It’s Not You, It’s Me, or: I’m Just Not That Into You (Luke 10:25-42)
As Jesus continues his victory march toward Jerusalem, he begins to write his kingdom’s constitution. The law of crushing details is repealed. The law of compassion is restored.
As Jesus continues his victory march toward Jerusalem, he begins to write his kingdom’s constitution. The law of crushing details is repealed. The law of compassion is restored.
One morning, Jesus reveals that his Law of Compassion is based on the Fatherhood of God, and all his disciples have to do to become God’s children is…ask him.
That same evening, some Pharisees get upset at how Jesus breaks their religious rules (again!). Jesus condemns them for being unfaithful greedy control-freaks. He fires them — and then begins to train his disciples to take over management of God’s kingdom.
That night, Jesus continues to deconstruct the Pharisees’ obsessive-compulsive religious worldview, and replace it with God’s true Law of Compassion.
As the night goes on, Jesus begins to train his disciples in Kingdom Management Principles. He warns them against repeating the Pharisees’ mistake: he doesn’t want to catch them napping when he returns unexpectedly to claim his kingdom. The disciples begin to realize the countdown to Judgement Day might not be so straighforward.
As midnight approaches, Jesus tells his disciples the war against the dragon is going to get much worse before it gets better. He warns the people again that their obsession with miracles and power will lead them straight to hell unless they repent and start listening to his words — but time is running out.
Jesus teaches in a synagogue for the last time, and shows what the Law of Compassion looks like in action. When the Pharisees get upset, he tells them they’d better lose some weight if they want to fit through the door of his kingdom.
Jesus heals someone on the Sabbath for the last time, eats dinner with the Pharisees for the last time, and invites them to join his kingdom for the last time. When they refuse (again), he warns them that the balances in their Religious Savings Accounts are about to go to zero.
Jesus tells three stories about people losing things and ends with a cliffhanger.
Jesus continues his course in Kingdom Management Principles with a story about a corrupt manager who, when he gets fired, suddenly gets smart and transfers his allegiance to the winning side. The real-life application is obvious! — but the Pharisees aren’t listening.