Teach Us to Pray

And it came about that while He was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1

So many unanswered questions. What place? Were they still at Lazarus’ house?  Or is the “certain place” His favorite spot in Gethsemane? Did it remind Him of Eden and that’s why He was partial to it? Which disciple asked? What did John teach his disciples? How did they pray?

In Before Amen, Max Lucado asks, “Might their interest have something to do with the jaw-dropping promise Jesus attached to prayer? ‘Ask and it will be given you’?” Had they asked and not received? Or did they just want to know what to ask for?

It’s a question we still need to ask, for we spend far too little time communicating with the Trinity.  Lord, teach us to pray just as You taught Your disciples.

Importance

But Martha [overly occupied and too busy] was distracted with much serving; And she came up to Him and said, “Lord, is it nothing to You that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me [to lend a hand and do her part along with me]!” Luke 10:40 (AMP)

Martha, Martha. You interrupted under the assumption that what was so important to you was important to Jesus. You embarrassed your sister in a room full of men and you put the Lord on the spot, reprimanding him like a child. You assumed Jesus would heartily agree with you and send Mary off to the kitchen as you demanded.

[Insert your name here twice], how often have you been overly occupied, too busy and distracted with much serving? How often have you accused the Trinity of not caring? How often have you pointed out to all who are listening how unfair it is (whatever “it” is)? How often have you ordered the Trinity to do what you want? How often have you interrupted the Trinity because you weren’t getting what you wanted? Because it’s too hard to do all the work alone? Because things weren’t going according to your schedule?

For me, far too many times.

Just as our thoughts are not God’s thoughts and our ways are not His ways (Isaiah 55:8-9), what is important to us may not be important to God.

Hand to the Plow

And another also said, “I will follow you Lord; but first permit me to say goodbye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.”  Luke 9: 61-62

I wonder. Was the man that attached to those at home? I can understand. In our culture, we would think it rude and cruel to just not come back without a word (before phones). But he could have sent word back to home. Perhaps he wanted to go back home and make a big deal of leaving to follow Jesus. They may have boosted his ego by trying to persuade him not to go. They may have thrown a farewell party. Or maybe he was just letting Jesus know he was a VIP at home.

I remember how I wanted to attend Moody Bible Institute after high school, but my father protested and I acquiesced. He wanted me close to home and perhaps foresaw a mission field far away. At the time I wasn’t able to stand up to him. I wonder, was I honoring my father and mother or looking back from the plow?

Sons of Thunder

But He turned and corrected them. “You don’t know the kind of spirit that is influencing you. The Son of Man didn’t come to destroy people’s lives but to save them.” Luke 9: 55 (GWT)

James and John have just asked Jesus if He wanted them to call down fire from heaven to burn up the Samaritan village that wouldn’t allow Jesus to stay overnight. A spirit influenced them. The Holy Spirit hadn’t come yet, so it’s either their own fleshly sinful spirit or an evil spirit that was influencing them. It makes me pause and wonder what evil spirits might be influencing me.

Please make me aware and willing to cast them out. Please make me keenly aware at all times exactly what kind of spirit is influencing me at the moment and obey only Yours.

Realization

Who appeared in splendor and majesty and brightness and were speaking of His exit from life which He was about to bring to realization at Jerusalem. Luke 9:31 (AMP)

Moses and Elijah are on the mountaintop with Jesus.  They appear in splendor majesty and brightness. They’re Speaking of Jesus’ exit from life. What struck me as I read this was the last phrase.

Jesus brought it to realization.

Although Judas betrayed Him, Jesus brought it to realization.

Although the Sanhedrin convicted Him, Jesus brought it to realization.

Although Pilate condemned Him, Jesus brought it to realization.

Although the Romans crucified Him, Jesus brought it to realization.

Throughout all the Passion events, Jesus was in complete control. He brought the Father’s plan of salvation to realization.

Eight Days

Now about eight days after these teachings, Jesus took with Him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. Luke 9: 28 (AMP)

Eight days later. When a Jewish boy is born, eight days later he is circumcised. Jesus has asked the disciples who the people say He is (verse 18), and Peter has proclaimed Him to be Christ Messiah (verse 20). Eight days later they go up the mountain.

It’s as if Jesus was anxious to meet with Moses and Elijah and so He asks the question to see if the disciples are ready.

When Peter acknowledges Jesus as Messiah, it is a kind of birth and so eight days later is the next step -identification with the Kingdom of God. A kind of initiation / identification.

Take Up Your Cross

And He was saying to them, “if anyone wants to come to Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23

I admit that I’ve always thought about this verse in a negative sense. Denying self and carrying a heavy burdensome cross daily never sounded that appealing to me. But today when I read it, the Spirit nudged me with the question, “What if they are good things?”

Jesus denied Himself from the moment He became an embryo in Mary’s womb. He denied Himself face to face fellowship with His beloved Father and experienced the same difficulties in prayer and communication that we do. He denied Himself an “easy” life and He denied Himself the easy way out numerous times. All so that He could better help us in our daily struggles.

Jesus took up His cross daily from the day He became aware of what laid ahead (which was probably well before He first told the disciples). While it was the most difficult and burdensome thing any human being has or ever will have to bear, He bore it from and with love to buy our freedom from sin and Satan and to secure eternal life for us.

So, I can easily understand how denying myself can lead to good for myself and others and bring glory to God. I’ve always understood that – I just don’t like to do it all the time, especially when I’m feeling like I’ve been denied so much in life. Weeding out selfishness is just as difficult as taking up a cross I think.

That leaves taking up my cross daily. What if taking up my cross daily isn’t like bearing the huge cross beam Jesus had. What if it isn’t heavy, burdensome, or distasteful and something to be avoided? What if taking up my cross daily really means that each day I make a choice to identify myself as a believer and  Christ-follower wherever and whatever that may lead to? What if taking up my cross means that each day I choose to be salt and light to those in my sphere of influence? What if it means choosing each day to serve Christ instead of myself? Then, taking up my cross daily is no longer a burden to dread but a privilege to look forward to and treasure!

The cross was Jesus’ purpose in coming. It was more than a torturous means of death. It was a means to an end – salvation. Taking up my cross daily means working out God’s purpose for my life, doing my best for Him whether it’s work, household tasks, writing or teaching. Everything lived and done for Jesus.

He Knew – Nevertheless

The Garden of Eden. “Let Us make man in Our Own image.” He knew that it wouldn’t take long for man to disobey. Nevertheless, He made Adam and Eve.

He knew that every patriarch would fail Him. Nevertheless, He was faithful to each one and He blessed them.

He knew that every believer would sin and sin some more. Nevertheless, He sent His son to be our Savior.

He knew that when He sent His son to earth, He would be misunderstood, ignored, neglected, abused and tortured. Nevertheless, He sent His son to be our Teacher.

He knew that our lives would be so busy that we would forget Him. Nevertheless, He sent His Spirit to dwell within us.

He knew that we would still sin. Nevertheless, He forgives when we repent and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

He knew that our prayers would be lacking. Nevertheless, the Spirit prays for us, and Jesus intercedes on our behalf.

He knew that we would desperately need His help but hesitate to ask and forget to seek. Nevertheless, He empowers us through his Holy Spirit.

He knew that we wouldn’t have a clue about the height, the depth, the breadth, the width of His love for us, let alone be able to truly love Him in return. Nevertheless, He loves us.

God’s Multiplication Tables

There were about five thousand men. Then He told His disciples, “Have them sit in groups of about fifty.” Luke 9:14 (GWT)

In the Old Testament, the Messiah was described as a great prophet like Moses. Like Moses, Jesus took a census and fed the people! Matthew 10:30 tells us that the hairs of our head are numbered by God, so Luke tells us the result of the “census” before it’s taken. Five thousand men means close to five thousand women.  If the average family size was 4 (conservatively) that’s close to twenty thousand. children. So the crowd was anywhere from fifteen to thirty thousand in total.

In Luke 6, Jesus chose twelve apostles from His disciples, so he had more than twelve men helping Him here. Groups of about fifty. One hundred groups for five thousand men.  Six hundred groups for thirty thousand people.

Five loaves and two fish.  God’s math never makes sense!

Will You not Perceive?

Herod the ruler heard about everything that was happening. He didn’t know what to make of it. Some people were saying that John had come back to life. Others said that Elijah had appeared, and still others said that one of the prophets from long ago had come back to life. Luke 9:7-8 (GWT)

It appears that the Jews believed in reincarnation more than God’s Word. Although the Word does say that Elijah was to return and that the Messiah would be like Moses. I thought of Isaiah 43:18 and 19. “Forget the former things. Do not dwell on the past.  Behold, I am doing a new thing. Now it does spring forth. Will you not perceive it?” The Jews obviously couldn’t perceive the new thing the God was doing or they wouldn’t have crucified Jesus.

God is still doing new things. They spring forth before us but we miss so much of it. We need to open the eyes of our minds and our hearts and our spirits to perceive all the new things that God is doing in us.