Contemplative Bible Reading

Acts 13:39 (New Living Translation)

14 “But I admit that I follow the Way, which they call a cult. I worship the God of our ancestors, and I firmly believe the Jewish law and everything written in the prophets.

Paul is speaking to an audience of people who have gathered around a governor named Felix. This is a long story about Paul being arrested and making a long, time-consuming journey to Rome. Paul is accused of being a troublemaker and a ringleader of troublemakers who tried to desecrate the Temple in Jerusalem. Oh, by the way, the Romans built that Temple for the Jews.

Paul responds. He is a devoted Jew, just like his accusers are devoted Jews. He is also a member of the Way. A new group of people who believe that this fellow from Nazareth was sent by God to save the world.

Paul says that it is not either or, it is both and. Paul is both a devoted Jew and a believer in Jesus as the Christ.

Both-and is hard to swallow in some cases. I like both meat and vegetables. Well, okay. I like both Alabama and LSU (fill in your case of rivals). Well, that one is a little harder to accept. I am both a devoted Jew and a believer in Jesus as the Christ. STOP RIGHT THERE! Nope, that one is not acceptable to these people described here.

Today? We have people stating that they are both this and that. Do we accept the statement? As shown above, sometimes yes and sometimes no. We draw a line somewhere. It is not possible to be both-and in some cases. At least, I say so. I can be both loving and exclusionary. I can both love a person and hate what they are doing. Can’t I?

This becomes complicated quickly. Words often fail me at the critical moment. Please God, help me.

John 11:38 (New Living Translation)

38 Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance.

This is part of the (hi)story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead after Lazarus had been dead for several days. Jesus was among believers, not among people attacking his ministry. Why angry? And what is this “still” angry?

A few sentences before, Jesus became angry and deeply troubled when Mary, a sister of Lazarus, complained about Jesus being late, too late to save Lazarus. The people were weeping and wailing over the death.

Jesus was angry about the lack of faith and belief. Jesus was the life. THE LIFE. Human death was not powerful.

Okay, let’s step back a moment. Jesus was omnipotent or all powerful. The people had seen Jesus heal and do other miracles. But Lazarus had died several days before. There was a funeral and a burial and rolling the stone over the mouth of the burial cave and all that. The family and friends felt betrayed that Jesus had not come in time. This was awful. The family and friends felt awful. This was three days. Put ourselves in that position. Awful. Sure, Jesus is here now. So what.

So everything. Was Jesus putting on a show or was Jesus actually upset with these people. When would they believe? When would they REALLY BELIEVE? Not today. Good grief! Okay, let’s show them.

Jesus told Lazarus to come out of the tomb. The dead Lazarus did as told. I think it is at this moment in the movie that they played the Hallelujah chorus. That aside, try to imagine being there. No wonder Jesus was angry and still angry. See the wonder. Believe. Please God, help me in my unbelief.

Acts 11:27-28 (New Living Translation)

27 During this time some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.)

This is part of the (hi)story of Paul and his journeys. During this history, some prophets are mentioned. Hmm. Prophets like in the Old Testament. And here they are in the New Testament after the life of Jesus. Prophets still existed.

Much is written about prophets. They were not born into the position like the priests were in the family line of Levi. They were not anointed to be the king. They were born like everyone else, and one day God spoke to and through them. Much is debated about prophets today. Do we still have them? Why? Why not?

Regardless, we read about prophets who lived after Jesus. The did exist. Let the disagreements begin (and continue).

John 7:30 (New Living Translation)

30 Then the leaders tried to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.

This is one of those statements that make no sense upon close examination. Here is Jesus in the Temple area. Everyone sees him. Everyone knows him. Jesus is not hiding from anyone.

Here are the leaders. They are in charge. They are like the Mayors or Town Council of the Temple area. They have a law enforcement group. They can arrest and detain people who are violating the laws of the Temple. This is a Jewish area the Romans ignored.

How can these leaders “try” to arrest Jesus, but fail? Who stopped them? What was happening? Huh?

My explanation: this is a miracle. There are many events recorded in the Bible of miracles. 180,000 people die overnight. The first-born of Egypt die in one night. Jesus was in a crowd and walked through it without anyone touching him. And this case is similar. It is like the police arrive, look right a Jesus, and time freezes. Jesus walks right past them as they cannot do the simplest thing.

God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform. Yes. I believe it happens right in front of us every day. Praise God.

Luke 17:12-14 (New Living Translation)

12 As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

This is a (hi)story of Jesus healing ten men with leprosy. Note, Jesus did not immediately heal them.

They came to Jesus asking for mercy. Jesus told them to show themselves to the priests. This was part of the old law. When a skin disease dissipated, a person was to go to a priest. The priest would examine the person and declare they were well. There were a few things to happen after that, but first things first.

This case differs from others where Jesus healed a leper, everyone could see the healing, and Jesus told the leper to go to the priest. In this case, the lepers were healed while they were traveling to the priest.

Wait a minute. I’m a leper. I obviously still have leprosy. Jesus tells me to go to the priest as if I were healed. Uh, isn’t Jesus supposed to heal me first? Well, what do I have to lose. I’ll go. While going, I notice I am healed. Was that the attitude of the ten lepers? It seems they had much more faith. It seems they believed in the power of Jesus and went on just as if all was well.

I guess I read a message into that faith. Jesus has cleansed me and forgiven me. I still stumble and bumble. Regardless, I am to go on just as if all is well with me. All is well with me. And all is well with many people I see everyday. They don’t seem so well and good, but that is just my perception. I don’t see with the eyes of Jesus. I should, but many times I don’t. Yet, all is well. Please God, give me the faith I need and help me in my unbelief.

Mark 2:15-17 (New Living Translation)

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.”

Levi was a tax collector. That was not like working for the Internal Revenue Service today. Levi was an agent of an occupying army. That army didn’t want to deal day-to-day with the locals, but it had to collect money to send back to Rome. The solution was to pay some locals to extract money from other locals. Tell the enemy that your neighbors weren’t cooperating. The enemy took care of the neighbors. That didn’t endear the tax collector to anyone.

About the only folks who would talk to a tax collector were other tax collectors. There was some sense of honor about the hated and disreputable. Levi called his accomplices to his house for meals with Jesus.

The religious Jews asked, “Why does Jesus eat with such scum?”

That was a good question. The religious Jews knew that Jesus performed miracles. They knew there was something special about Jesus—sometimes too special. The Pharisees were right in saying it was wrong to associate with these agents of the enemy.

Jesus answers well. Jesus was present to help those who knew they were wrong. Jesus was showing them the right way.

Many people since have followed the example of Jesus eating with the wrong crowd. Some of the righteous were swayed by the wrong crowd. Others, the exceptions, influenced the wrong crowd while remaining righteous. That isn’t easy. Jesus did it well. That doesn’t mean everyone else can do it well.

Let’s be careful and caring at the same time. That isn’t possible without the aid and direction of God.

Romans 7:24-25 (New Living Translation)

24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

Paul is writing to the Christians in Rome. He goes from misery to thanksgiving in a few sentences.

This life is dominated by sin and death. Sin is everywhere. Everyone is sinning. There are the BIG SINS (so we say). There are the smaller sins (so we say). There are the sins that overwhelm us and drown us and push us into despair. How can we get out of this mess? It’s like being in debt so much that it would take 20 years of paychecks to get up to zero. No food, clothing, or shelter for those 20 years. That is impossible. Why even try?

The answer is that fellow from Nazareth, Jesus. He was the Son of God. He was chosen to take away my sins. Jesus does that. Jesus sets me free from this life where sin is everywhere. I can’t do it alone. I am prone to sin. How miserable is that? Still, there is a way to God. There is an answer. Jesus is the answer. Thank you God and please help me in my unbelief.

Mark 2:17 (New Living Translation)

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.”

Jesus makes this statement when asked why he associates with “scum.” Simple: they need Jesus. They need the cleaning powers of the blood of Jesus.

When a person comes to Jesus, there is a confession or admission of the past. I am a sinner. I am not fit to be in the presence of God. Please Jesus, please wash away my sins so I am clean and can be with God. That is just about my summary of the current situation and its description in the Bible. The rest are details that fill in the cracks in my life. Those are important details that help us move through each day. The big thing, however, is awareness.

Jesus came to call on those who knew they were sinners. Change those words to the present tense and they still hold true.

Jesus is here for those of us who know we are sinners.

I want to be with God. Sinners can’t be with God. Jesus changes us. Thanks be to God.

Acts 9:28-29 (New Living Translation)

28 So Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to murder him.

Paul had tormented and killed Christians. God changed Paul. It was difficult for Christians to believe Paul was changed. I understand that hesitance. Anyways, Paul was back in Jerusalem with the original apostles. He was preaching. He, being a smart and educated man, debated with some other educated (they spoke Greek) Jews.

These educated Jews tried to murder Paul.

Stop. Wait a minute. They tried to murder Paul. This wasn’t an idea they discussed. This wasn’t a plot uncovered by the police and prevented. This was actually attempted murder. This would get your attention.

We aren’t told of the attempt or of the means. Was it poison? Put a deadly snake in your belongings? Cut the break lines in your chariot? Just kidding on that last one, but that’s a common one in today’s mysteries.

I know the story of Paul. He persecuted the church. He was changed. He had four missionary journeys. He wrote a dozen or so letters that appear in the New Testament. He was ship wrecked. And on and on. This book of Acts of the Apostles records much of his life. His letters add more to the (hi)story. Yet, we have no details of this attempted murder. It just passes us in a little phrase at the end of a sentence.

This is near the beginning of Paul’s ministry or service to God. This would dissuade most of us from continuing. Paul, however, kept going. A little murder didn’t scare him away. Why not? What was it that pushed him forward?

I have troubles and woes in my life. Not really, but some days I complain foolishly. No one has ever tried to murder me. I think that holds for all of us. Come on. Stop wallowing in self pity. Thank you God, and help me in my unbelief.

Mark 1:44-45 (New Living Translation)

44 “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

45 But the man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn’t publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him.

Jesus had just healed a man with an incurable disease—leprosy. As per the law of the people, the man was to go to a priest for confirmation of the absence of leprosy. The man was also to give a sacrifice of thanksgiving and such. Jesus told the man to do these required actions.

The man disobeyed Jesus.

Hold on here. The man was doomed to live in the shadows of society. Those with leprosy stayed on the fringe and depended on people who would put food and clothing out here and there, now and then. Jesus changed the man’s life. Things would always be better.

And the man disobeyed Jesus. Instead, the man spread the word. Crowds surrounded Jesus. Jesus stayed outside of towns, but people found him in the countryside and kept pressing on Jesus.

There is much in this (hi)story. What was wrong with the man? He met Jesus face to face. Jesus blessed him. He disobeyed Jesus. What? If I were … Oops, let’s stop there. Since that day to this, Jesus has blessed millions or billions of us (especially me). And then we proceeded to disobey (especially me). Despite our stupid disobedience, people seek Jesus, find Jesus, and receive blessings from Jesus.

This is not how things are supposed to work. Good leads to good, which leads to good. Right? Here we have good leading to bad, which leads to good. God works in mysterious ways. I don’t understand them. I am thankful and confused.