Today’s Reading: John 11:45-57; Matthew 20:17-19

Because I can look back on yesterday,
and understand NOW what God was teaching me THEN,
I can trust Him with my TODAY
knowing that God has a plan for my TOMORROW.

In the same way, the disciples did not fully understand everything Jesus was teaching them until after his death and resurrection. Early on in his ministry, Jesus began talking about his death. The disciples were slow to understand that Jesus was preparing them, little by little, for what was ahead. As time went on, he would give them a little more information about the suffering that was coming.

Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. – Mark 8:31

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” – Matthew 20:17-19

Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while the groom is with them. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. – Mark 2:19-20

Consider again what Jesus said to Peter, James and John after the Transfiguration on the mountain.

Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.” Suddenly, when they looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus with them. As they went back down the mountain, he told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept it to themselves, but they often asked each other what he meant by “rising from the dead.” – Mark 9:7-10

God could have opened up the minds of the disciples and helped them to understand how Scripture was being fulfilled. Jesus could have had a lengthy conversation with His followers, clearly revealing His role and what was about to take place.

SOMETIMES GOD REVEALS HIS PLAN A LITTLE AT A TIME.

“The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.” They didn’t understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant. – Mark 9:31b-32

They were now on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe, and the people following behind were overwhelmed with fear. – Mark 10:32a

They did not understand what was about to happen, yet they could feel the enormity of what was coming. They had the choice to walk away, yet they continued to follow Jesus. Their love for Jesus and their faith in him was enough to keep them moving forward, regardless of their fear or anticipation of the unknown.

Perhaps that describes you. You do not fully understand how God’s plan fits in the middle of your situation but you love Him enough to keep moving forward. You struggle to grasp what is happening but you choose to follow Jesus anyhow. The weight of your circumstances is overwhelming but your faith keeps you hoping — regardless of the fear or anticipation of the unknown. My prayer this morning is that God will give you the strength you need and that He will reveal Himself to you in the middle of your reality. I pray that you are able to trust Him as He shows up for you again today.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 20:1-16; Luke 19:1-10

PEOPLE IN THE MARKETPLACE

There once was a landowner who hired workers for his vineyard, agreeing to pay them a normal daily wage. A few hours later, he saw some people standing in the marketplace with nothing to do – no purpose, no plans. He hired them to also work in his vineyard. At noon and then again at 3pm and 5pm, the landowner hired more people from the marketplace, sending them to work in his vineyards.

At the end of the day, the foreman paid the last workers first, giving them each a full day’s wage. When those hired early in the morning came through the line, they also received a full day’s wage. Can you imagine their shock? “Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.”

The landowner responded, “Friends, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?”

Jesus took this opportunity to make a strong statement to all those listening: “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.” – (Matthew 20:1-16)

Jesus knows our humanity enough to know that we battle selfishness and jealousy. We are quick to respond to injustice and cry out, “It’s not fair!” In this parable, the injustice is that those who spend the majority of their life producing fruit for the Master could end up with the same reward as those who live a long life of sin, accepting late in life the salvation that comes through Jesus. Our tendency is to focus on how the prodigals have spent a great deal of their life not following Jesus, seeing the scars of their sins instead of the scars of our Savior. Jesus died to transform the lives of the lost and he can do the same for our selfish hearts.

PEOPLE IN THE TREETOPS

Or perhaps we get so caught up in working for God that we no longer see those standing in the marketplace who have no purpose, no plan. We pass them by in a hurry to get to the vineyard. We no longer look up in the treetops to see who is curious about God from a distance; we miss the opportunity to open the door for those who do not feel worthy of walking into our fellowship because of their sins.

Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. – Luke 19:1-2

Although Zacchaeus was a Jew, he worked for Rome collecting taxes from other Jews. The only way a tax collector would gain wealth in this job was to charge Jews a great deal more than he was required to give to Rome. He was seen as dishonest and disloyal; he was considered a traitor and a cheat.

He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.

When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”

Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.

Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this house today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” – Luke 19:3-10

How often do we walk around the “trees” because we despise the sins of others?
How often do we ignore the “trees” and those who are potentially seeking Jesus?
How often do we give up on others, assuming they are too steeped in sin to repent?

PEOPLE AT THE TABLE

The Jewish people saw Zacchaeus as wicked but Jesus saw only who Zacchaeus was meant to be. We need to see people as Jesus does. Let’s start looking for people in trees and invite them to the table. Let’s take notice of those standing in the marketplace and invite them to come work in the vineyard. This is not an invitation only country club. All are welcome, for the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.

Lord, give us a burden for the lost that changes the way we see those around us today. Give us EYES TO SEE and HEARTS TO NOTICE the need of salvation in those we come in contact with each day. Amen.

[The idea for today’s devotion was inspired by a sermon I heard in 2015 by Eric Samuel Timm.]

Today’s Reading: Matthew 19:1-12, 21:12-22, 28-32; Mark 10:1-12, 11:12-25; Luke 19:45-48

Jesus went to the fig tree looking for fruit and there was none.

In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up. – Matthew 21:18-19

Jesus went to the Temple looking for fruit and there was none.

Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” – Matthew 21:12-13

Jesus looked for fruit while considering the issue of divorce and there was none.

“Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?”

Jesus responded, “…’God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation. ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.” – Mark 10:2b, 6-9

What is worse – to say you will NOT bear fruit but then bear fruit, or to say that you WILL bear fruit but then NOT bear fruit?

“But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.

“Which of the two obeyed his father?” – Matthew 21:28-31a

Jesus has purchased our salvation and prepared the way for us to bear fruit. He expects us to do what he has called us to do – bear fruit. If we do not make use of this salvation and bear fruit as he intended, what will his response be?

“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” – Matthew 7:15-20

Producing fruit is not something I can do on my own. “Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” I have to allow God to make me into a good tree in order to produce good fruit. I go to God, just as I am, submitting who I am in order to be clothed with who He is.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 20:29-34 and 21:18-22; Mark 10:46-52 and 11:12-14,20-25; Luke 18:35-43

As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” – Matthew 20:29-30

Can you hear the passion in their voices? Can you hear the desperation and the desire to be healed? They were not just asking for mercy, they were pleading for help. They were not calling out to a simple prophet, they were recognizing that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the Son of David, their Lord.

Pray with passion…

“Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them.

But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord,” they said, “we want to see!” – Matthew 20:31-33

Jesus is giving these two men the opportunity to say specifically what they want him to do for them. He knows the desire of their heart and their physical need is obvious, but Jesus allows them the opportunity to define what they want him to do and why. It is in this moment that the crowd sees the faith of two men who desire nothing more than to see the face of Jesus.

Pray specifically. What are you asking Jesus to do for you today?

Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him. – Matthew 20:34

In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up.

The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” – Matthew 21:18-20

Pray confidently, knowing what Jesus is capable of accomplishing…

Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” – Matthew 21:21-22

Perhaps these words of Jesus are hard to receive because you have not experienced the answer your heart desires when you pray. I have definitely been there. This reminder is good for me to hear. I pray God gives me the faith to…

Pray passionately.
Pray specifically.
Pray from a DOUBTLESS FAITH.
Pray with CONFIDENT BOLDNESS.
Pray with HUMBLE EXPECTATION.
Pray with SHAMELESS PERSISTENCE.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 20:20-28

What is heavy on your heart? What are you praying for right now? What do you need to see God do? This morning’s study on prayer continues where we left off yesterday.

Jesus taught us to pray – to bring our requests to God.
Jesus taught us how to pray – with SHAMELESS PERSISTENCE.
Jesus taught us to pray from a place of hope — with HUMBLE EXPECTATION.
Jesus taught us to pray from a place of faith — with CONFIDENT BOLDNESS.

Pray boldly…

Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. “What is your request?” he asked.

She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”

But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”

“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” – Matthew 20:20-22

What is your reaction to this confident boldness displayed by James and John? Our first reaction is to judge their request, but their heart’s desire is revealed in Jesus’ question for them and their eager response to that question. Jesus, if you are going to be arrested, let them arrest me too. Jesus, if you are going to suffer, let me suffer alongside you. They were willing to suffer for Christ and they longed to be as close to Jesus as possible, in life and in death.

Pray sacrificially…

Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or on my left. My father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”

When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Matthew 20:23-28

We learn from Matthew 20 that God wants us to pray with confident boldness that comes from a heart of faith – a heart that is willing to suffer for Christ and a heart that is humbly prepared to serve others.

Pray from a heart willing to serve…

When we are confidently bringing our requests to God, it is worth examining our hearts. What place do our prayers come from; what intentions motivate our words? Are we praying from the heart of a sacrificial servant? At times it is incredibly difficult to pray from a place of submission, praying as Jesus taught us — may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Lord, give us the confidence to pray with boldness and give us the strength to bow our will to yours. Lord, hear us when we pray today. We beg you to consider our requests and see the desires of our heart.

Today’s Reading: Luke 18:15-26 and 11:11-13; Matthew 19:13-30; Mark 10:13-31

Pray to God humbly without self-righteousness…

“Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week and I give you a tenth of my income.’” — Luke 18:10-12

Pray to God without the attitude that God owes you…

“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful on me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” – Luke 18:13-14

Pray to God with childlike faith…

“Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” – Luke 18:16-17

Pray to God with empty hands…

Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’”

The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”

When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.

When Jesus saw this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?” – Luke 18:18-26

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?” – Matthew 19:26-27

Pray to God knowing He is generous…

Jesus went on to describe the heart of God to his disciples. He recognizes those who sacrifice earthly pleasure to pursue the will of God, and He has eternal blessings in store for each of them. He loves to give good gifts to His children!

“You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” – Luke 11:11-13

And what better gift for us to receive than the Holy Spirit. It is in moments of weakness and discouragement when we struggle to even know how to pray. God, knowing exactly what we need, gives His Spirit to intercede for us and to give us peace when we need to trust that God is working everything out according to His purpose.

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. – Romans 8:26-28

I encourage you to put everything away and simply spend some time praying this morning. Pray with shameless persistence as you bring your needs to the Lord and with the humble expectation that you will be heard by your Heavenly Father. Know that God loves you and ask Him to give you a fresh infilling of His Spirit today.

Today’s Reading: Luke 18:1-8, 27-30 and 11:1-10

Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

Jesus said, “This is how you should pray:
Father may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
Give us each day the food we need,
and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation.” — Luke 11:1-4

There are moments in our life when the words do not come easily. There are situations in our life that leave us wondering how to pray or what to pray for. Jesus, knowing our need to be able to express ourselves, gave us lots of direction on how to pray. But do we fully utilize his directions on how to come to our Heavenly Father with our needs, with our burdens, with our questions?

Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread…And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this – though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you KEEP KNOCKING long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your SHAMELESS PERSISTENCE.

“And so I tell you, KEEP ON asking, and you will receive what you ask for. KEEP ON seeking, and you will find. KEEP ON knocking, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” – Luke 11:6-10

Ask, then ask again. Seek an answer, then keep seeking. Knock on the door of heaven, then keep knocking. Bring your requests to God with shameless persistence. Keep on knocking with determination, keep on praying with persistence, keep on asking with tenacity.

Pray to God with shameless persistence…

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him REPEATEDLY saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her CONSTANT REQUESTS!’”

Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” – Luke 18:1-8

Pray believing that God hears you; pray trusting that He will grant you justice. Take the gift of faith that He has given you and use it to bring your needs to Him over and over again. Continue to pray to Him with perseverance, resolving to believe that He hears you and that no situation is too big for Him.

Pray in faith, knowing that nothing is impossible for God…

He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”

Peter said, “We’ve left our homes to follow you.”

“Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come.” – Luke 18:27-30

Father God, may my life be an example of my faith; may my actions show how firmly I believe that all things are possible with you. Give me the strength to leave behind my old habits of worry. I will walk and I will not faint; I will soar on wings like eagles. I will lean on the promise that you will renew my strength as I continue to bring my requests to you with shameless persistence. Here I am, Lord, waiting on you.

Pray…

Today’s Reading: Luke 17

How much does this seat cost? How much does this search cost? How much does this lifestyle cost? For the last three days we have asked ourselves some tough questions. We have asked God to expose our heart regarding our priorities and the use of our resources. Today, we consider another tough question – How would you like that served?

SERVE GOD GENEROUSLY

Luke chapter 16 speaks strongly of how we should serve God generously with our time, resources and money. In Luke 17, Jesus calls us to serve God faithfully, as a servant would serve his master. To serve God faithfully requires obedient submission to Jesus and His commands. We serve God faithfully, not looking for applause or thanks, but simply out of obedience and dedication to our Master.

SERVE GOD FAITHFULLY

“When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of the sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’” – Luke 17:7-10

We know that God blesses His children, but do I serve Him in order to obtain those blessings or am I content in simply knowing that I have obeyed? Is it enough to know that my Master is pleased with my faithfulness?

SERVE GOD OBEDIENTLY

As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master have mercy on us!”
He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. – Luke 17:12-14

Jesus could have touched them and healed them immediately but instead, he gave them a command. Their response was immediate obedience. Before they even completed the task Jesus asked of them, they had received their healing.

SERVE GOD THANKFULLY

One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.” – Luke 17:15-19

SERVE GOD FOR HIS GLORY

When we take the time to thank God for all He is doing for us, we are taking the glory of the good in our lives and giving that glory back to God. We don’t assume God knows we are thankful. We don’t wonder if our blessings are circumstantial. God gets the credit. It is not a result of my own doing or righteousness, but out of His grace and mercy, so God gets the glory!

SERVE GOD PATIENTLY WAITING FOR HIS COMING

Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when the Son of Man returns, but you won’t see it. People will tell you, ‘Look, there is the Son of Man,’ or ‘Here he is,’ but don’t go out and follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so it will be on the day when the Son of Man comes. But first the Son of Man must suffer terribly and be rejected by this generation.

“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all.

“And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business – eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building – until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be ‘business as usual right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day a person out on the deck of the roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.” – Luke 17:22-36

Lord, our prayer this morning is that you would be pleased with our service to you; that you would find us to be generous, faithful, obedient and thankful. We give you the glory for all of the good in our lives — yesterday, today and tomorrow. Our plan today is to go about the business you have called us to as we patiently wait for your return. We are your servants; you are our master. With eyes fixed on you, we give you thanks for your grace and mercy. We love you, Father God. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Luke 16

Then Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money. So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order because you are going to be fired.’” – Luke 16:1-2

Have you ever noticed how much time Jesus spends talking about money and the temptations of worldly riches versus building treasures in heaven? Here the lesson is about wasting money – money that does not belong to us but to our Master. When the man realized that he would soon be out of a job and homeless, he decided it was time to make friends – fast! He went around to his customers and one by one reduced the debt they owed to the employer, creating a group of people who were grateful to him. Instead of being angry, the employer admired the shrewdness of the manager.

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own? No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” – Luke 16:10-13

In our society, money = status. In Heaven, it will not. But how we use the resources God gives us here on earth will certainly impact our eternity. Jesus told this story:

“There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

“Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.

“The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’

“But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetimes you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’

“Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’

“But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’

“The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’

“But Abraham replied, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’” – Luke 16:19-31

As Americans, we fill our calendars with plans of how we will spend our time earning money and then we enjoy our down time spending that money. We fill our time with golf outings, shopping trips and luxurious vacations. We stand in line at Starbucks or spend hours in front of our television, but do not have time to volunteer at a local nonprofit or on the church work day. We plan our retirement but are we considering the eternity of others?

What if we stopped SPENDING our time and started INVESTING it instead? What if we stopped STORING up our earthly treasures and started GIVING to the needs around us? What if we stopped FILLING our closets and started EMPTYING our arms of everything temporary we are holding onto so tightly? What if we entered Heaven’s gates with no regrets of how we lived our lives on earth?

Lord, open my ears so that I may hear YOU today. Show me ways in which I am wasting my money, my time, my resources, my life. May I live each moment directed by YOU, filling my time and using my resources for Heavenly gain and not earthly status or pleasures. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Luke 15

Count the cost…NO ONE can be more important.

“If you want to be my disciples, you must hate everyone else by comparison – your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14:26

Count the cost…NOTHING can be more important.

“Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.” –Luke 14:31-33

Count the cost…AM I PREPARED to leave the ninety-nine to rescue the one?

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over nine-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!” – Luke 15:4-7

Count the cost…HOW HARD am I willing to search for the lost? Am I praying for the prodigals?

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” – Luke 15:8-10

Count the cost…Will I REJOICE when the lost is found? Will I join Heaven’s celebration or am I too focused on myself to find joy in someone else’s salvation?

To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

“A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’

“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’” – Luke 15:11-32

So we ask ourselves again, “How much does this cost?” How much will it cost me to search for the lost and bring them home? Am I willing to pay that price? Am I all in? Is my heart decision following my head decision so that I can rejoice in what God wants to accomplish today? Do I recognize the relentless love of God in my own life, and do I choose to love others with that same kind of persistence?