Second Compilation of X Posts

 Hello all! This is the second compilation of X posts, finishing off the posts from June 22 to this week. Again, select posts were chosen, with future plans being a full weekly compilation each weekend.

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. - 1 Corinthians 15:9-11 NIV

Think you're too far gone? Just look at Paul. He calls himself the least of the apostles because of his past deeds. He persecuted the church with the intent of destroying it. But God used him mightily for the church. You're not too far gone.

'For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.' - 1 Corinthians 15:27-28

Jesus is not less than the Father. Jesus was in full agreement and submission to the Father's will during His time on earth, and I believe that's what Paul was saying the future will be like. Jesus, fully God, will be fully in agreement with the Father's will for all time.

'So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.' - 1 Corinthians 15:42-44

Paul isn't saying that we will have an eternity without form, purely spiritual. Rather, as our earthly bodies are centered and focused on earthly things, our coming body will be focused on Heavenly things. We will be made new. They felt Jesus' wounds from the cross. You can't have wounds unless you have a physical form. He is the firstfruits of what we someday will be.

Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Then the man got up and went home. - Matthew 9:2-7

It's easy to say "your sins are forgiven". No one can prove that visually. But it's hard to say to a paralyzed man "get up and walk." You can prove that in a moment. Jesus not only proved that He can heal the paralyzed, but that He also forgives the sinner.

'Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. ' - Luke 5:18-19

Often the focus (rightly so) of this passage is put on Jesus. But for a moment let's think of the love these friends showed, carrying their paralyzed friend however far it took, climbing to the house top and breaking through the ceiling, all for their friend. That's love.

'When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ' - Luke 5:20-24

In this situation, for a man, both statements would be impossible to say and truly mean. But for God, forgiving sins and healing a paralyzing condition are fully possible. Jesus, in this moment, performs both.

'After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. ' - Luke 5:27-28

We should take note of those whom Jesus called. They weren't the highly influential folks, and some of them would've been greatly disliked, like Levi the tax collector. But notice Levi's reaction. He left everything. May we, too, prize Jesus over everything else.

'Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ' - Luke 5:29-31

Christ didn't come to call those who thought they had it all figured out and had effectively shut God out of their salvation. He came for those who knew they weren't alright and wanted to be changed. We can't shut God out of our salvation. Pulling yourself up to God by your bootstraps will only keep you firmly planted in your sin. Let go of your bootstraps, admit you can't do it, confess your sins, and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

'He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’ ”' - Luke 5:36-39

This passage still confuses me a bit, admittedly, so below is the most convincing explanation I've heard of it.

The old is the religious way of the Pharisees and the new is salvation by grace alone. The new can't be added to the old like a patch on top.

Further (my own commentary now), the Pharisees believed in a strict adherence to the law as if that was what made them right with God, even though the sacrifices showed that they were unable to perfectly keep the law, and so needed a substitution. Christ is that substitution, but they rejected Him. So why say "the old is better"? I feel it has a little bit of human pride in it. We want to earn our keep (most of us, anyway). We feel as though we can get ourselves to where we want to be by the sweat of our brow and craftiness of our mind. So, the new being Jesus as our Lord and us unable to atone for our sins alone doesn't sit well with the pride in our hearts. This is a passage I need to dive deeper into, so take all of the above with a grain of salt.

'One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” ' - Luke 6:1-5

A few things to note. The plucking wasn't illegal, only doing it on the Sabbath. David did something far more serious for similar reasons (hunger). And most importantly, Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, and He permitted it.

'On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there. ' - Luke 6:6-8

Likely the last thing that man wanted was to be placed before everyone. They'd be able to see his shriveled hand clearly. But he probably had heard about Jesus and may have come just to meet Him, and so he's prepared to be uncomfortable if it means following Jesus.

'Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus. ' - Luke 6:9-11

Letter of the law versus spirit of the law is how I've heard one commentator describe this incident. The Pharisees cared more about the strict adherence to the letter of, and not necessarily the purposes behind, the law than they did healing the sick, and Jesus here is showing them that the strict adherence they have isn't the proper response to the sick man.

'One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. ' - Luke 6:12-16

Choosing the 12 was an incredibly important event, as those He chose would play key roles in the coming days. Notice what Jesus did. He prayed all night. If The Son of God prayed all night before a major decision, we should be praying diligently as well.

'He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all. ' - Luke 6:17-19

A great number coming to hear and be healed. Following Jesus. If we had a multitude like that following us, we'd likely get prideful. But we don't see that in Jesus. He was humble, going to the cross to die for our sins, and healing and teaching many as He went.

'Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.' - Luke 6:20-23

This isn't something you'd read in books on influencing people or making friends. I believe He's presenting them not only with what they might have been at the time, but also what they would become by following Him. Poor, hungry, weeping, hated.

' “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.' - Luke 6:24-26

Living for money? Food? Pleasure? Praise? You've received your reward. There's a clear difference between this and the previous passages. Those who don't have these will receive them, those who do will have them taken away. The fulcrum? Jesus. "On account of the Son of Man."

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. ' - Luke 6:27-31

"And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them." Do that even to the people who you want to get back at. Don't let people define how you treat them, let God define how to treat them. And as this passage commands us, pray for them that they may not be lost.

' “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. ' - Luke 6:32-34

The main takeaway for me from this is be different in a good way. God's been abundantly merciful to us, and so we should have that same attitude towards others.

'But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” ' - Luke 6:35-38

No true commentary from me, other than follow what God has commanded us to do. Love, forgive, be merciful.

And with that, I'm all caught up! Again, choice posts were compiled here. Thank you all for reading!