincoln condemned for using religion in his politics? Luke 11:17 is the verse in question. Jesus points out that even if what he does is from Satan, then it’s great! Because Satan is going to fall apart.

There is also an extended question to answer: how many times do we Christians turn the body of Christ into that divided house that cannot stand? The Kingdom of God should be united, but the greatest risk is the damage we bring within.

In Focus: Focusing our attention on Luke 11:29-32, we see judgment. The judgment? It is on the current generation, the ones Jesus is speaking to. Take note, though, of who is doing the judging: The men of Nineveh and the Queen of the South (the Queen of Sheba). Who are these? Read the book of Jonah and 1 Kings 10. These are non-Israelites who still listened to the Word of the Lord and followed him.

Jesus highlights that someone greater than Jonah is here. Who? Him. The one who sent Jonah, the one who gave Solomon wisdom and drew the Queen of Sheba up north. And yet they still are not listening. They would praise Jonah and Solomon, remembering Nineveh and Sheba, but then they attacked Jesus.

In Practice: I’m sure glad that none of us are like that, aren’t you? We don’t sit around and praise the righteousness of our forebears while ignoring exactly what they taught us, right?

After all, we are committed to the kingdom of God like Lottie Moon or Nicholas von Zinzendorf. We are in the Word like John Wesley. We search the sciences like Galileo and Newton, marveling to understand God’s ways.

Or are we much more like the Pharisees and bystanders of Jesus’ time? Sitting here and not doing, all the while praising the preaching of Spurgeon, the commitment of Carmichael, the passion of Bonhoeffer, the compassion of King? Let us not see our heroes or the ones who followed them sit in judgment on us.

In Nerdiness:  This is one that you’re likely familiar with, but it’s still important: Luke 11:51. From “Abel to Zechariah,” while looking like “from A-to-Z” like we use in modern English, is not an alphabet reference. If it were, you’d need someone whose name started with an omega in Greek, or a tav in Hebrew. Instead, we see a reflection of the order of the Old Testament. The order used in Jesus’ time began with Genesis but then ended with 2 Chronicles. Everything else fit between them. Zechariah is murdered in 2 Chronicles 24, the last recording of a faithful prophet of God being killed in the Old Testament. So, it’s a reference to the whole of the Old Testament.

Also available for your nerd consideration: 11:42. Does Jesus here declare the end of the tithe? Or that tithing is appropriate but should follow after justice. It reads like the Pharisees should have been doing both: justice for the many and tithing on their herbs. Why the herbs? Typically, one grew little herb gardens, something still not uncommon. In their zeal for the Law, the Pharisees would make sure to tithe even the results of these gardens, something that hardly accomplished the concept of the tithe as providing for the priests, Levites, and poor. The point here is that one can be exact about their own holiness and miss the point by ignoring their fellow man. Let’s not do that.