Harvard scholar Karen L. King announced the discovery of the papyrus which causes some people to think that Jesus had a wife! The religious and secular world seems excited about this new discovery. This caused me to wonder what if Jesus did have a wife. Three observations seem in order:
1. It is not a sin if Jesus did have a wife. It would not change anything about His life. He was fully human and fully God.
2. If he were married then the Scriptures tell us nothing about it. The early Christians never mentioned it. The apostles never mentioned it. The Bible does not say He had a wife. We are on very solid ground when we accept the tradition that he was never married.
At first this self-centered judge ignored her, but her persistence finally paid off. The judge thought, “Because this widow keeps bothers me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming.” (18:4-5).
This seems like an odd story from Jesus. Why would Jesus tell such a story? It is not really about taking our troubles to a worldly judge, but about our taking our troubles to our heavenly Judge.
we know this because the story ends with Jesus saying, “Listen to what hte unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?” (Luke 18:6-7)
Jesus is saying that we ought to pray God answers. Too many times Christians claim to have prayed, but what they we really mean is “I mentioned it in prayer.” When God doesn’t answer after the first prayer we give up and say, “Prayer does not work.”
When you have trouble, pray. When you have needs, pray. When your friend or loved one has a need, pray. When you have prayed, pray again. When you get no apparent answer pray and pray again. Never give up prayer. It is our only hope.
Perhaps God is waiting till we persist in prayer before he gives us the answer.
Lonnie Davis
King Saul lost his kingdom in the hill country of Bethel. There and his large army of 3,000 faced off against a Philistine army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 men on horses, and soldiers “as numerous as the sand on the seashore.” As daunting as the odds were it was not the enemy that destroyed him. King Saul’s destruction came from inside him. He failed for lack of faith.
Saul knew that he needed a sacrifice to God before he could engage the enemy. He waited and waited and waited and yet the prophet did not come. After seven days Saul offered the sacrifice himself. It sounds harmless, but God had already told him to let the prophet offer the sacrifice. (1 Sam 13:13).
He had many reasons for offering the sacrifice:
1. He was scared. He had 3,000 soldiers against a massive army.
2. He was pressured by the people. He said that he saw his soldiers leaving.
3. He was logical. It seemed like the things to do.
4. It wasn’t his fault. His first line of defense was “When I saw that the men were scattering.”
Excuses, Excuses. They are all just excuses.
The truth is far simpler. In the face of overwhelming odds, King Saul did not have faith in what God told him to do. He figured things out the best way he knew how and did not simply trust God. Seeing this lack of faith the prophet told him, “Now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of His people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.” (1 Sam 13:14).
King Saul lost his kingdom in the hill country of Bethel. He lost it because he did not have the faith to do what God told him to do. He thought he had a better way to do things. He though God would not carry through with what He said He would do.
Faith is not faith if it is the result of your own logic. Faith is only faith when it is all you have.
Lonnie Davis