Luke 12:41-56
41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?”
42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.
45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating.
Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
49 “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
54 He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
What do we do if the Daily Lectionary Reading isn't what was hoped for
Today's Reading is the verses 49 to 53. And that is fairly dire. Readings come with Psalms, Old Testament and this supports the Readings. Why would Jesus be so dire? The answer is simple, Jesus wouldn't walk up to a crowd and be dire. He is going to bring support to them. When we look back at the Black Plagues, we find starvation and not from lack of being a serf. We find illiteracy, children not being named until age 5 and a lack of hope for a better life. Prostitution was 40% of women in Europe, the husband making the financial arrangements. And the clergy had wives or concubines, on the quiet. Does today's verse apply then? Yes, most certainly. Lack of advancement makes the end of generosity. Serfdom to fail at basic needs or any hope of hope.
Relate the Lectionary Reading to Jesus
We know Jesus isn't going to gather the people together and read or say these few, dire verses to them from Luke 12:49-53. Dire doesn't really build the Body of Christ without love and understanding.
Are we sure about this understanding?
If we want another Historic time of blessed with the Lord's favor and protection versus not protected: King David of the Bronze Age in Jerusalem. History also calls this the time of Large Stone Structures. King David was able to build up Israel and fulfill his anointing. David fully believed in the Strength, Power, Glory and Majesty of God. David took a Census God told him not to take. Another similar time, God told David to take the Ark to Jerusalem, David didn't until he saw Israel sicken and the philistines blessed by the Ark. David lived to be about 60 years old in the Bronze Age. Other nations not knowing all Israel knew, like Great Britain, had the average age about mid-twenties for life expectancy. 1300 A.D. had a life expectancy of 41 years, due to plague. Early 1900 was about the same, before antibiotics.
The other daily readings should bring our idea into Clarity.
Psalm 33
Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright.
2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
he puts the deeps in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
he sees all the children of man;
14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out
on all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all
and observes all their deeds.
16 The king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
and by its great might it cannot rescue.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death
and keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.
Put the Scriptures Together like a Bridge
The Lord encourages us to know the Scriptures and have the Power of God in our hearts, minds, Spirit, soul and body. When the Lord gives us a Scripture about famine times for hearts and peace, He assures us when we see Him as a faithful and wise manager, we have done well and will be called Beloved, or Friend of God. The Parables about Talents ask us to have High Expectations of God and the Future.
Why the Lectionary Daily Reading
Jesus tells us something obscure:
Matthew 24:23b-27
‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Let's say, someone has a radical agenda. And they want to relate everything to their bias of children's sports. If they pick the Scripture every week, then the dots and iotas of Scripture are never examined. In fact, the fact-checker and validator Word of God is avoided. If we read every dot and iota of Scripture, then the personal bias will be revealed. Hopefully, no one has a hidden agenda and let's go from developing the Body of Christ in the diverse unity God loves. Or lead us away from the Word of God.
Jesus chose very different Disciples and brought them to use their abilities to go forth and blaze His Glory. Not allowing the Holy Spirit to move and direct us, limits us.
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
For All
Jesus tells us in these verses of Luke 12, we make our hearts to the Lord and find His blessing and protection. The path of Love and the shelter of His help. With God, our Father, we can look to the idea of the future.
Proverbs 31
She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
Proverbs 31:25
Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.
faithful and wise manager in Jesus Christ
Abba, in Jesus Christ,
We have found our Salvation in You.
Thank You for holding us firmly here.
Let us always respond to You with Love and trust.
Lifting Up those we Love and are given - in Jesus Christ.
Lifting Up those we see in the news - in Jesus Christ.
Lifting Up our cares to Jesus Christ.
Being Lifted Up believing Jesus Christ for ourselves, this nation, our cities, our communities, our Church, our schools, this Nation and the believing World.
Making us the Communion of Saints and
our prayers going around this earth.
Held firmly by You.
Thank You, Abba.
Thank You, Jesus. Amen.
Philippians 2:16
as you hold firmly to the word of life
1 Peter 1:25
"The Word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves †
Yay Jesus
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