Archives for February 2022

Welcome to The Living Word Bible Study for Sunday, February 27 — Transfiguration Sunday (TLW08C)

Theme: As we encounter God, His glory shines through us

• See also this week’s linked article Bringers of God Glorious Presence

• And video (with captions) ‘As We Encounter God, His Glory Shines Through Us’ on YouTube (horizontal) and Instagram (square for mobiles)

Psalm 99 — Setting the scene

Exodus 34:29-35 — Moses descends Mount Sinai radiant with God’s glory

Luke 9:28-36 — The glory of God comes on Jesus in a dazzling display

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 — Paul reflects on Moses’ encounter with God

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Psalm 99

1 The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; He sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake.

2 Great is the Lord in Zion; He is exalted over all the nations.

3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name — He is holy.

4 The King is mighty, He loves justice — You have established equity; in Jacob You have done what is just and right.

5 Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; He is holy.

6 Moses and Aaron were among His priests, Samuel was among those who called on His name; they called on the Lord and He answered them.

7 He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept His statutes and the decrees He gave them.

8 Lord our God, You answered them; You were to Israel a forgiving God, though You punished their misdeeds.

9 Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.

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Exodus 34:29-35 — Moses descends Mount Sinai radiant with God’s glory

After teaching the people, he covers his face until he next speaks to the Lord

29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.

“Face was radiant” – having asked to see God’s glory, Ex. 33:18, he is unaware that he is temporarily carrying that glory.

• For further study, read Numbers 6:24-26, Psalm 80:3,7,19.

30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.

“They were afraid” – as when they heard God speak at Mount Sinai, Exodus 20:19. Yet, the glory of the Lord among them sanctifies both tabernacle and people, Exodus 29:43.

31-32 But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. Afterwards all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai.

33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face.

“A veil over his face” – to avoid unhelpful attention to the radiance fading until he went to enter the Lord’s presence again.

34-35 But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.

“Whenever he entered the Lord’s presence” – Paul used these verses to explain the transitory glory of the old covenant which drew out the unbelief of the Israelites and so, in a sense, led to death – see 2 Cor. 3:12-18 (and below).

Reflection

SUMMARY Having a close, personal encounter with Almighty God is a life-changing experience. The prelude to the ‘coming down’ part of the story is the ‘going up’ where Moses asks to see God’s glory, Exodus 33:18, and is told that while he cannot see God’s face and live, he can come close and be hidden in a cleft in the rock while God passes by.

APPLICATION Perhaps this was behind James’ words “Come near to God and He will come near to you,” James 4:8. The point is, God has made us in His image and gave us free will, so that He can enjoy a genuine relationship with us. But at the same time, He is uncompromisingly holy. For the Israelites, after years of abuse as slaves in Egypt, the terms of reference had to be set out like rules. For them it was a relationship by proxy, through priests. Only specially anointed individuals like Moses really encountered God — and were profoundly changed as a result. However, for us, Jesus has gifted the way to come into an intimacy with God that even Moses couldn’t expect.

QUESTION  How do you approach God? “Almighty God” of majesty and power, or “Father God” of intimacy?

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Luke 9:28-36 — The glory of God comes on Jesus in a dazzling display

Peter, John and James see Jesus in conversation with Moses and Elijah

28 About eight days after Jesus said this, He took Peter, John and James with Him and went up onto a mountain to pray.

“About eight days” – depending on whether you include parts of days as here, or just count full days (Mark).

“Up on to a mountain” – Jesus with His most trusted disciples, Peter, John and James, climbed a mountain, probably 9,000 ft Mount Hermon, near Caesarea Philippi, where Peter’s confession of faith had just taken place, Luke 9:18-27.

29 As He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.

“Appearance… changed… clothes became… bright” – we are not told how, but clearly a dazzling encounter.

• For further study, Exodus 34:29-35, Rev. 1:13-16.

30-31 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendour, talking with Jesus. They spoke about His departure, which He was about to bring to fulfilment at Jerusalem.

“Moses and Elijah… talking with Jesus” – the question “Who is this?” of Luke 8:25, 9:9 and Peter’s answer in Luke 9:20 is decisively confirmed by God Himself.

“His departure” – “exodos” pointing to Moses and the OT deliverance from Egypt. Jesus’ crucifixion would be like another ‘exodus’ and deliverance for all who would trust Him.

32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him.

33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters — one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ (He did not know what he was saying.)

“Shelters” – the word used in the Greek OT for the Tabernacle. It seems that Peter wanted to prolong this literal ‘summit meeting’ of the lawgiver, the renowned prophet and the Messiah. However Jesus had to complete His remaining days on earth.

34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.

“A cloud” – indicative of God’s presence and glory.

• For further study, the visible presence of God in Exodus 16:10; 24:15-16; 33:9-10 and Numbers 9:15-23; and glory, 1 Kings 8:11; 2 Chron. 5:14; Ezekiel 10:4.

35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him.”

“Whom I have chosen” — more literally “This is My Son, the Chosen One” which alludes to Isaiah 42:1 in particular, and identifies Jesus as the suffering servant of the Lord.

“Listen to Him” identifies Jesus as the prophet anticipated by Moses, Deut. 18:15.

36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

“At that time” — Luke contrasts the former politically charged situation with the freedom following Pentecost when Peter, James and John spoke freely about this event e.g. 2 Peter 1:17.

Reflection

SUMMARY What is it about the top of a mountain, Mount Sinai or Mount Hermon in these examples, that make them the place of choice to meet with God? The remoteness helps, and there’s a different perspective — the man-created world below looks small and insignificant. Our ‘mountain’ may simply be a means to “be still and know that I AM God”.

APPLICATION We may not witness the events in this story, seeing Moses and Elijah in conversation with the Lord, but this tells us that the moves of our earthly lives are in parallel with activity in the heavenlies. Sometimes we may be given a glimpse of that spiritual world, reminding us that the two worlds, the seen and the unseen, are not disconnected but moving together.That’s why prayer is a vital precursor to change, because it recognises the reality of the spiritual realm.

QUESTION What is your “Whatever is going on with…” question of the moment? Ask the Lord of heaven and earth what is happening in the spiritual realm, and you know how to pray.

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2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 — Paul reflects on Moses’ encounter with God

The life of the Spirit is God’s glory in us and also our assurance

3:12-13 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away.

“What was passing away” – the order established at Mount Sinai would pass away, like the fading of God’s glory in Moses’ appearance. 

14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.

“The same veil remains” – the spiritual blindness which is removed when we trust Christ, v.16.

15-16 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

“A veil covers… the veil is taken away” – the old covenant, symbolised by Moses’ veil, produced condemnation owing to the sentence of death on a transgressor, and did nothing to remove spiritual blindness.

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

“The Lord is the Spirit” — Yahweh of the OT is not just Father and Son, but Spirit also.

“Lord is the Spirit” – link this statement with 2 Cor. 3:6, “the Spirit gives life”. Turning to Jesus and receiving Him as your Lord is life-giving: it is receiving the Spirit of life in Him. Only this way can the sentence of death be replaced by the grace that is in the new covenant.

18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

“Are being transformed” – a verse underlining how the Holy Spirit’s sanctification is a process, not just an event. Freed from the obscuring veil, we see the Father as He is, replacing the harsh, demanding image that the devil tries to impose, 2 Cor. 4:4.

4:1 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.

“We have this ministry” – Paul recognises the privilege of being able to share the message of Good News, 1 Corinthians 15:9-11, 1 Tim. 1:12-17.

2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.

“We do not use deception, nor do we distort…” – unlike the false teachers at Corinth, Paul sets out what is true, in a straightforward way. He has nothing to prove.

Reflection

SUMMARY  Moses, hidden in a cleft of the rock of the mountain top while God passes by — and the heavenly trio of visitors, dazzlingly bright with the spiritual energy of God’s glory, are arresting and in the true sense of the word, awesome images. Paul teaches that we, too, are being transformed by the Lord who is the Spirit, but for us it is not just a moment in time but the Holy Spirit’s ongoing ongoing, transforming, renewal from within.

APPLICATION  Looking back, the old covenant is about the reality of God being dulled, like trying to see what the weather is like through a curtain. The new covenant in Jesus draws back the curtain and opens the window to the warmth of the sunlight. Rather than the complexities of a religious system there is freedom – to know God and grow in God, God simply wants us to know Him, and trust Him. We find this humanly impossible. The key is to find a different entrance, through trusting Jesus as the gate.

QUESTION How free are we to know God more and more and experience the glory of God within?

PRAYER Lord, give me a fresh vision of You and of Your glory – but not just me.
The bit of the world that I know and live in, desperately needs to see who You really are. “Without vision, the people perish.”
Give us a fresh vision of You!
Amen.

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The Living Word for February 27, 2022, is a non-denominational Bible study which relies on the Bible explaining the Bible, uninfluenced by any church’s traditions or preferences, and following the Bible’s own sequence of progressive revelation. Read the whole passage first and let the Holy Spirit begin speaking to you through it, then go deeper with the verse by verse commentary and reflections. The week’s readings are as set by the Revised Common Lectionary, an inter-denominational resource shared by many different churches and chapels. The Bible version, widely used in contemporary churches, is the NIV © Biblica. Ref. TLW08C

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PRINT EDITION  There’s a PDF print edition produced as a convenient Bible-sized folder which downloads from the link below. Permission given to copy for your own use, home group, or discipling use in the church generally.

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The Living Word study for Sunday, February 20 (TWL07C)

Theme: Three perspectives on radically different kingdom relationships

Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40

Genesis 45:3-11,15 — Joseph gently reveals himself to his brothers

Luke 6:27-38 — Jesus teaches love for those that do not love us

1 Cor. 15:35-38, 42-50 — Understanding the new resurrection body

• See also this week’s linked article How the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit is Gained — and lost

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Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40 — Setting the scene: Righteous relationships with God and with others

1 Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong;

2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4 Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this:

6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret — it leads only to evil.

9 For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.

11 But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.

39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; He is their stronghold in time of trouble.

40 The Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him.

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Genesis 45:3-11,15 — Joseph gently reveals himself to his brothers

Emphasising God’s plan in his life, he forgives them and they are reconciled

3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.

“I am Joseph” — spoken in Hebrew, not Egyptian. The brothers are terrified, understandably, that this Egyptian lord identifies as the brother they sold into slavery.

4-5 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.

“Do not be distressed” — beginning a passionate speech, Joseph calms the fears of his brothers while continually pointing to God’s plan and purpose in the turmoil of the past.

 6-7 “For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no ploughing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

“For two years now” – Joseph is now 39 years old, Genesis 41:46, 53.

8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.

“Father” – this was an Egyptian title given to those of high rank and priests.”

“Not you who sent me here, but God” — the high point in the story of Joseph and a strong statement about the sovereignty of God in human events. A spiritual understanding and trusting of God’s will opens the way to forgiveness and reconciliation.

9-11 “Now hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay. You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me — you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.”

“You shall live in… Goshen” — a desirable, fertile area east of the Nile delta.

15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.

“Talked with him” — reunited in friendship after 20 years.

Reflection

SUMMARY  This is the high point of Joseph‘s story 20 years after his jealous brothers sold him into slavery, then a jealous employer had him imprisoned. Now Joseph, ranking highest in the service of the Pharaoh, has managed a stockpile for the enduring famine affecting the whole area, which he foretold. When his brothers come in desperation to buy food, Joseph correctly sees this as part of God’s plan and extends grace to them, leading to reconciliation — and the beginning of a long Hebrew presence in the land.

APPLICATION  Joseph is one of the Bible’s outstanding examples of someone who suffered injustice, trusted God in having a higher purpose, and rose above it. Bad things do sometimes happen to good people as part of God’s higher plan and purpose; Joseph’s God-given gifts saved Egypt and his family from economic and humanitarian disaster. He stands as a model for the forgiveness and reconciliation which for us is part of how we live out the gospel. 

QUESTION How does Joseph and his story speak to situation we meet in life today?

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Luke 6:27-38 — Jesus teaches love for those that do not love us

Even selfish people help where it will be rewarded but we can go much further

27-29 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.

“Love your enemies” — reversing the usual teaching in the ancient world to love family and friends and hate enemies, this is understanding God’s grace to us and extending it to others.

“Bless those who curse you” — persecution for the ‘wrong’ beliefs was common then and has persisted through the ages.

“If someone slaps you… takes your coat” — insulting, demeaning behaviour.

30-31 “Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

“Do to others as” — a version of this Golden Rule appears in many religious and philosophical traditions as well as the “Love your neighbour as yourself,” of Jewish law, Lev. 19:18. Jesus uniquely applies “others” to friends and adversaries alike.

32-34 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.

“Love… do good… lend” — even thoroughly bad people help those who help them. 

35-36 “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

“Without expecting… anything” —but God’s love and goodness is merciful and without condition. Imitating God by extending grace to those who do not deserve it is living as children of the Most High or people of the covenant.

37-38 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

“Do not condemn” — cultivating a generous spirit, forgiving and not condemning, is an attitude which God will richly bless.

Reflection

SUMMARY  Jesus began His teaching by setting out in a general way how ‘opposite’ the values of the kingdom of God are to the world’s values. Now He addresses those differences specifically in terms of how we relate to one another. Even selfish, evil people do good to those who they think will return the favour. Kingdom people must go further than that, and be ready to do good to those who won’t. Furthermore, when we experience mistreatment and insult, “loving our enemies” means returning the curse of their words and actions by blessing them.

APPLICATION  The gracious generosity of spirit that Jesus advocates is about lending with no thought of getting anything back; and then, when it all goes wrong, choosing to forgive and not pass judgment.

QUESTION  How is what Jesus teaches actually possible? Looking ahead, what change will His followers experience that enables them?

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1 Cor. 15:35-38, 42-50 — Understanding the new resurrection body

We will receive the spiritual, ncorruptible body needed for the coming kingdom

35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”

“Someone will ask” — writers of this period often raised rhetorical questions from imaginary opponents.

36-38 How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as He has determined, and to each kind of seed He gives its own body.

“When you sow” — a farming picture where each recognisable kind of seed dies in the ground before producing the new and different body of the plant the seed belongs to.

42-44 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

“Sown in dishonour… raised in glory” — Paul applies the analogy to the resurrection of the dead, drawing a contrast between human bodies which are weak, mortal and natural and resurrection bodies which are divinely empowered, immortal and spiritual.

45-47 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven.

“The first… Adam… the last Adam” — as the Spirit of God breathed life into the first Adam, Genesis 2:7, so now Jesus, the second Adam, breathes life into His people.

48-49 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.

“We shall bear the image of the heavenly man” — as humans we shared the form of the man created out of earth’s dust; as those belonging to Jesus we shall experience the kingdom of God in resurrection bodies like His.

50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

“Flesh and blood cannot inherit” —just as the kingdom of God can only be seen with spiritual eyes, only a resurrected spiritual and incorruptible body can experience the kingdom of God in all its fullness, John 4:24.

Reflection

SUMMARY  Paul poses a rhetorical question about what we will look like when we are resurrected. Using a farming analogy, He explains that the same plant looks different when it is a seed and when sprouts and grows. Similarly as humans we have something of the look of the first man, Adam, but when we are resurrected we will have a spiritual incorruptible body more like the risen Jesus.

APPLICATION  For the earthly body, taking after Adam, the all-important relationship with God, comes through believing and receiving Jesus and becoming part of His kingdom, here on Earth but living in anticipation of His return. The spiritual resurrected body already has a relationship with God, because it is through Jesus that we have come into eternal life and the bodily resurrection we will experience the on the last day as the fullness of the Lord’s kingdom comes about.

QUESTION  Why was this a question many were asking in the first century church? How does it focus our thoughts in the 21st century?

PRAYER  O God, we thank you so much for Your grace and merciful forgiveness shown to us whereby through Jesus we can know You, Creator of the universe, as “Father”.
Help us to have a generous spirit towards others and extend to them the same grace which we ourselves have received.
Empower us to forgive those who have wronged us, to bless those continue to hurt us, and to be ready to give to others with no expectation of repayment. 
May we join You in building Your kingdom and showing its values — not by striving, but rather flowing in your gracious spiritual enabling. Through Jesus Christ we ask this, Amen.

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The Living Word for February 20, 2022, is a non-denominational Bible study which relies on the Bible explaining the Bible, uninfluenced by any church’s traditions or preferences, and following the Bible’s own sequence of progressive revelation. Read the whole passage first and let the Holy Spirit begin speaking to you through it, then go deeper with the verse by verse commentary and reflections. The week’s readings are as set by the Revised Common Lectionary, an inter-denominational resource shared by many different churches and chapels. The Bible version, widely used in contemporary churches, is the NIV © Biblica. Ref. TLW07C

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PRINT EDITION  There’s a PDF print edition produced as a convenient Bible-sized folder which downloads from the link below. Permission given to copy for your own use, home group, or discipling use in the church generally.

https://www.thelivingword.uk

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TLW06C for Sunday, February 13, 2022

How to live in God’s blessing

• See this week’s linked article Finding the Treasure which is God’s Blessing which draws out the teaching that comes from these four passages and also this week’s 10-min video which tells the story How The Lord Transforms our Lives.

Psalm 1 — Setting the scene: prospering spiritually

Jeremiah 17:5-10 — How to live strong in the Lord not in the flesh

Luke 6:17-26 — Jesus teaches the kingdom basics to a diverse crowd

1 Corinthians 15:12-20 — The resurrection of Jesus is our certainty

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Psalm 1 — Setting the scene: prospering spiritually

1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,

2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.

3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever they do prospers.

4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

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Jeremiah 17:5-10 — How to live strong in the Lord not in the flesh

The folly of finding our own strength and ignoring the spiritual dimension

5 This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. 

“Cursed” – attracting negative consequences, the opposite of blessed, see v.7

6 “That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. 

“Bush in the wastelands” — lit. juniper in the Arabah, a bush that shrivelled in the dry heat of the valley stretching south from the Dead Sea.

7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.“

“Blessed” — attracting God’s favour, as stable in a life of faith as depending on one’s own strength is unstable.

“One who trusts in the Lord” — the blessing promised to the righteous man, is fulfilled in Christ the perfectly righteous man, and in those who are righteous in Him, Psalm 1:3; Acts 3:14; 2 Corinthians 5:21.

8 “They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” 

“Planted by the water” — with a deep lifestream that keeps it supplied, in contrast to the dying desert bush.

9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 

“Heart is deceitful” — Jeremiah’s comment, the first of three wisdom sayings about the flawed nature of human personality.

• For further study: the Lord is able to heal and transform even such a broken and dysfunctional organ, and promises to do so under the new covenant, Jer. 31:33; Jer. 32:40; also see Ezek 36:26; Rom. 5:5; Heb. 10:22.

10 “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

“I the Lord search” — only the Lord knows how deceitful and wicked the human nature (our selfish motives) really are.

11 Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay are those who gain riches by unjust means. When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them, and in the end they will prove to be fools.

“Riches desert them” — just as the sand grouse hatches eggs it didn’t lay, and the young birds soon leave the bird that is not their mother, wealth unjustly acquired easily evaporates, Proverbs 23:4-5. 

Reflection

SUMMARY A fundamental teaching, that will be expanded in the gospel and further in the letters, is that we are created physical, cerebral and also spiritual. The physical and cerebral part is basically self-seeking, and independent. True, holistic prosperity only comes by the spiritual route of choosing to trust the Lord and His leading.

APPLICATION The gospel is emerging from this passage. It describes the hope that comes from a trusting relationship with God, as well as the tug of the human flesh element and our capacity for self-deception. The reward that comes from conduct is about how God perceives the cause and effect, the actions and attitudes that have consequences, rather than any support of salvation by good works.

QUESTION What do vv.7 and 9 tell us about the remedy for fears and worries?

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Luke 6:17-26 — Jesus teaches the kingdom basics to a diverse crowd

People had travelled from afar to receive His message and freedom

17-18 [Jesus] went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of His disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases. 

“A level place” — or plateau on the hill; both the contents and the setting suggests Luke is giving a shorter version of the Sermon on the Mount, Matt. 5-7. He leaves out the portions that have to do with the Law, which are found elsewhere, suggesting that Jesus repeated his teaching on various occasions, Luke 11:2-4; 12:22-31, 33-34.

Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all. 

“Healing them all” — the crowd did not gather to hear Jesus, they came with deep needs of deliverance from spiritual oppression and physical disease, through the power coming out from Jesus.

20 Looking at His disciples, He said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 

“You who are poor” — in Matthew’s account it is “poor in spirit” and “hunger for righteousness, while Luke emphasises material poverty as well.

21 “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 

“Blessed” — experiencing the joy and favour that comes from God’s grace

22 “Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. 

“Blessed… when people hate you”— with its associated woe, v.26, Jesus recalls how the prophets were rejected, while false prophets were popular. The implication is that Jesus’ growing rejection by religious authorities was part of His provenance as a true prophet.

23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. 

24-25 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 

“Rich… well fed” — the counterpart of poor and hungry, vv.20-21.

 “Blessed…woe” — from the OT perspective, Israel is blessed in a covenant relationship, therefore woes are God’s judgment owing to unfaithfulness to the covenant. Jesus also describes God’s covenant people this way.

• For further study: blessed Deut. 33:29, Ps.33:12, Ps. 146:5; woe Isa. 5:8-15, Jer. 13:27, Amos 6:1, Hab. 2:12-17.

26 “Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.”

Reflection

SUMMARY Sometimes called the Sermon on the Plain, this account of Jesus’ foundational teaching is parallel to the sermon on the Mount but without the parts relating to the law. It relates the blessing of heaven on actions and attitudes which align with the kingdom of heaven. By contrast, the comforts and popularity of the world are spiritually treacherous.

APPLICATION This is not about holiness through poverty and abstinence, in the way of medieval religiosity. It is rather about choosing, instead of material and reputational wealth, the values of heaven. Dramatic freedoms can accompany such a decision.

QUESTION What is Jesus calling for in this teaching, a change in our actions? Or something else?

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1 Corinthians 15:12-20 — The resurrection of Jesus is our certainty

Paul, a first-hand witness, explains why the Living Lord is our faith and hope 

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 

“Some of you say… no resurrection” — probably in their letter to him referred to in 1 Cor. 7:1. Greeks believed either that death was final, or in an immortality of the soul, but not in a possible bodily resurrection.

“Christ has been raised” — expressed in a verb form that conveys certainty, repeated in this passage six times from v.12-20

13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 

14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 

“If Christ has not been raised” — Jesus’ resurrection is a foundational truth for Christians; if that is a doubt, the preaching of the gospel is changed into a powerless philosophy.

15-16 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that He raised Christ from the dead. But He did not raise Him, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 

17-18 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 

“Still in your sins” — the resurrection of Jesus is proof of the sacrifice of Christ and the atonement of human sin, 1 Cor. 15:3; without that we are unforgiven and under the judgment of God for our sins, Romans 3:19; Eph. 2:1-13.

19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. 

“Most to be pitied” — without eternal life, Christians just suffer deprivation without the hope and joy of faithful believers who may suffer persecution but like Jesus and Paul, look beyond this life in anticipation and joy. 

• For further study: Heb. 12:2; 2 Cor. 4:16-18; Phil. 21-23; Phil. 3:7-11.

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

“First-fruits” — in the OT the first crop or sheaf of the harvest was presented to God to show that all the harvest belonged to Him, and would be shown so in dedicated lives, Exodus 23:19, Lev. 2:12. Similarly Christ raised from the dead is the guarantee of the resurrection of all God’s redeemed people, 1 Thess. 4:13-18. It is the beginning of the new creation of Isaiah 43:18-19, Isa. 65:17, Isa. 66:22. Jesus is the “firstborn from the dead”, Rev. 1:5.

Reflection

SUMMARY  Paul addresses a fundamental difficulty of reducing the salvation plan of God through Jesus to an intellectual philosophy. If Christ has not been raised, personal faith is negated — and so is the transformative power of faith to bring new and eternal life. But Christ has most certainly been raised, Paul emphasises with much repetition, and the apostles have testified to that as first-hand witnesses. This is the essence of Christian confident hope — Christ’s new and glorious life is our promise of new and eternal life in Him.

APPLICATION  The spiritual rebirth and new life that is ours when we come to a heartfelt trust of Jesus as Saviour and Lord is the subject of relentless attack. Such  opposition, and the alternative philosophies that are often heard from unregenerate religious leaders, are part of the provenance — this is vital, central, indispensable truth that is truly transformative. God is always at work on what is moribund and detached, to breathe in new life and to transform it. We have been given three pictures: (1) The confusion and self-deception which Jeremiah acknowledges, (2) the hatred of the world that Jesus refers to, and (3) the inability for some even in church positions to believe that Jesus was seen in bodily resurrection before ascending to heaven to rule and reign over His unseen kingdom. These are all the hallmark of the one still bitterly opposing the Lordship of Jesus. Such activity of the devil points us with certainty to the reality of Jesus’ victory and activity in our lives if we belong to Him as His believers and disciples.

QUESTION  What are ways Christians gathering today can better celebrate God’s transforming actions, e.g. regular sharing of testimony stories?

PRAYER  Lord, You are the overflowing well of living Water for those who have found new life in You, the refreshment that sustains us when we face desert situations, the blessing of Your scarred hands when we are insulted or rejected.
We never tire of saying, “Praise You, Lord Jesus, for You are alive!
And we have life, not in ourselves, but spiritually as part of Your body.
Show us. In the corner of the world we inhabit, where we can bring Your transformation and share Your love and life.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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The Living Word for February 13, 2022, is a non-denominational Bible study which relies on the Bible explaining the Bible, uninfluenced by any church’s traditions or preferences, and following the Bible’s own sequence of progressive revelation. Read the whole passage first and let the Holy Spirit begin speaking to you through it, then go deeper with the verse by verse commentary and reflections. The week’s readings are as set by the Revised Common Lectionary, an inter-denominational resource shared by many different churches and chapels. The Bible version, widely used in contemporary churches, is the NIV © Biblica. Ref. TLW06C

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PRINT EDITION  There’s  PDF print edition produced as a convenient Bible-sized folder which downloads from the link below. Permission given to copy for your own use, home group, or discipling use in the church generally.