Feb 20, 2024
EXODUS 40:
Yesterday we read about Bezalel making the
outside articles for worship— like the altar for burnt offerings.
There was a listing of materials used, and then we heard of the
making of the priests' clothes— all according to
how Moses was
instructed by God. And Moses inspected everything and blessed the
people. The stage is set for the start of worship according to
God's instructions.
PSALM 9:
Psalm 9 is a song celebrating God sitting on
his throne and judging justly.
LUKE 7b:
Yesterday we read about Jesus healing a
favorite slave of a Roman officer and the raising of a widow's son
from death. We start today’s rereading where Jesus was speaking
about John the Baptist.
NLT Translation
notes:
Luk. 7:2
At that time [a/the] highly valued slave of a Roman officer a was
sick and near death.
9
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was
following him, he said, “I tell you, I haven’t
[found someone fully believing//seen faith]
like this in all
Israel!”
15 Then the
dead [young man//boy] sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him
back to his mother.
22 [He//Then he]
told John’s disciples, “Go back to
John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the
lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised
to life, and [0/the] Good News is being preached to the
poor.
25 Or were you
expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people who
wear beautiful clothes and live in luxury are found
[instead/0] in
palaces.
26 Were you
looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. 27 John
is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when [God
said,//they say,]
‘
Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of
you,
and he will prepare
your way before you.’
33
For John the Baptist didn’t [join with you in//spend his time]
eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a
demon.’
34
[I, the//The] Son
of Man, on the other hand, [join you in//0]
feasts and drinks, and you
say, [I am// ‘He’s] a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax
collectors and other sinners!’
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw
this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would
know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!
[(And he would tell her to stop!)//0]”
47
“I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she
has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven
[only a//0] little
shows only little love.”
49 The men at the table said among themselves,
“[What kind of man is this//Who is this
man] , that he goes around
forgiving sins?!”
[The
answer to “Who is this man” is “Jesus.” It is more natural in
English to make this rhetorical question as I have
here.]
50 And Jesus said
to the woman, “[You are saved because you fully
believe in me.//Your faith has saved you] [. Go/;
go] in
peace.”
[In English,
'faith' has so many fuzzy meanings, that it makes a verse like this
very unclear. Jesus did NOT use 'faith' to mean such things as
'inner fortitude', 'vague hope', 'blind trust', denominational
faith, or many other meanings. In Greek, 'faith' is simply the noun
form of 'believe'.]
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.