Yesterday, I wrote about Pastor James Conley, Delta, Colorado, and our brush with tradition. We wanted to dismiss the service; they wanted to sing their last, planned song. It would have been OK either way, and we sang the song. James handled it with his usual grace, and that’s what I want to write about today.

My sermon topic for that Saturday service in Austin as well as the two Sunday services in Delta was Join the Adventure! which you can if you:

• Be there
• Pay attention
• Do what you can
• Tell the truth

No one embodies “pay attention, do what you can” than James. His antenna is up all the time to do what needs to be done. For example, when I asked if I could sit down at that Saturday service, and he agreed, I went in looking for a chair. By the time I found one, James had already put it where it needed to be! One step ahead. Here is a picture of James as we were getting ready to go into the Austin church on Saturday:

I’m amazed at his stamina. I was concerned about speaking five times in one weekend, but that was nothing compared to his workload. He picked up June and me for dinner when we arrived Friday night. I didn’t know he was returning from helping the youth get settled in for their weekend campout. An hour and forty-five minutes…one way! He drove the round trip on Friday and again on Saturday when he took me out there to speak to the young people. I wrote about some of what I shared back on August 17. Between my two talks on Saturday morning, while I was resting, he was visiting with someone he was concerned about.

Sensitivity? There’s a reason I’m not a pastor. When we were deep in the mountains, nearly to the campground, James got a call from a parishioner who wanted to know when June was speaking so she could go hear her. The lady heard about June when James asked for prayer for her AT THE SAME TIME that I was speaking to that group in Austin! June had spoken hours before. But James was patient in explaining that June had already spoken. So the lady went into some family issues, and “Why didn’t this person…?” Of course, James has no idea of all the ins and outs of her family relationships, but he continued to talk with her even though we expected to lose signal any minute. He talked with her for about 30 minutes. I would have given her five and told her we were about to lose signal as I signed off!

Back to paying attention, as we were leaving the restaurant Friday night, a proverbial little old lady sat in a booth off in a corner. I don’t know how he even saw her, but she got his attention, and as June and I walked out, James was praying with her.

Finally, back to flexibility, there were a lot of moving parts in the Sunday services in Delta. James saw a way to improve the flow and between the first service and the second, he changed the order. And because the crowd was a bit smaller at the second service, he administered communion differently, and as we dismissed, encouraged the folks to apply one of the points of the sermon. “Are there people you’re standing near that you don’t know? Go meet them.”

It was a pleasure to serve with him. June and I both enjoyed our time immensely even though it was a hard trip. James was an inspiration.

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4.9, ESV)

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11.1, ESV)

I had an interesting experience a few weeks ago while ministering with my friend Pastor James Conley in rural Delta, Colorado. James pastors Delta First Baptist and also a very small church in nearby Austin, conducting a service in their building on Saturdays. As we walked into the Austin church, it looked like it would be just a few people, so I asked James if I could speak while sitting down. He assented, so I opened my sermon by “reading from an unrelated text, Luke 4.16 – 20,” which ends this way:

And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. (Luke 4.20, ESV, emphasis mine)

I fit my actions to the text and sat down! It felt like a more natural way to talk with about 10 people. When I finished the sermon, I had the Halverson Benediction prepared. It went perfectly with the sermon, and I asked Pastor James if I could go ahead and pronounce it. He said, “Why not?” So we all stood, I pronounced the benediction, and James dismissed us…

Except no one moved. There was a guy sitting at the piano ready to do “the last song.” Which they did. All four stanzas. There’s no underestimating the power of tradition. It trumps flexibility every time!

Jesus seemed to be more into flexibility…so James and I got to flex. Who says you can’t have a song after the benediction?!

On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?” (Luke 6.1 – 4, ESV)

A couple of days ago, we observed that seeing is not always believing and hearing does not always come with understanding. It’s God’s work, and Paul echos this theme at the beginning of his letter to the Corinthians:

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1.4 – 8, ESV)

“Enriched in him”

“The testimony about Christ was confirmed among you”

“Who will sustain you to the end…”

Why, when I speak, do some people embrace the teaching and allow God to use it to transform them in some way while others come up afterward to tell me something that I said was wrong (in their view) or that I left out something important? Maybe that’s one reason seeing is not always believing and hearing is not always understanding: people are in critique mode instead of asking the Spirit to show them something they need to hear. So maybe it’s God’s work, but it’s our work also.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. – seven times in Revelation chapters 2 and 3

We can’t leave Luke without reminding ourselves of the task Jesus left us with. We said yesterday that the work is hard: some believe, some don’t. God has to be involved. But even so, Jesus was clear:

[Jesus said, ] “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24.46 – 49, ESV)

“…repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” I’ll never forget what Lorne Sanny, second president of The Navigators, told the staff in 2003:

Why did he say, “starting from Jerusalem”? Because that’s where they were. You certainly cannot change the world starting from where you are not! – Lorne Sanny, President of The Navigators, 1956 – 1986.

Starting from where you are is always a good word:

And don’t be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God’s place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there…Friends, stay where you were called to be. God is there. Hold the high ground with him at your side. (1 Corinthians 7.17, 24, MSG)

And we’ll serve in his power: “Stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.” (Acts 1.8, MSG)

We wrap up Luke’s Gospel with a conundrum: why don’t more people believe?

Actually, unbelievers are in good company: Jesus’ own disciples had trouble believing as we observed yesterday:

See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. (Luke 24.39 – 47, ESV, emphasis mine)

“Disbelieved for joy…” What??

Proof by looking…

• at his hands and feet
• at his eating

Proof through scripture

• It’s all there.
• BUT, “he opened their minds to understand…”

Compare Jesus’ appearance to the two on the Road to Emmaus:

That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. (Luke 24.13 – 16, ESV)

“Their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” Not even seeing works. An atheist friend of mine was right when he said years ago, “If Jesus appeared in front of my car right now, and said he was God, I wouldn’t believe.”

I must PRAY that people understand what I share with them. PRAY that they hear God speaking to them through the word.

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. (Colossians 4.2 – 4, ESV)

In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Luke 10.21, 22, ESV)

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2.12 – 14, ESV)

Yesterday we observed that women were among Jesus’ followers and financial supporters, and they stayed with him until the end. Now we come to the even more shocking part: women were the first to find out about the resurrection – again, confirmation of the historical accuracy of the Gospels.

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they [the women] went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. ⁵  And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words. (Luke 24.1 – 8, ESV)

The women believed, but the men? Not so much:

Returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. (Luke 24.9 – 11, ESV, emphasis mine)

I don’t know all the lessons from this, but one things is clear: Jesus likes to turn things upside down. As The Chosen has Jesus telling Peter when Jesus called Matthew: “Get used to different.”

The late Skip Gray said, “Devout Jewish men often prayed, ‘Lord, I thank you that I am not a Gentile, a slave, or a woman.’ The first three converts in Europe (see Acts 16) were a Gentile, a slave, and a woman.”

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! (Romans 11.33, ESV)

One piece of evidence for the historical accuracy of the Gospels is that they include women in prominent roles. Women had little standing in ancient Israel just as in many patriarchal cultures and religions today. Luke’s first mention is in chapter 8:

Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means. (Luke 8.1 – 3, ESV, emphasis mine)

Women not only traveled with Jesus, but some were also his principal financial supporters!

Then we come to the crucifixion narrative:

And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. (Luke 23.49 – 56, ESV, emphasis mine)

Look who is mentioned prominently twice in this narrative: “the women who had followed him from Galilee.” Where were the men? Long gone:

Then all the disciples left him and fled. (Matthew 26.56, ESV)

There’s more to come. Stay tuned.

We need to finish up Luke (I’m a bit behind in the blog, our readings are already into 1 Corinthians!). As we get into the crucifixion narrative of chapters 22 and 23, we come upon Judas:

Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd. (Luke 22.3 – 6, ESV)

Judas the betrayer. There’s not much about him in the gospels. What was his motivation? For joining the disciples, then for betraying Jesus? It does say he embezzled funds so he wasn’t a good guy. And enjoying money, the betrayal was a way to get some. And “Satan entered in Judas…”

One thing leads to another, and soon a person is doing things he would have considered unimaginable earlier. 

Here is a list of all I’ve found on Judas in the Gospels:

• Sent out (Matthew 10.4)
• Chosen as one of the 12 (Mark 3.19, Luke 6.16 – Jesus “…spent all night in prayer to God.” Whom do I choose? This one, that one? Not that one? Judas Iscariot? Really? Some are called for what turns out to be a negative purpose. Or, not everyone we invest in turns out well. )
• Acted as treasurer (why not Matthew? Because Peter wouldn’t have trusted him?) (John 12.4 – 7)
• Spoke up about “wasting” money (John 12.4 – 7)
• Embezzled funds (John 12.4 – 7)
• “Satan entered into him” (Luke 22.3)
• Made the arrangement (Luke 22.4 – 6)
• Betrayed Jesus (Matthew 26.25, 47, Mark 14.43, Luke 22.4, John 18.2-5)
• Committed suicide (Matthew 27.3, 4)

There’s one more thing, and it’s very important. After the resurrection and ascension…

In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out….For it is written in the Book of Psalms, ‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it;’ and ‘Let another take his office.’…

And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1.15 – 20, 26, ESV)

Judas is one of the twelve. He…

• Betrays Jesus
• Kills himself
• Is replaced…and the work goes on!

Sometimes it’s good to recognize the people God gives us as gifts. Men and women who bless us by living lives of excellence. Vin Scully, voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team for 67(!) years was such a man. Vin passed away recently at age 94, having retired just a few years ago at age 88. Here are a few snippets from Jason Gay’s tribute, published in the Wall Street Journal, August 3, 2022.

There was nothing like Vin Scully, and never will be again. Better than the ballgame itself. Scully…was not just a defining broadcaster, not just the narrator of a franchise’s seismic journey from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, not just the melody of a baseball era, but eras. 

He called Hank Aaron’s 715th (“There’s a high drive to deep left center field…”) He called Kirk Gibson (“And look who’s coming up…”) He called Bill Buckner (“Little roller up along first…”) He called Don Larsen’s perfect game (“Got him! The greatest game ever pitched!”) and Sandy Koufax’s as well (“2-2 to Harvey Kuenn, one strike away…”)

He also called doubleheaders and snoozers and blowouts all the spaces in between that make a baseball season such an epic. Scully at the microphone was an event unto itself, so much so he called many games by himself. He had a novelist’s command of language, a gift with metaphor (“He pitches as though he’s double parked,” he said of Bob Gibson) and, critically, he knew when not to speak, and let a moment breathe. (Note his wordless treatments after Gibson’s and Aaron’s iconic home runs.)

I recommend the article in its entirety.

But what struck me were these two paragraphs:

When I met him in 2016, I asked him if he felt lucky to have arrived in baseball when he did. He shook the question off like a veteran fastballer. 

“Oh, no, not lucky,” he said. “Lucky is too cheap a word. I really feel blessed. I truly believe God has given me these gifts. He gave it to me at a young age, and he’s allowed me to keep it all these years? That’s a gift. I say this because I believe it: I should spend a lot more time on my knees than I do.”

God has people everywhere doing all kinds of things to enrich our world.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4.10, NIV)

Jesus said a lot of confusing things in what we call The Olivet Discourse, but the application is always there!

But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21.34 – 36, ESV)

Live intentionally! Stay awake. Pray.