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 verses building treasures in heaven? Here the lesson is about wasting money – money that does not even belong to us but to our Master. My natural tendency when I read this Scripture is to assume that God is not talking to me; after all, I don’t have that much money to waste. But this morning I know He is talking to me.

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.

“And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light. Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.

“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 16:8b-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? Will I go out of my way?

“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 reckless love of God in my own life and choose to love others with that same kind of persistence?

Today’s Reading: Luke 14:7-35

How much does this seat cost?

When we buy tickets for a concert or baseball game, we have a decision to make about what seats we are willing to pay for. We can decide to purchase the premium seats or save money by choosing seats further back or higher up. When we buy plane tickets, the same decision needs to be made. Are we willing to pay more for a seat at the front of the plane with extra room for our legs and elbows? We consider the price of each ticket and how many tickets we will be purchasing. We count the cost and make our decision.

Where are you going to sit?

Jesus noticed that all who had come to dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!

“Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” – Luke 14:7-11

Maybe this is where we developed the customary question, “Is this seat taken?” It has become a common courtesy to ask this question before sitting down in a seat. But our human nature is to think of ourselves first – to provide for our own needs, then care for others out of our excess. Jesus preaches a different kind of lifestyle – a commitment to Him in which we think of God and how He would want us to care for others before our concern for ourselves. Jesus is not encouraging us to pretend humility but to sincerely humble ourselves, thinking of others first.

Who are you going to sit with?

Jesus addresses the question of who we are choosing to sit with as well. Do we think of who will make us look good or who will make us feel better about ourselves? Or do we ask the question, “Who would you like for me to love on today, Jesus?”

Then he turned to the host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.” – Luke 14:12-14

Again, we should not be focused on what we can gain from someone else but on what someone else can gain from God through us. God wants us responding to His Spirit and ministering to whoever He sends us to, not thinking of ourselves for own gain but seeing ourselves as tools God may want to use in any and every situation. But how often do we make excuses for our own selfishness? How often is our commitment to our own plans stronger than our commitment to God’s plans for us?

Will you accept the invitation to be seated?

Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.’

“The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’” – Luke 14:16-24

Are you willing to pay the price for this seat?

Commitment to God – fully devoted to Him. God calls us to COUNT THE COST before making the decision of whether or not to accept His invitation. It will require humility; it will require us to be more committed to Him than we are to our own plans. Today is a great day to renew our commitment. God, how would you like to use me today?

A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, “If you want to be my disciple, 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. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.

“But don’t begin until you COUNT THE COST. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’

“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.

“Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!” – Luke 14:25-33

Today’s Reading: Matthew 18:12-14; John 10:1-21

“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” — John 10:1-5

It might seem like a random analogy for Jesus to use as he spoke that day, but it was the Festival of Dedication (Hanukkah) and it made sense to the people who were listening. The Festival of Dedication commemorated the rededication of the Temple after it had been defiled by Antiochus IV. At this Festival, the priests would do some self-examination, considering their own commitment or dedication to the ministry to which they had been called. They would reflect on Ezekiel 34, when the Lord was upset with the “shepherds” or leaders of Israel. He accused them of abandoning the flock and taking care of themselves first, leaving the sheep to starve. He had appointed them to watch over his people but they had been unfaithful and He would have to do it Himself.

God said, “I myself will search and find my sheep…I will find my sheep and rescue them…I will bring them back home…I will feed them…I will give them good pastureland…I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace…I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak…You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” – Ezekiel 34:11-16,31

To what ministry have you been assigned and how well are you watching over the sheep in your care? Whether it is the small group I lead or the class I teach, am I putting forth my best effort? Am I concerned about the spiritually starving; am I pursuing the hearts of those who are wandering away? Have I become comfortable and self-focused rather than keeping my eyes on the flock? Am I feasting on God’s provision without sharing the abundance of God with others? Today is a time of rededication — a time to examine my service to God.

“I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.” – John 10:6-13

Often we read this passage and see ourselves as the sheep, but we have much to gain by putting ourselves in the role of the hired hand. We have been given responsibility over others by the Good Shepherd himself. Some of us are even blessed to be employed and receive compensation for our time. That allows us to spend more time focused on the ministry to which we have been assigned, but we must be careful not to let it become only a job instead of working intently to please the Shepherd. We cannot run when things get tough. We must listen to the voice of the Shepherd. We must see ourselves as also being under His care. We must care about the sheep; we must pay attention to those who are wandering away or already lost.

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.” – Matthew 18:12-14

God, strengthen my call this morning. Give me a fresh desire to serve you by serving others. Lord, I am listening for your voice, a voice I know so well because you are my Shepherd. What do you want me to do with this day you have given me? Help me to see all of your sheep through your eyes – that I would never abandon this responsibility that you have given me, that none would starve while in my care. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Luke 11:37-54, 18:9-14; Matthew 23

DO YOU KNOW HIM?

As Jesus was speaking, one of the Pharisees invited him home for a meal. So he went in and took his place at the table. His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom. – Luke 11:37-38

Jesus was calling the crowds to get to know him; he was giving his disciples an even closer opportunity to get to know him. But Jesus was also giving the religious leaders the opportunity to walk away from their obsession with religion and get to know the source of their salvation. Their focus was misdirected and he was giving them the chance to align their focus on the eternal. They were focused on the outside instead of the inside.

Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness! Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside? So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over. — Luke 11:39-41

The religious leaders were focused on tithing but ignoring justice and the love of God. They were caught up in the glory of their religious position instead of positioning themselves to get to know the Savior. They were demanding legalistic compliance with the law instead of inviting God’s people into a covenant relationship with their Creator.

DO YOU SEEK HIM?

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either. — Matthew 23:13

Jesus used the same language that the prophets used and the Pharisees would have recognized those three strong words — What sorrow awaits the proud and rebellious (Isaiah 28:1, 30:1). What sorrow awaits those who destroy and scatter those they were called to care for (Jeremiah 23:1). What sorrow awaits the shepherds who feed themselves instead of feeding their sheep (Ezekiel 34:2). What sorrow awaits those who have deserted me (Hosea 7:13). What sorrow awaits those who feel secure (Amos 6:1, Habakkuk 2:9). What sorrow awaits those who think up evil plans (Micah 2:1). What sorrow awaits the shepherd who abandons the flock (Zechariah 11:17).

Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “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.’

“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 to 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 18:9-14

Who do you relate to in Jesus’ story? It is easy to get caught up in the routine of religion and the trap of self-righteousness and lose all perspective of our salvation. It is by grace that we have been saved. When we recognize the gift that we have been given and our own unworthiness of that gift, we fall on our knees and cry out to God, “Have mercy on me, for I am a sinner!”

DO YOU KNOW HIM? DO YOU SEEK HIM?

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never KNEW you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’” – Matthew 7:21-23

Father God, we are so unworthy of this journey of grace that we are on. Fill us with your spirit and remind us daily of the impact your presence is making on our sinful hearts. Give us a growing faith and an eagerness to know you more. Fill our cups with your sanctifying power and give us a burning desire to know you and be known by you. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Luke 13:10-17, 22-30, 14:1-6

One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God! – Luke 13:10-13

If you have ever pulled your back out or had back pain, you quickly empathize with this woman. 18 years of back pain; 18 years of looking at the ground when she walked. Yes, I imagine her response was absolutely to praise God! Can you picture it? She is standing tall with her arms lifted high above her head, thanking God for freedom and healing! SHE KNOWS! She knows the difference Jesus has made in her life and SHE KNOWS who is responsible!

You KNOW her pain and you probably KNOW this story, but do you KNOW the One who healed her? Not everyone knew God the way this woman did; not everyone praised God for His faithfulness. Some were too caught up in rules and too distracted by the WHEN to focus on the WHO.

“There are six days of the week for working,” [the leader in charge of the synagogue] said to the crowd. “Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.”

But the Lord replied, “You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall and lead it out for water? This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?” – Luke 13:14b-16

Jesus cared more about the one suffering than he did about the religious regulations and opinions of the religious leaders. He healed the woman on the Sabbath while teaching in the synagogue, right there for all to see. Shortly after this, on another Sabbath day, Jesus healed a man while he was eating dinner in the home of a leader of the Pharisees. Scripture says the people were watching him closely, but this did not keep him from touching the man with swollen arms and legs, healing him of his discomfort (Luke 14:1-6).

“Which of you doesn’t work on the Sabbath? If your son or your cow falls into a pit, don’t you rush to get him out?” – Luke 14:5b

DO YOU KNOW HIM?

Time and time again, Jesus showed who he was. The people had the choice to get to KNOW him, to focus on the man and see him as their Savior. We have that same choice. Jesus wants us to KNOW him – to have a personal relationship with him instead of a religion and set of rules.

Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?”

He replied, “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t KNOW you or where you come from.’ Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t KNOW you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.’” – Luke 13:24-27

It takes more than being actively involved in a church or giving your time and resources to a good cause. We were created to have a relationship with our Creator. We can be of great importance to the church and still miss out on the narrow door to God’s Kingdom.

But isn’t that why we do this? We get up every morning and find a quiet spot to get to KNOW our Savior. “My Morning Coffee” time is not about the caffeine, it is about waking up in God’s presence and getting to KNOW Him – humbly listening for Him to teach us and willing to obey what He commands.

“Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then.” – Luke 13:30b

Today’s Reading: John 9 & 11:1-44; Luke 11:33-36

THE PAIN

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”

“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” – John 9:1-5

Why has this happened? How could God allow this? Why is this person going through such a difficult time? Our hearts break when we watch those we love get sick; we fall to our knees when a diagnosis changes our lives forever. What did we do? Why has God allowed this suffering? We cannot see the road ahead of us through the pain and tears. What is ahead appears so dark; it is not a journey we want to walk and we beg God to take it away!

Jesus says – I am the light of the world. I will shine my light in the darkness that surrounds you. This has happened so the power of God can be seen in you!

Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing. – John 9:6-7

Later, after the man had been questioned by the Pharisees, Jesus found him and asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.”

“You have seen him,” Jesus said, and he worshiped Jesus.

Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment – to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” – John 9:35-39

How often do we think our faith is strong until something tragic happens and then we realize we do not have enough faith to get us through this difficult time. We realize we are blind and we need Jesus, the Light of the World, to give us sight. We want to believe – Lord, help us to believe! Strengthen our faith and shine your light into our situation.

THE TEARS

Mary and Martha asked similar questions of Jesus when their brother died. They were grieving and begging Jesus to explain himself – to do something!

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” – John 11:21-22

When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” – John 11:32

Before arriving, Jesus had told his disciples, “Lazarus’ sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this” (John 11:4). Later, at Lazarus’ grave, Jesus said, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” (John 11:40-44).

Why has this happened? So that we can see the Light of the World and believe; so that we can see the glory of God! Perhaps this prayer is for you today:

Heavenly Father, thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me but sometimes I need to remind myself that you are listening, that you love me and have not abandoned me. God, when I feel like darkness is closing in around me and my heart is breaking, please give me sight! Light of the World, wrap your arms around me so that I can see YOU in the midst of all that is happening around me. Show me your glory! Please do something so miraculous that it can only be explained as your power and your glory! Help me to believe, give me the MIRACLE OF SIGHT today. Then fill me with your light, so that I can be radiant for you today. Amen.

“No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts in under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.

“Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness. Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.” – Luke 11:33-36

Today’s Reading: Luke 12:35-59 and 13:1-5; Matthew 23:37-39; Luke 13:31-35

“Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.” – Luke 12:35-36

Jesus wanted his disciples to understand that he was leaving them and they would need to be responsible servants while he was gone. They had a job to do in his absence and he expected them to do it. It would not be easy but he wanted them to understand his instructions and be prepared for what was ahead. Servants who are ready when the master returns will be rewarded; servants who have not carried out the master’s instructions will be punished.

“…When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” – Luke 12:48b

Just as Jesus was warning his disciples of the crisis that was ahead and urging them to stay on task after he is gone, devastating news arrived. Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices in the Temple. This did not happen because the worshippers were sinners or deserved death. No, they were simply exercising their right to worship and their lives were unjustly taken from them.

THE CHAOS

These verses remind me of the 2017 tragedy when a gunman opened fire in a baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas killing 26 people; or when a young man killed 9 people in a methodist church in Charleston, South Carolina in 2015. It is in moments like these that we need to remember Jesus’ advice to his disciples in Luke 12. It is in the midst of the chaos and crowd that we need to HUDDLE UP and listen carefully to what Jesus is saying:

Do not fear what people can do to you, fear only God.
Do not worry about your everyday needs, but focus on God and His Kingdom.
Do not be confident in what this world has to offer and store up earthly treasures, but understand they can all be gone in a moment.
Pray God will give you a heart that desires the treasures of Heaven.
Until Christ returns, be a faithful servant and carry out the work He has given.

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.” – Luke 12:31

Jesus was moving the focus of his disciples from the kingdoms of this world to the Kingdom of God. When we focus on the uncertainty of our safety or depend upon the favor of earthly authority, we can quickly panic about what tomorrow holds. When some Pharisees came to Jesus to warn him that he was in danger if he stayed in Jerusalem, he set a good example for us of how to react to the threat of danger.

Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and the third day I will accomplish my purpose. Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem!

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned. And you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’” – Luke 13:32-35

Keep doing what God has called you to do despite the threat of danger. Be a faithful servant of the task to which you have been assigned until the Master returns. Stay when God tells you to stay and move on when He tells you to leave. Go about the work to which you have been called and trust Him to be with you no matter what CHAOS you find yourself in.

Lord, we are trusting you for the days ahead. We place our children and the generations to come in your faithful hands and intentionally choose to focus on your Kingdom. Give us peace when opposition arrives and strength when the battle ignites. We will keep on. We will strive to accomplish our purpose. We will choose each day to proceed on our way.

Today’s Reading: Luke 12:1-12, 22-34

At this point, the crowds following Jesus were huge! Luke described the crowd as thousands of people milling around and stepping on each other. In the middle of this large crowd, in the midst of the chaos, Jesus turned to his disciples and spoke directly to them. I wonder how caught off guard they were. Here they were surrounded by the masses, who were all there to hear from Jesus, and he was taking the time to huddle up with them and teach them.

Jesus knew something they did not know. He knew their time together was drawing to an end. He knew the plot against his life was building strength and he knew what was coming. But his disciples were not ready. There were things he needed to say, things they needed to hear, and he was not going to wait another minute to tell them.

Beware of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. What they are planning and what they are whispering in dark corners will soon be revealed for all to see. Do not be afraid of them. Fear only God, who holds your future in His hands. Do not be afraid and do not worry.

“What is the price of five sparrows – two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” – Luke 12:6-7

Jesus knew those who were plotting to kill and destroy would turn their focus on his disciples after he was gone. They would not be content with killing Jesus, they would keep targeting their envy until all Jesus’ followers stopped speaking of him. He did not say to his disciples “if”, he said “when”. And he said – Do not worry. Do not be afraid.

“And WHEN you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said…” – Luke 12:11-12

At that point, a man in the crowd interrupted them with a question for Jesus. I imagine this was a welcomed distraction for the disciples as they tried to soak in all that Jesus had just said to them. Jesus gave the man his attention as his disciples processed the warning Jesus had just given them.

I can only imagine what they must have been thinking. What did Jesus just say was going to happen? Tell me again, Jesus, how I am not supposed to worry. Tell me how I am valuable to the God who will never forget me. Jesus, who knew their thoughts, redirected his attention to them.

Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you NOT TO WORRY about everyday life – whether you have enough food to eat or clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body is more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?

“Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

“And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you EVERYTHING you need.

So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

“Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” – Luke 12:22-34

My prayer this morning is that God has a message for you within that passage. Perhaps life is loud and there is a lot going on all around you, yet you feel God speaking into your situation. I pray you are able to hear Him say that He cares for you and that He will give you everything you need for all that is ahead. So don’t be afraid. Give your life to follow God wherever He leads you. Your treasure is safe with Him, just as your heart is.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 7:13-29, 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21

Yesterday I started out my morning coffee with the statement that there is something unique in our relationship with our siblings. Today I would like to build on the idea that there was nothing unique in Jesus’ relationship with his siblings.

Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” – Mark 3:31-35

For a relationship to be unique, it has to be one of a kind, unlike anything else. It has to be distinctive and special. Some sibling relationships are so tight knit that it is hard to fully understand the dynamics between the individuals. They have their own way of communicating to each other and they are known by their brothers or sisters in a way that no one else knows them.

But what Jesus communicated is that any of us can have that kind of special relationship with him. Jesus’ intent was most likely not to disregard his family or disrespect his mother, but to make it known to those around him that he had the capacity to love them in the same way that he loved his earthly family.

He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” – Luke 8:21

Whoever does the will of God is now in a sibling relationship with Christ Jesus. We are now known by him as brother and sister and mother. When we hear the word of God and then let it impact our way of thinking and our actions, we enter into a familial relationship with Jesus. When we receive what God is saying and put His words into practice, we become family. We know Him and He knows us.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ – Matthew 7:21-23

When we live in relationship with Jesus and respond in obedience to the life God is calling us to, we have the promise of entering into the kingdom of heaven. On that day, we will be greeted as family and recognized by the fruit of our lives as we enter through the narrow gate.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” – Matthew 7:13-20

So let’s live this life in confidence that we are loved by the God to whom we daily give our lives. When we live out our relationship with Jesus, we produce fruit. When we hear the words of God and then put them into practice, we are like a wise man who built his house upon a rock. Let the rains come down and the streams rise; let the winds blow and beat against the house. Our foundation is firmly built upon the rock of our salvation — our Savior, our Lord and our brother.