Same Bible, Different Day.

Luke 18, Mark 11

So what difference does it make? The Bible, Richard's writing on again about the pain Jesus had, Jesus’ teachings on prayer and fasting, and Richard over using basic unimaginative titles?

Several things have happened in my personal life in the last week or so that has brought this thought out to me with a bit more clarity. Sunday we were late getting ready to go to the church I hoped to go to so we went to a church closer to our house. The preaching was something I really needed. Our lateness God used to redirect my steps from my plans to what I needed to hear that day. Reading the Scripture from the Bible the next day I had a very settled sense of like some former days when I just knew God was in it. A devotional series I was going through had a profound (another word for something I really needed to hear right then) thought on Jesus being “the truth” in a world where much of what is heard is questionable. Wednesday evening we visited a church. Though the sign said 6:30 I had been told a couple weeks before that their meeting time was 7:00 PM. As we waited at ten minutes to seven no one else had come. My friend wanted to punch me because I was being stubborn and wanted to give the church "the benefit of the doubt" and wait up until 7:00 PM. It's a country church so it could happen. When 7:00 o'clock came I told my friend "You were right", started the van and began to back out of a front parking space. But then I saw a real young man walking across the side parking lot so I pulled over to ask him if he knew what was happening regarding the Wednesday evening service. He said they had Bible study and typically only one other couple came. So we joined them and doubled the attendance that night. Again, the Bible study was something I needed, we needed.

When Jesus taught on prayer that is much like what He taught, one on one. He spoke of an unjust judge who had no fear of God, no fear of man, but there he was, a judge. But a widow woman (not many, just one) in that city had been given a bad deal and she wanted to be avenged. And in her desire to be avenged she was wearing the judge out with her constant request for justice. So in this teaching that all men ought to pray and not to faint Jesus was emphasizing that God will avenge His own who continually cry unto Him night and day.

But to further clarify the heart of the one's crying to God He spoke of two men who went to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a hated reviled tax collector, often though of as a traitor to his people. The Pharisee praying to himself, by himself, of himself, justifying himself to God, God, I do this and this and this, and wouldn't lower myself to be like this vile publicanus, this disgusting tax collector. Why is he even being allowed to desecrate this holy place? But that tax collector (one on one directly with God) wouldn't even look at God, smote his breast in a sign of deep hurt and shame, and begged, “God, be merciful to me a sinner”.

So many times we read the Bible, have blank thoughts of what we've even read, and just wonder if God is speaking to us at all. As a turn of view for these two men, the one so ashamed, not really expecting anything, but still begging for God's mercy, Jesus said that he was the one that received from the Lord, this man went to his house justified. When we pray as this hated tax collector did we receive much more than we ask or think, far more than what we deserve.

It may then seem somewhat unrelated that the next teaching on prayer is now within what is known as Holy week. Jesus has entered Jerusalem, but retiring each night to Bethany. The first day coming into Jerusalem Jesus hopes to get further nourishment from a fig tree, the fig tree has no figs, even though it wasn't the season for figs to be growing, so Jesus pronounces it to remain fruitless forever. The next day according to Mark 11 (see also Matthew 21) the tree was dried up, shriveled. No one asked, why did you expect fruit when it isn't in season, but they certainly noticed the tree was dead and Peter asked about that. Jesus had taken the opportunity to once again teach about prayer, but in that teaching He basically recalled what He had been teaching about prayer since the beginning of His ministry three years prior.

For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken away, and cast into the sea, and shall not waiver in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith, shall come to pass, whatsoever he saith, shall be done to him. Therefore I say unto you, Whatsoever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye shall have it, and it shall be done unto you. But when ye shall stand, and pray, forgive, if ye have any thing against any man, that your Father also which is in heaven, may forgive you your trespasses. For if you will not forgive, your Father which is in heaven, will not pardon you your trespasses.

Mark 11:23-26 GNV

Same Bible, different day. Same teaching, with a bit of added clarity. Like the disciples what I read in the sermon on the mount weeks ago Jesus knows I need to hear it again near the end of His ministry, especially in the context of prayer, in the context of having a repentant forgiving heart. Though Jesus might have been wearied of His disciples just not "getting it", He remained faithful in reiterating, teaching what they "needed to get". And it is the same for me.