Sonshine's Journal

Dr. Luke recorded this sad tale to capture our attention and cause us to reflect on that question and it is as relevant today as was in the day of Jesus. How does one define neighbor and what are your and my responsibilities to those in need as this traveler was. It is easy to give excuses why you don’t need to help anyone in need. I am too busy, maybe tomorrow I can help. I don’t have the means to help a person like this one or someone else can help better than me and on and on. We are good at excusing our actions but one day we will stand before God and He will ask us did you help your neighbor? 

Real life lesson: Recently our neighbor’s car failed as she was backing out and the car was half way in the street. It was also garbage day and as her car rolled down she had hit the garbage can of our other neighbor. I went over to ask if she was all right and then what can I do to help. After that, I went to the other neighbor whose can was lopsided and he just stared at me, and helped me right the can but he never asked about the neighbor. Odd right? I got my husband and together we got the car pushed up in the driveway and called her husband. So which one was the true neighbor. By the way, my husband helped get her car started. 

How often is the case in real life today and this Jewish man that Luke recorded experienced my neighbor who offered no help at all. One day we will have to answer God to that same question. How about you?

If there is one story in the book of John that is captivating,it is this one. Why is that? John expertly reveals truth vs false, honor vs dishonor and more.Jesus uses this time to teach all of us the power of the living Word and how you can be like the blind seeing man too. So step back in time to the city of Jerusalem with its pomp and circumstance, with the power of the religious establishment that will reveal its obstinacy, its stubbornness, its unbelief when a miracle is standing before them. Their pride is revealed in spades and their lack of humility ranks above all. 

Some truths to take away after you have read and digested this story with its power, obedience of one man, rejection of the religious establishment and the love of the Savior to all of us who are just like this blind man. We are blind spiritually and in need of Jesus healing ministry. Walk with this man to the pool of Siloam and wash your eyes. Return to Jesus seeing Him in all of His glory and bow in adoration as He asks: do you believe and you humbly say yes!

As Jesus stood in the temple courts, He spoke words of life to the listeners who were there for the Feast of Tabernacles. Twice Jesus spoke: “Thus I told you that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.” He spoke of God and they challenged Him. He spoke of their sins and they denied they had any. He spoke of Abraham and they could not believe that He had seen Abraham. Over and over Jesus told them this principle: If you do not believe He is the Christ, then you will die in your sins.It is not enough to say you are Abraham’s descendants or have followed the Law, you must believe He is the Christ sent from God. 

Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? What arguments do you present to show that you do not believe just as the Jews presented argument after argument but in the end, Jesus told them that they would die in their sins because they did not believe He was sent from God and He was God the Son. 

Is the name of a book authored by Josh McDowell some years ago. He answers the critics such as the Pharisees of today with clear evidence of the risen Christ. 

How often have you witnessed to someone but they say I would believe “if” (fill in the blank). The religious leaders were just like that. They said, they would believe “if” Jesus did this or that. Jesus rightly called them wicked and an adulterous generation. He had done miracle after miracle and still they wanted more proof. Today is no different than in the time of Jesus. People “want” and “want” and “want.” Then they had the very person of Jesus, the Son of God before them but it was not enough. Today we have the Word of God and men and women who have spoken the truths of the scripture but it is not enough. The evidence demands they believe the words of the Lord. Instead, they say I would believe “if” or there is God in every religion. Wicked and adulterous generation! This reminds me of the Proverbs adulterous woman who wipes her face and goes on her way to find another culprit to sift. We stop and ask why is that? The Apostle Paul rightly said, the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so they would not see the glory of God. [2 Cor 4:4] 

Beloved, stay strong in your faith. Pray that God open the windows of heaven to the unbelieving so they can be saved. Pray that God open the hearts of the unbelieving so they can be saved. Who do you need to witness to today? 

If there is one sin that is glaring and what God hates (other than the ones listed in Proverbs ch 6) it is this: hypocrisy. You say one thing but do another. That is what Jesus called out about the Pharisees. They had the instruction of the Law but to keep the people from sinning,they added more instructions to the perfect Law of Liberty. How often do we do the same? We say but do not do. We say we honor God but our actions reveal our hearts are like the Laodiceans, cold, hard and thinking we need nothing. God forbid if we are like this! So what do we do then to avoid this sin? First and foremost, we seek cleansing from the Lord, seeking His wisdom and direction. James wrote that if we need wisdom we should ask God and He will give it to us. Where do we need wisdom for the rules of the church and society? Remember this wise counsel: it comes from the inspired Word of God. “All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness.” 2 Tim 3:16. 

Today honor God with your lips and your work. Check your heart. Rejoice that God has given you all you need to honor Him. 

When Jesus sat down he realized that there were many many people and it was lunchtime. How to feed a hungry army when the closest store is miles away is a perplexing problem to us but not to Jesus. First he asked Philip what he would suggest and his answer was just like the economists of Wall Street. Gather the money and then find a vendor. Andrew had a different take on this problem. He, as he always did, found someone with food to share but it was not nearly enough. Jesus wanted to teach both guys a lesson and he did it with thanksgiving and practicality. First, let’s give thanks for this meager food. Secondly, prepare the seating arrangements and how to distribute the food. Thirdly watch and see how God used a simple gift to meet the needs of many. 

Put yourself in the shoes of these two men and then decide which was the better solution? Practically I hear you saying, neither! And you are right. Only Jesus had the right solution to this dilemma. First He took stock of the numbers then He tested the disciples plan. Then he graciously took the young lad’s food and multiplied. It. 

What is the lesson Jesus wants us to see? He can multiply our meager rations to feed many and He can take our meager spiritual gifts to meet the needs of the many. What spiritual gifts are you willing, like the young lad,to share with Jesus? 

BTW they picked up 12 baskets of leftovers. What does that say about what God can and will do with our simple rations?

Jesus has been an itinerant preacher around Judah. He has performed miracles that are unexplainable. He has taught with authority, not as the scribes. He embraced the lowest of the low and ate meals with all strata of society. And, so in his travels he returns to the town in which he had been raised. Entering the synagogue on the Sabbath, he began to teach. The audience was made up of those in the city that he knew. He had walked and talked among them and so on this day he spoke words that could change lives. The people began to question.

Where did he get these ideas? 

      And what is this wisdom that has been given to him? 

                What are these miracles that are done through his hands? 

They were astonished but not one, get that, not one brought these questions to Jesus himself and just like the Pharisees they left their questions on the table and sought to kill him. 

We ask why? The answer is given: He is prophet and for centuries the people had killed prophets because they brought the message of God’s love and compassion to a lost people. Instead of repenting they to end those words for they convicted them of their sin. How about you? Do you just echo the questions but do not seek the true answers from God? 

What does a seed need to grow is what elementary teachers ask their students who are just learning. After experimenting and planning etc new plants come up. They see the entire baby plant as it grows and matures.What a beautiful picture of the newly saved. 

Oct 15Mark 4 The Sower and the Seed

Jesus is the sower of the seed.  Each seed cast falls upon the ground, some to life and some to never live due the soil. Jesus explained the truth of these planting and the seed itself. It is interesting to read that Jesus shared that each seed falls and the devil takes advantage of this “dead”soil and “reaps” that truth from it. Paul explains why in his letter to the Corinthians. The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God. [2 Cor 4:4] That is the picture of the lost seed and the dead ground. But, there is hope! And it is this: 1Pe 1:25 but the word of the Lord endures forever. God is the God of the impossible. That seed may be dormant but God is greater and He can rejuvenate the dead seed to bring it to life. And how can that be but by the gospel message shared by you and me. 

Jesus taught the disciples to say Hallow be thy name. This is the first thing they must pray if they want to honor God. Hallowed is the equivalent of holy. We are to honor God in His holiness.Further Jesus corrected a woman in the crowd saying the woman who bore him should be blessed. Instead, Jesus taught that he who wants to honor God also obeys him, he is the one who is blessed by God. The Lord’s Prayer is the key to all of our needs for when we put God first and obey Him, He hears from heaven and responds. 

Some in the crowd challenged Jesus by saying he was casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub or Satan. Jesus responded by asking them if this is true, then by what power did they also use to cast out demon?  

Dr. Luke carefully crafted this chapter to remind us that God must be first and must be honored as holy, then our prayers will be blessed. Secondly, do not give honor to Satan who is the author of evil. 

No matter what John the Baptist did or Jesus did, the religious leaders could only see with their eyes but never with their hearts. They complained “For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him, a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectorsand sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by all herchildren.” 

It is the same today. We have wise counselors who speak the Word of God and are met with criticism and derogatory comments. For instance, one man is murdered and just as then they say, I will never shed a tear for them. The hardness of the heart is front and center before us. Beware of those who walk about in the finery of the rich but inside are the dead man’s bones just like Ezekiel saw. Unless a man bows his knee to God and accepts His plan of salvation, he will remain hardened and without hope. They will join the crowd saying: I will never shed a tear. 

One day these will hear: depart from me, I never knew you. What does your heart reveal today?