Yesterday’s blog about burning the plow and leaving the nets felt like it needed a caveat… But the scriptures I used didn’t offer one so neither will I.

My intense “friend” John Piper whose word on the “prosperity gospel” I shared last week preached a very influential sermon on May 20, 2000, to 40,000 college students. Here’s a portion of that sermon as reported in an article by Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra, March 20, 2017. I offer this excerpt without further comment and commend the article in its entirety. John said:

You don’t have to know a lot of things for your life to make a lasting difference in the world.

You don’t have to be smart, or good-looking, or from a good family. You just have to know a few, basic, glorious, majestic, obvious, unchanging, eternal things, and be gripped by them, and be willing to lay down your life for them…

Three weeks ago, we got news at our church that Ruby Eliason and Laura Edwards were killed in Cameroon. Ruby Eliason—over 80, single all her life, a nurse. Poured her life out for one thing: to make Jesus Christ known among the sick and the poor in the hardest and most unreached places.

Laura Edwards, a medical doctor in the Twin Cities, and in her retirement, partnering up with Ruby. [She was] also pushing 80, and going from village to village in Cameroon. The brakes give way, over a cliff they go, and they’re dead instantly. And I asked my people, “Is this a tragedy?”

Two women, in their 80s almost, a whole life devoted to one idea—Jesus Christ magnified among the poor and the sick in the hardest places. And 20 years after most of their American counterparts had begun to throw their lives away on trivialities in Florida and New Mexico, [they] fly into eternity with a death in a moment. “Is this a tragedy?” I asked…

It is not a tragedy. I’ll read you what a tragedy is.

[From Readers Digest, ] Bob and Penny . . . took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30-foot trawler, play softball, and collect shells.”

That’s a tragedy.

And there are people in this country that are spending billions of dollars to get you to buy it. And I get 40 minutes to plead with you—don’t buy it. With all my heart I plead with you—don’t buy that dream. . . . As the last chapter before you stand before the Creator of the universe to give an account with what you did: “Here it is, Lord—my shell collection. And I’ve got a good swing. And look at my boat.”

I’m reading the book that came after that sermon, Don’t Waste Your Life. I can’t say that I’ve burned all my plows, but I can say that I’m 75 and not retired. A couple of weeks ago I was able to visit with my friend Matthias from Kalimpong, India. His father, founding pastor of a church that will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, is 87 and still going strong. Last month I mentioned (again) Jim Downing, who passed away at the age of 104 1/2, six weeks after completing a ministry trip.

¹²  The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
¹³  They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.
¹⁴  They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green,
¹⁵  to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. (Psalm 92.12 – 15, ESV)

I’ve always found this short vignette intriguing:

Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9.61, 62, ESV)

The most common interpretation here is that “the plow” is the work of the kingdom, and you shouldn’t start the work while looking back at what you’ve left behind. After all, when you plow, you must look forward. That works as an interpretation and application, but I think it could be the other way: the plow is the plow. One puts his hand to the plow and just “looks” back at the work he could be doing for God.

The exact conversation occurred between Elijah and Elisha:

So [Elijah] departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him. (1 Kings 19.19 – 21, ESV)

This story seems to support my interpretation. Elisha is the one with the plow! Elisha burned the plow to cook the oxen! Don’t put your hand on the plow and wish you could join in God’s work. Burn the plow! Leave the nets!

And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. (Luke 5.11, ESV)

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19.21 – 23, NIV)

Luke 8 ends with the great story about Jesus healing a woman on the way to raising Jairus’ daughter. (Luke 8:40 – 56) The first lesson is that Jesus is never in hurry. He seems always to have margin. As our pastor likes to point out, he listens to her story, he doesn’t just rush off:

And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” (Luke 8.45 – 48, ESV)

The second lesson is about power. “I perceive that power has gone out from me.” That explains the frequent references in the gospels to Jesus going out to the desert places. “He often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.” (Luke 5.16). Prayer for direction, as we’ve pointed out before. However, it must also have been to recharge.

Acts 1.8: “You shall receive power…” When power is used, it goes away. That’s worth a study right there: power is something I receive. That’s like charging a battery. But when the power is used, for example, to drive a tool, the battery must be recharged. 

Jesus told the disciples to heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons. (Matthew 10.8) For me, I want to preach with power so that people are changed, and I definitely feel depleted after I speak! This coming weekend, I will be in rural western Colorado, speaking five times in two days. Lord, fill me with power for this weekend!

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. (John 14.12, ESV)

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. (Acts 4.33, ESV)

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father…that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us… (Ephesians 3.14 – 20, ESV, emphasis mine)

I couldn’t help but notice that Luke includes A LOT of Jesus’ reminding people that hearing is not enough – our encounters with God’s word must be accompanied by action:

Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say? …The one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete. (Luke 6.46, 49, 50, NIV)

Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away. (Luke 8.18, ESV)

I used to say, “No ‘points’ for hearing.” Once, a brother corrected me. “It’s not ‘no points for hearing,’ it’s negative points for hearing only.” A good word, and that principle alone may explain why many church members don’t seem to know much about the Bible. They’re not putting it into practice.

But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” (Luke 8.12, ESV)

As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11.27, 28, ESV)

No further comment needed! I think Jesus was clear.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1.22, NIV)

Jesus has been known to be a bit down on tradition:

Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. (Matthew 15.1 – 6, ESV)

I couldn’t help but think that some traditions are silly and downright dangerous when I saw in the July 19, 2022, edition of the Wall Street Journal this picture of a British soldier, dressed in full uniform (wool, probably) with a large fur hat, “guarding” Buckingham Palace. Ladies and gentlemen, it was 104 degrees when that picture was made on July 18!

God bless the police officer who is giving the poor dude a drink of water, but where is common sense? When I taught at an Air Force leadership school, we canceled our outdoor activities (even though we were dressed way more suitably) when the temperature/humidity index was above a certain level.

More important than a lack of common sense, where is the compassion? Where is the kindness?

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness… (Colossians 3.12, NIV)

Back to highlights from Luke’s gospel. And that’s all we can do…highlights.

In Luke, accounts of miracles don’t begin until late in chapter 4, which ends this way:

And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” (Luke 4.42 – 43, ESV)

Two simple observations:

• People want him to stay (and continue to meet their needs), but Jesus knows it’s time to leave. How does he know? Answer: he begins his day in prayer in “a desolate place.” When they want him to say, his answer is firm: “I MUST preach…to the other towns as well…” Jesus gathered his strength and direction during his times of solitude. Luke reiterates:

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5.16, NIV)

• God’s direction often results in movement. Paul and Barnabas were part of a thriving ministry in Antioch when…

Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. (Acts 13.1 – 3, NIV)

We had just gotten the Navigators 2:7 Series going well in Omaha in 1977 when the Air Force sent us to Alabama. No problem. The ministry thrived in our absence. When we moved from Alabama to Colorado in 1984, we again left behind a 2:7 series in process. No problem. God again moved someone else in to take care of that.

We tend to like things to stay the same. We stay in place. Our leaders stay in place. But sometimes God’s work requires that we be open to change.

After this, Paul stayed many days longer [in Corinth] and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila…And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there…Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. (Acts 18.18, 19, 24 – 26, ESV)

Yesterday, we observed that Jesus’ Spirit-filled, Spirit-led life was not always easy, and we commented that those who teach a “health and wealth prosperity gospel” are in error. No one is more adamant about the problem with the prosperity gospel than John Piper. I just ran across an in-depth story of John’s impromptu 3-minute diatribe against the prosperity gospel delivered in Birmingham, Alabama, November 2005. The article opens like this:

In fact, it was an off-the-cuff tangent to an afterthought, unusual for a man whose sermons are well-prepared and meticulously researched.

“I don’t know what you feel about the prosperity gospel—the health, wealth and prosperity gospel—but I’ll tell you what I feel about it,” Piper told a gathering of more than 1,000 college students in November 2005. “Hatred…It is not the gospel, and it’s being exported from this country to Africa and Asia, selling a bill of goods to the poorest of the poor: ‘Believe this message, and your pigs won’t die and your wife won’t have miscarriages, and you’ll have rings on your fingers and coats on your back.’ That’s coming out of America—the people that ought to be giving our money and our time and our lives, instead selling them a bunch of crap called ‘gospel.'” Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra, The Gospel Coalition, February 14, 2017

Strong language and that’s not all. You can read the article for yourself and even hear the 3-minute clip. Caution: John is very intense, and I’m not sure I could or would say some of what he says here. John himself says that he has “no recollection” of that part of his sermon.

There have always been false gospels of one sort or other. We’ve talked a lot about a “gospel” based on legalism, for example, and the Apostle Paul, probably at least as intense as John Piper, would have none of it:

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1.8, 9, ESV)

Paul, like Jesus, did not experience prosperity:

…Far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. (2 Corinthians 11.23 – 27, ESV)

And yet, even without what we call prosperity, Paul experienced joy:

What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1.18 – 21, ESV)

What happens when we’re full of the Holy Spirit and led by the Spirit? Answer: it depends.

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”…And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry… And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. (Luke 3.21, 22…4.1, 2…14, 15, ESV, emphasis mine)

From a high:

• The Holy Spirit descended on him
• The Father blessed him
• He returned “full of the Holy Spirit”

To a low:

• Led by the Spirit in the wilderness for 40 days (say what?)
• Tempted by the devil
• Hungry

To a high:

• In the power of the Spirit
• Teaching
• Glorified by all

These few verses by themselves are enough to knock the “prosperity gospel” in the head. Jesus himself was not prosperous, and his life was not easy. There are those who say that God promises health and wealth to those who follow Jesus. Some people might say that, but none are in the Bible! More tomorrow. In the meantime, follow Jesus!

Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.” Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them,… When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” (John 21.18 – 22, ESV)

Why was Paul so adamant against legalism in Philippians and Colossians? We’ll see that Jesus takes the Pharisees to task over it as we go through Luke. We get a glimpse in Luke 6:

On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” And after looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. (Luke 6.6 – 11, ESV)

There’s something wrong with a religion when a significant healing, the liberation of a man from a physical impairment, produces anger instead of joy. It happens again:

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him. (Luke 13.10 – 17, ESV)

This last story might explain why Jesus said he would be producing division:

Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. (Luke 12.51, ESV)

There were two groups when he healed the woman in the synagogue: the adversaries and “all the people” – the common people. There was division between the legalists and those who loved what Jesus was doing. It’s the legalists that often cause division! “My church is better than your church…my theology is better than your theology, our pastor celebrates communion the right way…”

Legalists causing division is an idea that might be worth pursuing later…

But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. (Luke 11.42, ESV, emphasis mine)

We’re always looking at how we should live; for example, Colossians 3.12 – 17 is a nice list! John the Baptist came preaching repentance as we all know. What did he say repentance looked like? Keeping some or all of the Jewish law? Looking more like their holy men – their Pharisees? Nope.

And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” And he answered them, 

• Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and 
• whoever has food is to do likewise.” 
• Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, 
  • Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 
• Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “
  • Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and 
  • be content with your wages.” (Luke 3.10 – 14, ESV, bulleted for clarity)

Share with those in need. Be content with your wages – tax collectors and soldiers would extort money only if they thought that what they had wasn’t enough. 

But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3.17, 18, ESV)

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13.5, ESV)