Deuteronomy 16:21-18:22
Worship, justice, leadership. Three things that get the Lord a little hot under the collar. And we aren’t just talking about pooching up to church to sing a couple of soft-rock schmooze-fests. This worship stuff is for real - there ain’t no space for dabbling around and covering bases. Unadulterated and wild-eyed devotion to the King of eternity, that is what we are talking about. Justice isn’t an annual donation to Red-Nose day either. Justice is every moment, every angle submission of daily life to the principles laid down by Yahweh - putting a value on people, knowing your place in society, submitting to authority, seeking God’s will. And leadership, well you’d have to be a nutter to put yourself forward for it. The Lord would have you read his law every day (how could you actually get onto any ruling when you had to plough through this lot every single day??) and he will hold you to account for what you say and do. The bar is high, the challenge very great, but it is something that is utterly essential to the progress of the people of God.
Luke 14:15-35
I wouldn’t want Dr Luke as my GP; he’d probably tell me I was going to die even if I just went in with a stubbed toe. It just seems that everything he says is so harsh. You don’t have to love your family less than Jesus, you have to hate them. It is not just difficult for a rich man to inherit eternal life - people have to give away everything. Now of course, Luke is just quoting Jesus rather than saying anything of his own but both Matthew and Mark would also have known Jesus said these things and yet they didn’t include them - I wonder why that is? I suppose part is personality (and praise God that he welcomes and values all different types of people) but part must be deliberate choice. Luke seems to want to emphasise the radical and uncompromising nature of Jesus’ call and the seriousness with which people should take Him. Luke wants people to know right from the outset that Jesus is not just some teacher who will enhance your life or some prophet who will encourage you on your walk; Jesus is the Master and Host of the kingdom banquet and his invitations, while desirable, do cost absolutely everything. If you fancy the meal then you’ll be delighted to pay, if you are not yet sure then at least you know where you are at.
Psalm 44:13-26
Fancy saying “rouse yourself” to God - how cheeky is that! What a full and frank relationship God calls us into.
