Luke 13
Humanity Observed as a Culture (in a petri dish?)
Imagine you were floating above the earth in the space shuttle...
...and that your speed allowed your lifespan to last much longer than everyone else's
...and that something went wrong with your communication and you lost all contact.
except visually.
and round and round the earth you would go,
gazing down at life thriving on the surface
like a thin film.
and sooner or later everyone you ever knew
or had ever heard of
would be dead
replaced by others who had no emotional attachment.
except in a vague kinda way.
and people would lose character.
you would start to see each little person as only a cell
in a vast organism
and eventually your awareness
of each little cell's individual personailty would fade,
because you would be too far removed.
you would be watching the organism as a whole
noticing that some areas thrive as others wither
endless cycles of growth and progress
interspersed with wars and plagues and natural disaster
groups shifting and clumping and recombining infinitely
but all your observations would be purely physical.
everything you could conclude about the health of the organism
would be based only on this remote exterior view.
(ok, switching vewpoints)
Now imagine God looking down on the same scene,
but with one HUGE difference,
instead of noticing the physical condition,
he was tuned into the spiritual condition.
In the same way,
he too would see areas thriving while others wither.
He could make the same kind of map,
but His would look far different than yours.
Where you see an group suffering through a natural disaster
marking it with a dreary color on your "health" map,
He may be coloring the same area brilliant
with caring and sharing, kindness and compassion on his.
A clump flourishing in luxury on your map
may be a blotch of self-absorption on his.
So what does this thought experiment have to do with Luke 13?
Well, the chapter begins with Jesus being asked
whether victims who suffer are greater sinners than others,
and he says
"I tell you, No."
That tells me that the physical events on our map
have little to do with the map that counts.
and that people who ask
"why do bad things happen to good people?",
well, they just don't get it.
I think what counts is how you get through the obstacle course
not that there is anything to gain by comparing obstacles.
In fact, that leads right into the next part of the chapter:
So if we are the vineyard and God is the owner,
it seems that God is ready to chop out the bad areas on his map
but Jesus is the vinedresser,
and is ready to give us a little extra attention
to turn it around and become part of the harvest.
fruit bearers.
so if Jesus is buying us time
giving us the opportunity
does that mean we are in?
What kind of area is your part of the map right now?
So does this mean she is "in"?
automatically?
Just because Jesus straightened her back?
no, I don't think so.
I think he will be a good gardener.
We can ask Jesus to water us,
and prune us,
and fertilize,
and keep the weeds away,
but what if there is still no fruit?
Imagine you were floating above the earth in the space shuttle...
...and that your speed allowed your lifespan to last much longer than everyone else's
...and that something went wrong with your communication and you lost all contact.
except visually.
and round and round the earth you would go,
gazing down at life thriving on the surface
like a thin film.
and sooner or later everyone you ever knew
or had ever heard of
would be dead
replaced by others who had no emotional attachment.
except in a vague kinda way.
and people would lose character.
you would start to see each little person as only a cell
in a vast organism
and eventually your awareness
of each little cell's individual personailty would fade,
because you would be too far removed.
you would be watching the organism as a whole
noticing that some areas thrive as others wither
endless cycles of growth and progress
interspersed with wars and plagues and natural disaster
groups shifting and clumping and recombining infinitely
but all your observations would be purely physical.
everything you could conclude about the health of the organism
would be based only on this remote exterior view.
(ok, switching vewpoints)
Now imagine God looking down on the same scene,
but with one HUGE difference,
instead of noticing the physical condition,
he was tuned into the spiritual condition.
In the same way,
he too would see areas thriving while others wither.
He could make the same kind of map,
but His would look far different than yours.
Where you see an group suffering through a natural disaster
marking it with a dreary color on your "health" map,
He may be coloring the same area brilliant
with caring and sharing, kindness and compassion on his.
A clump flourishing in luxury on your map
may be a blotch of self-absorption on his.
So what does this thought experiment have to do with Luke 13?
Well, the chapter begins with Jesus being asked
whether victims who suffer are greater sinners than others,
and he says
"I tell you, No."
That tells me that the physical events on our map
have little to do with the map that counts.
and that people who ask
"why do bad things happen to good people?",
well, they just don't get it.
I think what counts is how you get through the obstacle course
not that there is anything to gain by comparing obstacles.
In fact, that leads right into the next part of the chapter:
Luk 13:6
He also spoke this parable:
A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard.
And he came and sought fruit on it, and found none.
Luk 13:7
And he said to the dresser of his vineyard,
Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree,
and find none.
Cut it down, why does it encumber the ground?
Luk 13:8
And answering, he said to him,
Lord, let it alone this year also,
until I dig around it and throw manure.
Luk 13:9
And if it bears fruit, well;
and if not, then after that you shall cut it down.
So if we are the vineyard and God is the owner,
it seems that God is ready to chop out the bad areas on his map
but Jesus is the vinedresser,
and is ready to give us a little extra attention
to turn it around and become part of the harvest.
fruit bearers.
so if Jesus is buying us time
giving us the opportunity
does that mean we are in?
What kind of area is your part of the map right now?
Luk 13:11
And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years,
and she was bowed together
and was not able to be completely erect.
Luk 13:12
And when Jesus saw her,
He called and said to her,
Woman, you are delivered from your infirmity.
So does this mean she is "in"?
automatically?
Just because Jesus straightened her back?
no, I don't think so.
I think he will be a good gardener.
We can ask Jesus to water us,
and prune us,
and fertilize,
and keep the weeds away,
but what if there is still no fruit?
Luk 13:23
And one said to Him,
Lord, are the ones being saved few?
And He said to them,
Luk 13:24
Strive to enter in at the narrow gate.
For I say to you,
many will seek to enter in and shall not be able.
Luk 13:25
And once the Master of the house
has risen up and has shut the door,
and you begin to stand outside
and to knock at the door,
saying, Lord, Lord, open to us,
and He shall answer and say to you,
I do not know you
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