NT – Luke 5:29-6:11
I have this vision of Jesus and his disciples walking along a dusty road, chatting and laughing. Behind them lurks these men with staffs and black robes, whispering and pointing. Whenever Jesus stops at rock to speak to a gathering, these black robed men press forward, with their tablets, waiting for Jesus to make a mistake.
Does that resonate with these verses to you? Doesn’t it seem like these dudes were just following Jesus around, trying to find something on him? I sort of feel like they were the Press of 1st century BCE, trying to catch Jesus without his makeup and cool clothes on, with a bit of a hangover and some lamb between his teeth!
OT – Numbers 36:1-Deuteronomy 1:46
We leave Numbers and enter into Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy is the last book in the Torah – the five books of Moses. It records Moses’ final thought, laws, dispensations, and challenges. It also, I am sure you won’t be surprised to hear, contains a listing of the festivals that the Israelites were to observe. I have sent a query off to one of my rabbi friends as to WHY the list keeps coming up over and over again. It doesn’t change. It is almost word for word. Why the repeat? I haven’t heard back yet. Stay tuned.
My study Bible has this to say about Deuteronomy:
‘This book deals with hardship, testing and doubt, but also with promise, hope and trust. It reminds us that faith is not automatic or mechanical. Faith becomes personal and active when it springs from a living relationship with a loving God. The message of Deuteronomy can be summed up as follows: “Devote yourself wholeheartedly to God.” This book’s message is especially relevant for the church today. ‘
Brace yourself. I think we are in for a ride.
Psalm 66
Well, this really isn’t about that psalm at all. It is about Furman Bisher.
I don’t like sports. I don’t like to sweat. I really don’t like competition in physical things. I especially hate all the hoo-rah and hoop-lah about college sports.
But I loved Furman Bisher.
He was THE sportswriter for The Atlanta Journal Constitution. He knew every statistic about every sport known to man.
I loved to read his columns.
What I know about sports could barely fill a page. But all that I do know, I learned from him.
Furman Bisher died on Saturday. He was 94.
He ended every column that he ever wrote with Selah. When someone asked him what it meant, he said, ‘your guess is as good as mine’. And that is the truth. We don’t know what it really means.
I think, and this is just my humble opinion, is that it means, until the next time we encounter you, God. I think Furman Bisher would agree to that as well.
In our psalm today, there are multiple Selahs. Each one ends as a petition to God for his greatness. “they will sing praises… let not the rebellious rise up… I will offer bulls and goats”.
I like to think Furman Bisher is in heaven interviewing the Babe, Joe DiMaggio, and all the other greats. Furman Bisher. Selah
You make the Pharisees sound like characters out Harry Potter. Liuke does seem to go out of his way to make the stalking of Jesus by the Pharisees seem sinister. There were always crowds of people around Jesus some of them must have been spies for the Ministry of Miagic ... I mean Pharisees.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that Jesus knew who the spies were? Surely he did. Jesus knows everything. Do you think that every time he broke one of their precious lwas he would look at the spy and wink? It seem as if Jesus is going out his way to break the laws. Also notice that Jesus does not break any of the Commandments only the dietary and sabbath keeping lwas that the Pharisees had created themselves. What does this mean for us? Are we supposed to break those made laws and rules that our Pharisees have set before us? Should we wink at them whikle we do it?
Sis you probably liked Furman Bisher beacuse his columns may have started out to be about sports but they were really about life. I think that Furman Bisher knew something that my 16 year old son doesn't know and that is. Sports is not life; sports are only part of life and small part at that. Sports is however a great metaphor for life. Paul knew this and so he used numerous sports metaphors in his sermons and letter.
The Proverb today was so true. The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. Reminds me of Scrooge in a Christmas Carol.
Great post today Sis. Selah