Because they have not been rebuked or suffered for their
injustice and their actions, the rulers believe God is blessing them. They are taking bribes, perverting justice,
and are fat and happy, so they can say, the Lord is among us. We all tend to relax and believe all is well
when we have all we need, when we think God's blessing is with us. Micah sees a time when the law of the Lord is
the law of the world, and Jerusalem will be a place of righteousness and
peace. Remember that Melchizedek was
king of Salem (Jeru-salem) and that meant peace. What Micah sees is the establishment of what
God intended, the city is a city of true peace because it is righteous, it is
established on His Law. John saw the
same in the heavenly Jerusalem.
Luke, in particular, tells us much about women who played
important roles in Jesus' life and ministry.
Women were often treated as second-class citizens at best in this
society, thought to be under the protection and care of their fathers or
husbands, but Jesus allowed them to accompany Him and the disciples and to hear
His teaching. This was an extraordinary
thing in both Jewish and Gentile society at this time. Jesus' attitude towards women elevates them
dramatically. They are capable of learning
and understanding and thus can be responsible just as men, for their own lives
under God. They too were created in His
image. Jesus tells the parable of the
soils to indicate that we are to be freely sowing the word of God, without respect
to the condition of the soil of the hearts of those who hear it.
Felix had persuaded Drusilla, a Jewish woman, to leave her
Jewish husband and marry him. He thought
he could also persuade Paul to offer him a bribe to do justice but Paul never
did. On the other hand he sought to
curry favor with the Jews by denying Paul justice and keeping him
imprisoned. Finally, Felix is replaced
and now, surely, Paul will receive his trial and justice. Paul wants no part of going back to Jerusalem
for trial as he knows this will not go well so he appeals to Caesar as he has
done nothing wrong and believes that perhaps there he will receive impartial judgment. Festus is happy to oblige, he no longer has
to deal with the issue.
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