March 5

"The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely..." Luke 6:7 (Mark 3:2); "...He was being carefully watched" Luke 14:1; "They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said..." Luke 20:20b.

"For they were eager to find some charge to bring against him" Luke 6:7 TLB. They were eager. What a way to spend one's time and enthusiasm! The Pharisees appointed themselves vigilantes over the Anointed One. They were ever on the watch for an apparent breach of their conventional rules. The Pharisee watches and sees that which most don't bother to notice. He is cunning and diligent, and doesn't let pass what is a breaking of his law. Never would it dawn on him that he himself is breaking the Sabbath and every other day's law of kindness by his cherishing of such hostility.

And to think that the Pharisee used the cloak of hospitality for his peculiar brand of hostility (Luke 14:1)! To add to the viciousness of it, he laid a trap to ensnare Jesus: "There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy." (V.2) The miracle here was no more spectacular than others Jesus had performed; what is unusual here is the contrast of the everpresent graciousness of Jesus and the surly vindictiveness of these keepers of the allimportant Law. In Matthew 23 Jesus pronounced one of several woes: "Woe to you, teachers of the law...woe...woe...woe...You give a tenth of your spices...But you have neglected the more important matters of the lawjustice, mercy and faithfulness" Matthew 23:23.
The wonder of this story is that Jesus accepted the invitation for He knew their hearts. But "He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" Matthew 5:45. He loves the Pharisee, too, which means He loves us.

Pat Nordman ©

Today's Bible Question ?

What frustrated Egyptian wife claimed her Hebrew servant tried to seduce her?

Previous question and Answer:

The Ammonites' bloodthirsty god was widely known in Israel because of the horrible practice of children being sacrificed to him. What was the name of this god?

Answer - Moloch.

Excerpts from today's Spurgeon's Devotions
Spurgeon's Morning for March 5	Spurgeon's Evening for March 5
	"Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation." - Psalm 35:3
"Let us not sleep, as do others." - 1 Thessalonians 5:6	I need not conclude that I am no Christian because I have doubts.
Christians who isolate themselves and walk alone, are very liable to grow drowsy.

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March 5 Psalms 40:1 - 45:17

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On Courage

"So you think I'm courageous?" she asked.

"Yes, I do."

Perhaps I am. But that's because I've had some inspiring teachers. I'll tell you about one of
them. Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liza who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her five-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, `Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liza."

"As the transfusion progressed, he lay in a bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, 'Will I start to die right away?'

"Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give her all his blood.

"Yes, I've learned courage," she added, "because I've had inspiring teachers."

Today's Devotion

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The A-raiser

"...the Son of Man will be...crucified. And on the third day He shall rise again."

(Matthew 20:19)

Jesus took aside His disciples at least three times to clearly rehearse the events that would soon befall Him. At each account, it seemed their senses put up a resistant front to the "bad news" contained. They were not able to receive these words and keep their hearts open to the full implication. As the words to their Master's demise continued: "betrayed," "condemn," "delivered to," "mock," "scourge" and "crucify," they were left senseless. Bt the end of such a list there was too much sorrow of heart to be lifted up. So, as Jesus finished these forthcoming happenings with "And on the third day, He shall rise again," they seemed hardly impacting.

It is almost as if those ending words were tacked quietly there. Will anyone notice? Will anyone see and be encouraged? Will anyone remember this at the hour of darkness when all are scattering? At least from the recorded responses of the disciples at hearing Jesus' foretelling of these events, there is no indication that they could even persevere with Jesus' train of thought, the ordeal coming to their Beloved Master. It does not appear that they seemed strengthened or able to grasp a hold of this ending Hope being held out to them.

Though the words be few "He shall rise again" and only seemingly relevant to a time thrust way out there in the future, too far to matter when such tragedy was immediate, they are the words that carry EVERYTHING. They are behind the most human-changing, earth-changing revolution that has ever occurred on this earth. The unseen Kingdom of Christ has been established, and it is witnessed today among us. God had the last word, no matter how buried it was in the list of griefs. If He has the last word, then it is an everlasting word and will ever bear fruit among us.

For us, hope way out there seems small. We want it now. The valley perhaps of the shadow of death before us is ominous and takes all our attention. But it is God alone that raises us as dead from the dead. A dead man cannot help himself. It is God alone who has chosen to lift us up. It is sweet.

Aren't we so glad that He is a resurrecting God! These barely heard words are insignificant to the world, yet the aroma and grace and wonder (everthing!) to the Christian's path. How sweet to be raised up again! He did it in Christ and does it through Him in us again and again. He "anistemi's" us. He makes us to stand UP (ani-up, histemi-to stand)! And the process He uses, resurrection: no melody upon our lips and song of the heart will ever be lovelier.

For us, hope way out there seems small. We want it now. The valley perhaps of the shadow of death before us is ominous and takes all our attention.

More Walking Through the Darkness