For Christmas 2011: Gabriel’s Seven Assertions about Jesus
This is the story of Christmas with a focus on Gabriel’s announcement to Mary.
Palmer St. Podcast: Gabriel’s Seven Assertions
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Tag Archives: Gospel of Luke
Palmer St. Podcast: Jesus, the Sinful Woman and the Pharisee
Dan Petersen, in town from Glasgow, Scotland, brings this to us today. Jesus is not sanctimonious. He mixes with sinners. The irony is that those who view themselves righteous find themselves distant from God.
Praying about Prayer
I’ve often considered that if Jesus never prayed, or didn’t pray much, I’d be OK with that. He was, after all, God the Son. If He interacted with the Father by means of some spiritual osmosis, which just happened without actual prayer taking place, who could really argue or challenge the concept?
Still, pray He did, frequently and for long periods. So much so that it made a real impression on His disciples. It also impresses me. And so, I want to join with the disciple mentioned in Luke 11:1, by asking Jesus about prayer.
Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.'” – Luke 11:1 (NKJV)
I need to pray more and pray better – and I sense I’m not alone in this need. What better way to start than by asking Jesus to teach us? If we’re looking for something to pray about, let’s begin by praying about prayer. It seems like just the kind of prayer that the Lord would love to answer.
Giving Christ the Credit
The woman with the flow of blood illustrates that faith need not be very vocal to be real and effective. But the story also shows us that it’s important to give Christ the credit for all He does for us. Let’s look at the story:
Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”
When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’“
But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.
And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”– Luke 8:43-48 (NKJV)
Perhaps she was simply shy; perhaps embarrassed about her condition. People have many reasons to be less than public about their faith. Nonetheless, many of our most private blessings deserve public attention for at least two reasons:
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Jesus deserves the credit in the eyes of others for what He does for us.
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Because others may be encouraged to trust Jesus for their own very private concerns.
Central Reflections 