Thoughts on the readings for March 22nd (Numbers 3, Psalms 148, 149, 150,Luke 13, 14)

In Luke 13 the enemies of the Lord maliciously attack him by drawing his attention to the Galileans, who Pilate had slaughtered as they were sacrificing in Jerusalem. Jesus tells his audience of Judeans of a recent event where a wall in Siloam – Jerusalem’s backyard – fell on many Judeans. Did it happen because they were bad sinners? No, on both counts – but both tragedies provided opportunities for reflection and repentance. This is followed in chapter 13 by the parable of the barren fig tree which represents Israel’s failure to bring forth fruit to God. Jesus next, on the Sabbath day heals a woman with an unclean spirit. The parables of the mustard seed and the leaven come next in the record. Then the record speaks of the parable of the narrow door, through which every disciple must strive to enter. Our Lord Jesus Christ laments over Jerusalem – to be torn down stone by stone as the leprous house. He will be welcomed in the Kingdom, when they would say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord” (Psalm 118 verse 26). Chapter 14 of Luke begins with Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath day. That man had clearly been planted as a test for Jesus. Would he heal on the Sabbath day? The Lord was invited to speak at a dinner for Pharisees and Jesus gives advice in the parable of the wedding feast. Then came another parable about the great banquet to which each invited class found excuses not to attend. These people who were called by the gospel to come to the wedding feast of the Son of God all adjudged themselves unworthy of eternal life in the kingdom. As a result of their rejection we have graciously been offered a place. Two parables follow which tell us that as disciples of Jesus we must about count the cost of discipleship and wholeheartedly pursue that goal. Every disciple of our Lord must accept the peace that our Sovereign offers to us through the emissaries of the gospel and then make peace with Him: Ephesians 2 verses 11 to 22. The chapter concludes with the need for zest and salt among our Master’s disciples. Salt speaks of sincerity in Christ’s disciples as we are told in 1 Corinthians 5 verses 6 to 8.