The next story in Luke chapter 7 flows out of yesterday’s dialogue between Jesus and the disciples of John the Baptist. You’ll remember that John sent them to check whether he had it right – that Jesus was indeed bringing in the kingdom, since there was still…ahem…one prisoner, Mr. Jesus, who had not been released. What’s going on? Jesus reassured him that yes, the signs of the kingdom were indeed happening. The blind received their sight, the deaf heard, the dead were raised – this isn’t the dress rehearsal, it’s the real thing, baby!
Author: timmacbride
One Prophet to Another (Luke 7:11-23)
Continuing our series in Luke chapter 7, the next story is another healing one:
7:11-12 Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.A tragic scene. Made more tragic not simply by the loss of her son, but the fact that he was her only son, and her husband had also died. In the absence of a social security system, without a man around this woman had no means of support. Jesus is touched.
The Centurion’s Faith (Luke 7:1-10)
Today we begin a series in Luke chapter 7. And the first story in the chapter is about Jesus doing a favour for a Roman centurion, whose faith Jesus commends in the strongest possible terms:
7:9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”What is it about this guy that amazes Jesus? (Remember, most of the time in the gospels Jesus is the object of amazement, not the subject.) Let’s work through the story to find out.
Brand new Starbucks opening here
Coffee with the King is on holidays for two weeks, heading over to the land of theme parks, extra large fries, and insipid coffee. So what are you going to do while I’m gone?
My guess is that you haven’t read every single post on this site. (If you have, then you deserve a medal or something. Let me know, and I’ll bring you back an Americano with wings on a leash, if they let it through customs.) So you might want to work through one of the previous series.
I’ve tried to make it a little easier to access past series. As well as the bible book index, I’ve recently added a chapter index. (It’s to the right, if you’re using a computer; all the way down the bottom of the main section, if you’re on a mobile device.) It helps you jump straight to a particular chapter of the Bible rather than getting every post in that book. (They still open in reverse chronological order, but there’s not much I can do about that unless I want to transfer the website to a different platform.)
Anyway, meet you in Luke chapter 7 when I get back: Monday, October 5.
Esther – part 5
This week we’re looking at the OT story of Esther. You really need to start from Monday’s post.
Today (just to change the order of things), read the final three chapters of Esther first.
Conclusion
And so ends a most secular telling of sacred history. What are we to make of all this? As my friend Marc Rader says, the fingerprints of God are all over this story. I mean think about the coincidences:
Esther – part 4
This week we’re looking at the OT story of Esther. You really need to start from Monday’s post.
Chapter 6
Later that night. The king can’t sleep. Too much wine, perhaps? So his attendants start reading to him from the chronicles of his reign. The official record of events. All the best stuff that’s happened to him as king so far. That should put him to sleep.
But it doesn’t work. Because it just so happens that they’re reading from the bit where Mordecai saved the king from assassination by Bigthana and Teresh. And the king asks, ‘What honour and recognition has Mordecai received for this?’ But there was no record. Nothing was done for him. The king thinks this is outrageous, and decides he’s going to do something about it. But he can’t think of how to reward Mordecai. And no-one was around to suggest a Coles-Myer gift card.
Esther – part 3
This week we’re looking at the OT story of Esther. You really need to start from Monday’s post.
Chapter 4
Mordecai, of course, finds out about the proclamation. The impending disaster about to come upon him and his people. So he asks Esther to help.
Esther’s scared. She reminds Mordecai that anyone who just ‘drops by’ uninvited to see the king will be killed; even the queen. Unless the king extends his sceptre and welcomes them in. So basically you’re dicing with death over the king’s mood. If he’s got a hangover that morning, you’re gone. So Esther tries to stay out of it.
Esther – part 2
This week we’re looking at the OT story of Esther. You really need to start from Monday’s post.
Chapter 2
Xerxes is now missing his wife. After all, she was ‘pleasing to look at’. But the irrevocable law of the Persians meant that he couldn’t go back on what he’d decreed. ‘What will I do?’ he thought. ‘If only I were an Australian politician, this would be an easy barnacle to scrape off.’ But he was stuck.
App update
From later this week, the Coffee with the King app will no longer be available from the App Store / Google Play. As far as I understand, if you’ve already got it, you can still use it. But you’ll lose it when you get a new phone/tablet or upgrade your phone’s operating system.
Given the recent fall in the Aussie dollar and the end of the first-year sweetheart deal from my provider, the annual cost was approaching 1000 AUD, so it simply wasn’t viable. Sorry to the 30 people who voted saying they wanted it to continue, but a 100% price rise wasn’t expected!
But you can make your own “bookmark” app – just by making a direct link to today’s reading on your phone/tablet’s home screen:
iPhone/iPad instructions (or see the generic how-to video here)
- Open the Safari web browser and go to
www.coffeewiththeking.org .
- Press the share button at the bottom of the screen (pictured, right).
- Select “Add to Home Screen”. This will create an icon on your home screen that will take you to today’s Coffee with the King. With one fewer press than the app.
Android instructions
You probably already know, because you’re an Android user. But just for the sake of completeness, and to spare the feelings of iOS users:
- Open your web browser and go to www.coffeewiththeking.org .
- Native Android browser, press “more” (top right). If you’re using Chrome, press the three dots at top right.
- Select “Add shortcut on home screen” (native) or “Add to home screen” (Chrome). This will create an icon on your home screen that will take you to today’s Coffee with the King. With one fewer press than the app.
Esther – part 1
This week, we’re going to take a look at the OT book of Esther. A book that Christians often ignore. Some of you, I’m guessing, might never have heard a sermon on Esther. Yet among the Jewish people, it’s one of the most popular stories. They read it out loud each year at the feast of Purim, a feast commemorating the events of this book.
(In fact, whenever Esther is read at the feast of Purim, every time the arch villain of the story is mentioned, the audience makes disparaging noises. A bit like a bad pantomime. Or if an Australian prime minister turns up to a sporting event. So whenever you read the name ‘Haman’ later in the story – he’s the bad guy – if you really want to get into the spirit of it, you need to boo and hiss. Maybe in your head, if you’re reading this on public transport. )
timmacbride.com 