This passage contains Luke’s abbreviated summary of the Sermon on the Mount (Luke 6:12-26). The Sermon has been called the basic ethic of the Christian life. In a very real sense, it is God’s discipleship manual for Godly living.
Essentially it tells us: do this, have these attitudes, and God will bless you.
In “Luke for Everyone” Wright uses the illustration of how one would organize and coach a new football team (p. 70). They would keep it simple. In reading it, I couldn’t help but recall a little speech I give to my softball team (for those that don’t know, I’m the Head Softball coach at BBC), probably at least once a week: “Softball is a simple game, all you have to do is hit the ball, catch the ball, and throw the ball, and the better you do each of those simple things, the better player you’ll be, and when we all do it well, the better team we will be.”
I get the sense that this is what Jesus is doing here. He is telling them the basics of the Christian life. He is telling us "to keep it simple."
Sometimes—just like we coaches can with simple games like softball—we can make living for God a bit too complicated and complex.
Jesus, through Luke, is simply reminding his listeners of what it is that God wants—and doesn't it sound very similar to Micah 6:8—indeed, to do good, live simply, nurture righteous attitudes, consider all suffering as joy, etc.
I wonder what I need to simplify in my pursuit of Godly living?
Bill H
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5 comments:
Mark and I have always lived under the guise that when it is complicated God is not in it. He is not the author of confusion and chaos. Luke is a book of contrast, humilty and pride, faith and unbelief, a heart of compassion and a hardened heart. It is said simply have faith, humilty and heart after God and He will bless.
Just a thought that came was that we might have set up our own standard of what a Christain should look like..etc: but the truth of the matter is-its about the Gospel!!
A theme for Pam and I is "Simplicity". We madet that the theme of our home because time is a daily treasure of which there are many robbers.
In Luke 10:38-42, Luke comments indict Martha for being "cumbered about with much serving" this word "cumbered" means to be drawn from the center. What was central and she missed was Jesus Christ. Mary didn't miss the point; she was at the feet of Jesus where we need to learn to rest.
Andy
BH- "I wonder what I need to simplify in my pursuit of Godly living?"
How about living as the Amish do? The simplicities of our Christian life have been lost in the modern conveniences of life. It seems like the stress of life has increased with email, internet, cell phones… All time savers that have in actuality has caused us more heartache and reduced face to face relationships. We are pushed to do more and it seems that the “mores of life” require more time and effort yet we are less effective.
Is it too late to get back to the basics?
Mark, be careful with the Amish illustration, they be simple but the live under a code of legalism that equates spirituality. But I agree, simplicity is a characteristic that we don’t always have in our society. I was thinking about type-writers the other day and how simple they were and how they never gave you a “blue screen of death”! Random I know, God may not be a type-writer but at least faith is a simple concept, but it can be hard to carry out at times, especially when life gives you the “bluescreen.”
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