Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar--Luke 18:31-43

As Jesus gets closer and closer to Jerusalem, he comes near Jericho and encounters a blind beggar whom he heals. This account is in Luke 18:31-43, which falls into two parts. I. Jesus tells "The Twelve" that he must be killed and rise from the dead on the third day, but they do not comprehend his message. Luke 18:31-34. a. Jesus took The Twelve aside from those who were listening to him in 18:26. He told The Twelve that they were going up to Jerusalem and everying written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. The expression "written by the prophets" occurs also in Acts 2:23; 3:18; 17:3; 26:22-23. 18:31. b. Then Jesus explains what this means: Jesus will be handed over to the Gentiles [the Romans], mocked, insulted, spat upon, flogged [on this verb, see the similar language in Isaiah 50:6], and killed. But on the third day he will rise again. Jesus made the same announcement in Luke 9:22, 43-45. 18:32-33. c. But Jesus' disciples did not grasp or understand or comprehend what Jesus meant. This calls of mind the lack of comprehension of Joseph and Mary when Jesus was twelve in Luke 2:50, and prepares for the audience of Luke in the Emmaus story in Luke 24:27, 44-45. 18:34. II. Jesus heals blind beggar near Jericho. Luke 18:35-43. a. Jesus approached Jericho, which is very near Jerusalem. A blind man was sitting by the road begging. 18:35. b. A crowd of pilgrims going to Jerusalem passed by, and the blind him asked them what was happening. They told the blind man that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. The term "Jesus of Nazareth" may be connected with the Hebrew word "nazir," indicating a consecrated one or Nazirite, and with the Hebrew word "netser," indicating a shoot, scion, or sprout," calling to mind Isaiah 11:1, alluding to the Davidic lineage. 18:36-37. c. The blind man immediately cried out to Jesus: "Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me." Those in front of the blind man sternly ordered him to be quiet, but the blind man shouted even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me." 18:38-39. d. Jesus stopped and order the man in front who had spoken to order the blind man to come to Jesus. When the blind man came to Jesus, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do to you?" The blind man responded, "Lord, let me see again." 18:40-41. e. Jesus replied, "Receive your sight; you faith has saved you." God the Father through Jesus Christ is the great doctor, the great physician, the great healer. So Jesus healed the blind man. This is because the blind man clearly had faith in God through Jesus Christ. A similar statement appears in Luke 5:20; 7:50; 8:48; 17:19. God our Father through Jesus Christ does miraculous things when we have true faith. 18:42. f. Immediately the blind man received his sight. Naturally, the blind man "followed" Jesus and "glorified" God the great healer. When God does great things for us, it is very important to "glorify" God--see the emphasis on this point in Luke 2:20; 5:25-26; 7:16; 13:13; 17:15; 23:47. Then when all the people saw this miracle, they "praised God." See Luke 2:13, 20; 4:15; 19:37. 18:43. Share YOUR experiences and surprises and insights and reversals and aspirations with others. Let me hear from YOU. John Willis

Church Politics: This is a Heart Issue (Part 3)

The Enlightenment beginning in the late sixteenth century A. D. introduced a new way of thinking in many directions. One of these is to divide issues into specific compartments. This approach is very different from what one finds in the Bible. Here are ONLY a few examples. 1. Many religious people and churches have made a sharp distinction between "Religious Activities" and "Social Activities." In Churches of Christ, many people argued that helping the poor, the needy, the marginalized, the widow, the orphan, the alien is a "Social Activity," NOT a "Religious Activity." Thus, they argued that the responsibility of the church is to convert the lost to Christ. If one can baptize a person, the work of God is done. A study of the Bible shows how wrong this concept is. Jesus taught that in the final judgment, God will separate the sheep from the goats. The sheep are the godly, and the goats are the ungodly. The criterion is NOT converting the lost to Christ, but to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, welcome stranger into one's home, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit prisoners. James 1:27 says: "RELIGION that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." Helping the poor, the needy, the widow, the orphan, etc., lies at the HEART of TRUE RELIGION. 2. Many religious people and churches have made a sharp distinction between the church and the state, between religious activities and political and military activities. The problem with this concept is that NO ONE can separate any human being from his or her beliefs, concepts, feelings, or concerns at worship and from his or her beliefs, concepts, feelings or concerns at a restaurant or at a ball game or serving in the military or working at the job. ALL RELIGION is about ALL OF LIFE. One is VERY DECEPTIVE to himself or herself to think otherwise. Think about the life of Jesus. MUCH of what Jesus did was NOT at the temple or the synagogue, but in homes, in the field, traveling, etc. TRUE RELIGION has to do with our intimate daily personal relationship with God and the way in which we think and deal with all other people. 3. Many religious people and churches have made a shart distinction between speech and behavior at religious services and speech and behavior at other meetings. God wants everyone to be the same wherever we live. Our heart must be pure wherever we are and whatever we are doing. If a temptation or sin corrupts the heart, we must change. Our speech must be consistent. A huge problem with all of us is dishonest speech, that is, saying one thing when planning to do something very different. One important text pointing out this concept is Jeremiah 12:1-3: "You will be in the right, O Lord, when I lay charges against you; but let me put my case to you. Why does the way of the guilty prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive? You plant them, and they take root; they grow and bring forth fruit; you are NEAR IN THEIR MOUTHS YET FAR FROM THEIR HEARTS. But you, O Lord, know me; You see me and test me--my heart is with you." Similarly, Paul tells Titus: "To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure. Their very minds are consciences are corrupted. THEY PROFESS TO KNOW GOD, BUT THEY DENY HIM BY THEIR ACTIONS They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work." (Titus 1:15-16). Share YOUR concepts and misgivings and dreams and shortcomings and beliefs with others. Let me hear from YOU. John Willis

Jesus Places Emphasis on What is Most Important--Luke 18:15-30

As Jesus moves closer and closer to Jerusalem to faces his enemies who will crucify him, Jesus places great emphasis on what is most important in life as he teaches his disciples. This appears in Luke 18:15-30, in which Jesus deals with TWO important issues: (1) the importance of the heart of children; (2) the importance of trusting in God rather than trusting in wealth. This section of Luke falls into two parts. I. Jesus emphasizes the importance of children. Luke 18:15-17. a. After Jesus' parables about prayer, several parents brought their infants to Jesus so Jesus could "touch" them. But Jesus' disciples "sternly ordered" them not to do this. The account of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke is dotted with story after story after story about Jesus "touching" people. Jesus "touched" the leper to heal him in Luke 5:13; on a "level place," a large multitude came to Jesus coming from Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon so that "all in the crowd were trying to 'touch' Jesus" in Luke 6:19; Jesus "touched" the bier or casket of the widow's son at Nain in Luke 7:14; a sinful woman in a Pharisee's house came in just to "touch" Jesus in Luke 7:39; a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years came through the crowd to "touch" the fringe of Jesus' clothes and Jesus immediately healed her in Luke 8:44-48; Jesus "touched" and healed the ear of the slave of the high priest that someone had cut off in Luke 22:51. The "touch" of Jesus is of utmost importance. The touch of one human being to another is a powerful expression. Unfortunately, many adults forget that they too were children, and they assume they are superior to children, and attempt to put children in a lower place. This is what the disciples of Jesus did, and how wrong they were!!! 18:15. b. Jesus responded by rebuking the heart and action of his disciples. He told the parents to let the little children come to Jesus and do not stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to little children. Every follower of Jesus, every genuine church of God always exalts little children in the home, in the community, in the church, in the world. Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel according to Luke X-XXIV, Anchor Bible 28A, pages 1193-1194 places emphasis on this important idea: "They [Little children] are to be recognized not only as members of the kingdom, but as models for all adults who would like to accept it. . . . Jesus is . . . extolling the openness and sheer receptivity of these tiny human beings. Their freshness, their lack of guilt or suspicion, their loving warmth, and their lack of a claim to achievement are what is being held upt to adults accosted byt the message of the kingdom. The little child . . . becomes the symbol of the ideal entrant into the kingdom. . . . [Jesus emphasizes] the child's qualities of openness, lowliness in society, minority, helplessness, without claim of achievement, and in need of constant maternal or paternal attention . . ." 18:16. c. Jesus repeats this very strongly in negative words: "whoever [that leaves no one out] does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will NEVER enter it." All churches need to emphasize the importance of our children and to use them in every way in the church: to lead prayers, to lead and wait on the Lord's Supper, to proclaim God's message in the Bible, to have religious dramatic acts and concerts, and many other activities. This is the ONLY future of the people of God. 18:17. II. Jesus emphasizes the importance of not trusting in earthly wealth. Luke 18:18-30. [See Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31] a. When a certain ruler or magistrate hears the messages of Jesus about prayer and the importance of children, he approaches Jesus and asks him: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" The Jewish lawyer asked the same question in Luke 10:25. This is a very pressing question for all people. 18:18. b. Jesus responded FIRST by saying, "Why do you call me [Jesus] GOOD?" Then immediately he says: "No one is GOOD but God [my Father] alone." Here Jesus is directing the rich man's attention to God the Father and his will asthe ONLY prescription for pleasing him. It is VERY IMPORTANT to remember that Jesus consistently directs people away from Jesus or anyone else to turn to God the Father. 18:19. c. SECOND, Jesus does not give the rich man a new teaching or new commandments, but to keep God's commandments found in the Law of Moses in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. Jesus specifically lists FIVE of the ten commandments, obviously intending all TEN: "You shall not commit adultery; you shall not murder; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and mother." The rich man declares that he has kept all these commandments from his youth." Unfortunately, many people and churches reject this clear teaching of Jesus and argue that these are Old Testament commandments which do not apply to our lives today. If one takes this position, that person is rejecting the clear teaching of Jesus. Jesus NEVER opposes the Old Testament, but he DOES oppose a misunderstanding or wrong teaching of the Old Testament. 2 Timothy 3:14-17 openly declares that all Christians must follow the Old Testament. 18:20-21. d. THIRD, Jesus tells the rich man that "there is still one thing lacking," consisting of two points: (1) sell all you have and distribute the money to the poor; (2) come, follow Jesus. If he does this, he will have treasure in heaven. The rich man and all of us must make a choice. The rich man rejected Jesus' choice. He love his wealth more than he loved God the Father through Jesus Christ. 18:22-23. e. Then Jesus looked at the rich man and said: "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" Then Jesus made a comparison: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." Some people have argued that "the eye of a needle" is the name for a small entrance in a city wall through which a camel might squeeze only with the greatest difficulty. But NO ONE has EVER found the existence of such a named tiny entrance. It NEVER existed, and NEVER will!!! 18:24-25. f. Those who heard Jesus message immediately got his point, and then asked the logical question: "Then who can be saved?" Jesus replied: "What is impossible for mortals is possible for God." We are ALL GREAT SINNERS!!! There is NO WAY AT ALL that we can live in such a way as to OWN eternal life. We deserve NOTHING AT ALL!!! But our POWERFUL, GRACIOUS, FORGIVING God can and does the impossible. This drives us to the knees of all true followers of God to be thankful and grateful for all God does for us each day. This is our only hope. 18:26-27. g. Peter responded to try to defend himself and his fellow disciples: "WE have left our homes and followed you." Obviously, Peter is seeking Jesus' approval, which is exactly the opposite attitude Jesus is seeking. 18:28. h. So Jesus replies: "There is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not get back very much more inthis age, and in the age to come eternal life." This is an extremely high calling--to put God our Father through Jesus Christ FIRST in every aspect of life, and to put everything and everyone else second. 18:29-30. Share YOUR responses and concepts and misgivings and restraints and concerns with others. Let me hear from YOU. John Willis

Church Politics: This is a Heart Issue (Part 2)

Continuing our study of church politics, here are only a few of the issues which have faced the church during my own lifetime. 1. The King James Version. Only recently, several prominent teachers and preachers in the Church of Christ denomination declared that the ONLY acceptable translation of the English Bible is the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. This was first published in completion in 1611. Since the KJV, a great deal of important information has emerged which was unknown in 1611. a. Archaeologists and researchers have unearthed and studied numerous ancient texts of the Bible which did not exist in 1611. b. The English language has changed tremendously since 1611. Hence, much of the language of the KJV is outdated and incorrect in modern English in the twenty-first century A. D. Only one example is the verb "prevent" in 1 Thessalonians 4:15, which meant "go before" but now means "keep from." Thus the correct translation now is "precede." c. Discoveries of the Ugaritic language and culture and the Dead Sea Scrolls and many other finds have given better interpretations of many texts of the Bible unknown in 1611. d. Many churches have split over this incorrect version of the English Bible. This was and is because people do not know the Hebrew and Aramaic of the Hebrew Bible or the Greek of the Newer Testament. 2. Thou and You. Connected with this first issue is that many preachers and teachers in the Church of Christ denomination argued that one MUST address God as "THOU" in prayer, because this is the ONLY CORRECT translation in the KJV. Many split different churches over this issue. The truth is that "thou, thine, thee" in King James language means the singular. So, in the KJV, one addresses Satan as "thou"--as in Matthew 16:23: "Get THOU behind me, Satan." Furthermore, in the KJV "you, yours" means the plural. In the imperative, the particle, and the pronominal suffix, it is very difficult for an English speaker or writer or reader can understand the significance of the SECOND PERSON. A very simple example is Matthew 5:14: "YOU are the light of the world." Many assume "you" is each individual. This is totally incorrect. The word "you" in Greek is plural, thus means "all te people of God collectively." In the English of the twenty-first century A. D., it is certainly PREFERABLE to address God as "YOU." There is nothing at all "HOLY" about using the term "thou, thine, thee." It simple means the singular. 3. Eating in the church building. Many people have contended that it is contrary to God's will for anyone to eat in the church building. The text to support this is 1 Corinthians 11:22, which many have interpreted this to mean it is unscriptural to eat in the church building. But this verse actually means the exact opposite. What was happening at Corinth is that rich Christians assembled at an early time to have "love feasts" to promote fellowship. They ate and drank before the poor could finish their work and arrive. Paul responded to this by telling them that the rich should bring their food and drink and wait until the poor arrived so they all could have fellowship as true fellow Christians. Instead of promoting this type of fellowship, these early Christians in Corinths actually split the church for their mistreatment of the poor. Share YOUR insights and experiences and stories and conflicts and misgivings with others. Let me hear from YOU. John Willis

Two Parables of Jesus on Prayer--Luke 18:1-14

As Jesus moves closer to Jerusalem, he gives his disciples two prayers. Praying lies at the center of godly living. The Gospel of Luke emphasizes the nature and significance of prayer. These parables appear in Luke 18:1-14. I. The Parable of the Desperate Widow and the Unrighteous Judge. Luke 18:1-8. a. Luke tells his audience that Jesus told his disciples a parable "about their need to pray always and not to lose heart." Two examples of the need and importance of the persistence of prayer are Jesus on the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:41) and the Christian community in Jerusalem during the imprisonment of Peter (Acts 12:5). God's people must NEVER give up praying EVEN when it appears that God has not answered and never will answer their prayers. 18:1. b. Jesus tells a parable about a judge who functioned in a certain unnamed city who "neither feared God nor had respect for people." Such a judge was self-centered, hard-hearted, concerned only about his own desires and activities. 18:2. c. Jesus tells that an unnamed widow lived in that same city who had an opponent who wronged her. She came to the judge and asked him to grant her justice against her opponent. The helpless situation of such a widow has a very strong background in the Hebrew Bible, as in Exodus 22:21-24; Deuteronomy 10:18; 24:17; Malachi 3:5; Ruth 1:20-21; Lamentations 1:1; Isaiah 54:4; Psalm 68:5; and many additional texts. The only weapon of this poor widow was her persistence. She does not seek punishment of her opponent, but only to receive her rights. 18:3. d. For a long period of time, the judge refused her plea. But finally, the judge agreed to give this widow just just because she wore him out with her constant coming to make her plea. This same type of persistence in prayer appears in Luke 11:7-8. 18:4-5. e. Then Jesus makes his point: God is very different from the unrighteous judge. God is anxious to hear the prayers of human beings. He "will quickly grant justice" to godly people. In The Gospel According to Luke X-XXIV, The Anchor Bible, 28A, page 1177, Joseph A. Fitzmyer observes: "If a dishonest judge would yield to the persistence and prayer of a widow, how much more would the upright God and Father of all! If the helpless widow's persistent prayer accomplishes so much with a dishonest judge, how much more will the persistent prayer of Christian disciples!" Jesus then asks: "will Christ find faith on earth?" This is a challenge for every believer, every praying person. 18:6-8. II. The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. Luke 18:9-14. a. Jesus then turned to give another parable to address those "who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt." In this story, the Pharisee represents anyone who trusts in oneself and regards others with contempt. 18:9. b. Then Jesus told a parable about two men who went up to the Jerusalem temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. There was a daily practice in those days for people to go to the Jerusalem temple to pray at 9:00 a. m. and at 3:00 p. m., the morning and evening prayers. See Acts 2:15; 3:1. Remember that in this story, not all Pharisees have the same attitude, and not all tax collectors have the same attitude. This is a very personal attitude. 18:10. c. The Pharisee stood far to the front of the Court of Israel within the Temple precincts. He was far away from the tax collector. This Pharisee's prayer was not God-focused, but self-focused. He reeled off a catalogue of his virtues: I am not like other people, who are thieves, rogues, adulterers, people like that tax collector over there. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income. This Pharisees insists that he does not violate the ten commandments [alluding to Exodus 20:14-15; Deuteronomy 5:17-18], and goes beyond that. This Pharisee expects God to be thankful for who he is. He does not give God thanksgiving, but desires God's thanksgiving to him. 18:11-12. d. The tax collector stood far away from the Pharisee just barely within the confines of the Court of Israel, indicating he was not worthy to be there. The tax collector would not look up to heaven but beat his breast as a sign of compunction, sorrow, and contrition. He knew he was a sinner, and thus asked God for mercy. He had absolutely nothing to offer to God. This attitude reflects the psalmist in Psalm 51, especially 51:3. 18:13. e. Jesus then makes his point: God seeks humility, true humility of the heart. This tax collector went home justified in the eyes of God, "for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted." Humility is the first letter of the Christian alphabet. 18:14. Share YOUR insights and shortcomings and advice and thoughts and reversals with others. Let me hear from YOU. John Willis

Church Politics: This is a Heart Issue

One of the most pervasive problems ravaging and destroying the church is church politics. This has always been a major portion of the wiles of the devil. The church does not fall because of external opposition, but because of internal strife and division. This always has to do with personal preferences, self-centered goals, and arrogant behavior. The Bible presents numerous examples of this. Here are only a very few. 1. Certain groups of Pharisees in the First Century A. D. spent their lives attempting to put themselves in control of the masses. They were a very small group compared with the entire community of faith. Jesus addressed this problem in Matthew 23:2-12: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hardto bear, and ley them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honor at banquests and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father--the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted." Personally, I do not want anyone to think of me or call me in an exalted way like Doctor or Elder in the sense of an authority figure or Pastor in the sense of someone spiritually superior to others in the body of Christ. Jesus emphasizes this point. 2. A major problem in the Corinthian church was small divisive groups. Some of them declared: "I belong to Paul." Others declared: "I belong to Apollos." Others declared: "I belong to Cephas [Peter]." Others declared: "I belong to Christ." (1 Corinthians 1:12). When all is said and done, this is a heart problem. Paul clearly responded by stating emphatically: "What then is Apollos? What is Paul? SERVANTS through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants northe one who waters is anything, but ONLY GOD who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are GOD'S SERVANTS; you are God's field, God's building." (1 Corinthians 3:5-9). What a travesty--What a great sin--when we parade ourselves as leaders, masters, domineers, dictators of God's people when God teaches us to be followers, disciples, ministers, slaves, servants of God. See Matthew 4:18-22; 18:1-4; 20:20-28; Mark 10:35-45; Romans 6:15-18; and very often. The idea of leadership--smeadership is laughable before God our only master, king, lord, and leader. 3. The tiny letter called Third John contains these lines in verse 9-10: "I have written something to the church; but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing in spreading false charges against us. And not content with those charges, he refuses to welcome the friends, and even prevents those who want to do so and expels them from the church." These types of groups of people isolate themselves from others whom they disapprove, and refuse them to have true fellowship with them and threaten their jobs, their families, and their future. Most people have encountered groups like this in your church or city or nations or community. Share YOUR experiences and testimonies and ideas and reservations and misgivings with others. Let me hear from YOU. John Willis

Jesus' Teaching about the End of the World--Luke 17:20-37

As Jesus was moving closer to Jerusalem, some Pharisees [apparently from Jerusalem] asked Jesus "when the kingdom of God was coming." Jesus replied, and then expanded on this by teaching his disciples about the end of the world. This appears in Luke 17:20-37. This falls into three parts. I. Jesus Speaks with the Pharisees. Luke 17:20-21. a. As Jesus was moving toward Jerusalem, a group of unnamed Pharisees approached him and asked when the kingdom of God was coming. Obviously they wanted to know when God would send a descendant of David to become king over Israel as David and many of his descendants did. Thus, they were asking about a concrete, visible indication of the coming of that expected king. [Of course, the background is 2 Samuel 7 and related texts]. 17:20a. b. Jesus was thinking along entirely different lines. He replied: "The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed." According to Jesus, "the kingdom of God" is God the Father's rule in the hearts of human beings. Thus, one cannot possibly observe "the kingdom of God" visibly. This is wholly a heart matter. Paul emphasizes this point when he says: "The kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). 17:20b. c. Jesus put it this way: "The kingdom of God is among you." "Among you" means: (1) it is in the midst of you, in the presence of the person of Jesus himself and his ministry of preaching and healing, and (2) right now it is within your grasp or reach, it is at your disposal, if you will just accept it. The kingdom of God is God's rule in the hearts of human beings. 17:21. II. Jesus teaches his Followers not to be concerned about the time of the End of the World. 17:22-25. a. After responding to the Pharisees, Jesus intentionally turns to his disciples who have undoubtedly heard the question of the Pharisees. Jesus knows the hearts of all people. So he knew his disciples longed to see one of the days of Jesus. They hoped they would still be alive when Jesus returned and the world would come to an end. Jesus told them flatly that this will not happen in their lifetime. 17:22. b. Then Jesus tells them that other people will tell them about the TIME of Jesus's return. Jesus tells them not to "set off in pursuit" of these human imaginations. We can learn a lot from Jesus if we will just listen this message. Again and again, preachers will tell all of us that the end of the world and the second coming of Christ will happen on this day or that day. Jesus says: Do not "set off in pursuit" of these ideas. We human beings constantly run after a new movie, a new book, a new preacher, a new idea. These fads, these crazes are all a waste of time and energy. It is much wiser to keep returning to the Bible, to prayer, to meditation, to helping other people. 17:23. c. Jesus says that when he actually comes, this will be sudden and as manifest as the lightning bolts that light up the sky. In Jesus' own lifetime, he tells his disciples that first he must endure suffering and be rejected that that generation. What a great lesson for all of us. A person can spend a lifetime serving God through Jesus Christ, and the church and the people around him or her probably will reject him, just as Jesus' generation did. 17:24-25. III. Jesus gives two illustrations to make this point. Luke 17: 26-37. a. To illustrate his point, he turns to the Hebrew Bible. First, he reminds his disciples of the account of Noah. Genesis 6-9. In the days of Noah, people were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage until Noah and his family entered into the ark and the flood came and destroyed all of them. For that generation, the flood was sudden and quite clear, but too late for them. Hence, Jesus is clearly encouraging people to live for God through Jesus Christ to be prepared for the second coming of Christ and the end of the world. 17:26-27. b. Jesus' second illustration is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in the days of Lot. Genesis 18-19. In the days of Lot, people were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day Lot left Sodom, God rained down fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed all of them. We need to wake up and realize we are doing exactly the same thing. We are eating and drinking, buying and selling houses and cars and clothing=the works, planting gardens and fields, building huge buildings and mansions and capital of all kind. As in the days of Lot, God will appear like lightning, suddenly, unexpectedly, clearly. Will we be prepared? 17:28-30. c. Jesus says that wherever a person might be: on the housetop or in the field, that person cannot change his or her situation when Christ comes again. Jesus emphasizes Lot's wife. When the fire and sulfur fell on Sodom and Lot's wife turned back, she became a pillar of salt. 17:31-32. d. Jesus explains clearly: Those who try to make their life secure will lost it, but those who lose their life will keep it. Jesus' concern is not to attempt to determine the time of his second coming and the end of the world, but daily to take up one's cross and follow Jesus. 17:33. e. When Christ comes again, one will be taken and the other left; one will go into heaven, the other into hell. 17:34-36. f. Jesus' disciples then asked, "Where, Lord?" Jesus replied: "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather." What he means is that the vultures will inevitably show up where the carrion is; so the day of the coming of Jesus Christ will also inevitably be revealed. So, do not be concerned about determining the exact time. This is God's venue, not man's venue. 17:37. Share YOUR concerns and imaginations and desires and reversals and insights with others. Let me hear from YOU. John Willis