disreputable

Mark 2 

13 Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again 

and taught the crowds that were coming to him. 

14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. 

“Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. 

So Levi got up and followed him.

15 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) 16 But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?”

17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Paul's challenge

 Ephesians 4 

1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you 

to lead a life worthy of your calling, 

for you have been called by God. 

2 Always be humble and gentle. 

Be patient with each other, 

making allowance for each other’s faults 

because of your love. 

3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, 

binding yourselves together with peace. 

4 For there is one body 

and one Spirit, 

just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

5 There is one Lord,

one faith,

one baptism,

6 one God & Father of all,

who is over all, 

in all, & living through all.

7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift

 through the generosity of Christ.

Paul's prayer for us

Ephesians 3 

14 When I think of all this, 

I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 

15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 

16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources 

he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 

17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts 

as you trust in him. 

Your roots will grow down into God’s love 

and keep you strong. 

18 And may you have the power to understand, 

as all God’s people should, 

how wide, 

how long, 

how high, 

and how deep his love is. 

19 May you experience the love of Christ, 

though it is too great to understand fully. 

Then you will be made complete 

with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

the least

 Matthew 25

31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

from the beginning

 Matthew 24 

4 Even before he made the world, 

God loved us 

and chose us in Christ 

to be holy 

and without fault in his eyes. 

5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family 

by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. 

This is what he wanted to do, 

and it gave him great pleasure.

84

 

Psalm 84

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
    O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
2 I long, yes, I faint with longing
    to enter the courts of the Lord.
With my whole being, body and soul,
    I will shout joyfully to the living God.
3 Even the sparrow finds a home,
    and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young
at a place near your altar,
    O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God!
4 What joy for those who can live in your house,
    always singing your praises. 

5 What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord,
    who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
6 When they walk through the Valley of Weeping,
    it will become a place of refreshing springs.
    The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.
7 They will continue to grow stronger,
    and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.

8 O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer.
    Listen, O God of Jacob. 

9 O God, look with favor upon the king, our shield!
    Show favor to the one you have anointed.

10 A single day in your courts
    is better than a thousand anywhere else!
I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God
    than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is our sun and our shield.
    He gives us grace and glory.
The Lord will withhold no good thing
    from those who do what is right.
12 O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    what joy for those who trust in you.

LGLO

 

Matthew 22

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. 

35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 

36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

37 Jesus replied, 

“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, 

all your soul, 

and all your mind.’ 

38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 

39 A second is equally important: 

‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 

40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

iow, love God & love others...

LGLO

right time

Galatians 4

 4 When the right time came, 

God sent his Son, 

born of a woman, 

subject to the law. 

5 God sent him to buy freedom for us 

who were slaves to the law, 

so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 

6 And because we are his children, 

God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, 

prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 

7 Now you are no longer a slave 

but God’s own child. 

And since you are his child, 

God has made you his heir.

living in faith

Galatians 3 

24 Let me put it another way. 

The law was our guardian until Christ came; 

it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 

25 And now that the way of faith has come, 

we no longer need the law as our guardian.

26 For you are all children of God 

through faith in Christ Jesus. 

27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism 

have put on Christ, 

like putting on new clothes. 

28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, 

slave or free, 

male and female. 

For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 

29 And now that you belong to Christ, 

you are the true children of Abraham. 

You are his heirs, 

and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

living

Galatians 2

20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. 

It is no longer I who live, 

but Christ lives in me. 

So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, 

who loved me 

and gave himself 

for me.

When we first start to follow Jesus, we often repeat this verse with some pride.

But as the years go by, we begin to understand the depth of what the few words of that verse REALLY say about our lives...

greatest

 18 About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 

“Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

5 “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf[a] is welcoming me. 6 But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

asking

Matthew 17 

14 At the foot of the mountain, a large crowd was waiting for them. 

A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, 

15 “Lord, have mercy on my son. 

He has seizures and suffers terribly. 

He often falls into the fire or into the water. 

16 So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”

17 Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.

19 Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?”

20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them.

(dan note: this next part is the important part...)

 “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

to be a follower

Matthew 16 

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, 

“If any of you wants to be my follower, 

you must give up your selfish ambition, 

take up your cross, 

and follow me. 

25 If you try to hang on to your life, 

you will lose it. 

But if you give up your life for my sake, 

you will save it. 

26 And what do you benefit 

if you gain the whole world 

but lose your own soul? 

Is anything worth more than your soul?

real faith

2 Corinthians 11 

"23 Are they servants of Christ? 

I know I sound like a madman, 

but I have served him far more! 

I have worked harder, 

been put in prison more often, 

been whipped times without number, 

and faced death again and again. 

24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 

25 Three times I was beaten with rods. 

Once I was stoned. 

Three times I was shipwrecked. 

Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 

26 I have traveled on many long journeys. 

I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. 

I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. 

I have faced danger in the cities, 

in the deserts, 

and on the seas. 

And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. 

27 I have worked hard and long, 

enduring many sleepless nights. 

I have been hungry and thirsty 

and have often gone without food. 

I have shivered in the cold, 

without enough clothing to keep me warm.

28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. 

29 Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? 

Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?

30 If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. 31 God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying. 

32 When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me. 

33 I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him."

(In view of what Paul writes in this passage, our whining about religious persecution these days reveals it to be the prissy little thing stuck more in a strong sense of middle class white privilege.)

5 & 2

Matthew 14 

13 As soon as Jesus heard the news John the Baptist's death, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. 14 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

15 That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”

16 But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”

17 “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.

18 “Bring them here,” he said. 19 Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. 20 They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. 21 About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!

(5 loaves & 2 fish? Little is much when God is in it...)

permeate

Jesus also used this illustration: 

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. 

Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, 

it permeated every part of the dough.” 

Matthew 13:33

I guess we are truly following Jesus 

& are filled with the Holy Spirit 

we will "permeate" the world around us?

73

 Psalm 73

1 Truly God is good to Israel,
    to those whose hearts are pure.
2 But as for me, I almost lost my footing.
    My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
3 For I envied the proud
    when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
4 They seem to live such painless lives;
    their bodies are so healthy and strong.
5 They don’t have troubles like other people;
    they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.
6 They wear pride like a jeweled necklace
    and clothe themselves with cruelty.
7 These fat cats have everything
    their hearts could ever wish for!
8 They scoff and speak only evil;
    in their pride they seek to crush others.
9 They boast against the very heavens,
    and their words strut throughout the earth.
10 And so the people are dismayed and confused,
    drinking in all their words.
11 “What does God know?” they ask.
    “Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”
12 Look at these wicked people—
    enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.

13 Did I keep my heart pure for nothing?
    Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?
14 I get nothing but trouble all day long;
    every morning brings me pain.

15 If I had really spoken this way to others,
    I would have been a traitor to your people.
16 So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper.
    But what a difficult task it is!
17 Then I went into your sanctuary, O God,
    and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.
18 Truly, you put them on a slippery path
    and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.
19 In an instant they are destroyed,
    completely swept away by terrors.
20 When you arise, O Lord,
    you will laugh at their silly ideas
    as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.

21 Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
    and I was all torn up inside.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant—
    I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
23 Yet I still belong to you;
    you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
    leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
    I desire you more than anything on earth.
26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
    but God remains the strength of my heart;
    he is mine forever.

27 Those who desert him will perish,
    for you destroy those who abandon you.
28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
    I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
    and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

Jesus prays

Matthew 11 

25 At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: 

“O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, 

thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, 

and for revealing them to the childlike. 

26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!

27 “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

teaming up

What do we do with this statement by Paul to the followers of Jesus in Corinth?

2 Corinthians 6 

14 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. 

How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? 

How can light live with darkness? 

15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? 

How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? 

16 And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? 

For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:

“I will live in them
    and walk among them.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.
17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,
    and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don’t touch their filthy things,
    and I will welcome you.
18 And I will be your Father,
    and you will be my sons and daughters,
    says the Lord Almighty.”

scum

Matthew 9

 9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. 

“Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. 

So Matthew got up and followed him.

10 Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. 11 But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”

12 When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” 13 Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

light shining

2 Corinthians 4 

7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, 

but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. 

This makes it clear that our great power is from God, 

not from ourselves.

8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, 

but we are not crushed. 

We are perplexed, 

but not driven to despair. 

9 We are hunted down, 

but never abandoned by God. 

We get knocked down, 

but we are not destroyed. 

10 Through suffering, 

our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus 

so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.