Saturday, December 18: Luke 16- Developing a life pattern.

   Two intriguing stories bracket this chapter. It opens with a corrupt manager and ends with the intermingled lives of a rich man and a beggar. Buried between these main acts is a single sentence that caught my attention. Verse10: Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

As I read and reread that sentence, I found myself thinking about building a life legacy.  And this word from Jesus reminds me to start in the right direction.

Whoever can be trusted with very little… whoever is dishonest with very little. Certainly a life can change but don’t underestimate your start. Start well signals Jesus.

When I was a youngster my parents emphasized honesty. One day my friends and I got into some neighborhood mischief and a neighbor caught us and sent us scattering into the woods. What I didn’t know was that my neighbor called our parents. When I came home, my mom asked what I had been up to. I lied, replying something like, “Oh, nothing, just riding bikes.” Then the hammer fell.  She started “Mr. So-n-so called…” I don’t remember much of the rest of what she said but what I do remember is the conclusion… “You are in trouble,m not for what you did, but because you lied to me…”

I learned a tremendous lesson about honesty that day, one that has served me well throughout my life.

My parents understood that I should learn this key lesson early in life so I could build a life on honesty.

ON the flip side, statistics show that prison is populated with people who began with petty crimes and over time things escalated. Be wise in choosing your path, that’s the Lord’s devotional ‘take-away’ today…

Lord, I want to be an honest person. Lord, I want to be a person who hears Your voice and follows. Lord, I want to be a person whom You can trust. Lord, where I have started and journeyed well, I pray You will use me.

And, Lord, in those areas where I have not traveled the straight and narrow, I ask Your forgiveness and I pray that you will allow me to start over in the right direction. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen 

 

Friday, December 17: Luke 15- Lost and found.

Luke establishes the scene for the chapter with these words, Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them" (1-2).

Tax collectors and sinners… not a pretty group and certainly not the ‘in-crowd’ or the people you will find gracing the covers and insides of Greenwich Magazine or frequenting ‘The Ave’. And yet, these are precisely the people who were attracted to Jesus and His message. Jesus obviously didn’t mind the company.

Pharisees and teachers of the law hung around Jesus, too, but not so much to hear His words as to catch Him in a compromising situation or statement.

Now comes the meat of the chapter… lost things being found and the joy of finding.

With each of the three lost and found vignettes, the message multiplied.  Finding the lost brings joy to the inhabitants of heaven! Finding the lost no matter where they have been or what they have done or who they have become brings joy to the inhabitants of heaven. Along with this refrain, the parables sing three stanzas of searching, looking, scouring dirty places for the lost… the shepherd searches, the wife scours and the father looks and never stops looking.

There are lost people all around us.  We can write them off as the Pharisees did for tax collectors & sinners or we can catch the melody of Jesus and be about the task of looking and finding…

“Think about it,” whispers the Holy Spirit.  More than that learn to sing and live Jesus’ melody…

God, make me into to a ‘looker and finder’, increase my searching skills so that my legacy this side of eternity will be one who found the lost. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Thursday, December 16: Luke 14- It costs.

Everything I have costs me something. House, car, clothes, family members, you name it and it costs. Last week at lunch with a friend, he commented about another friend of his who has lived with his parents into his 50’s and is only now getting married. “He is ready to retire,” my friend commented, “with no kids and no housing expenses.  He invested his earnings and has quite a portfolio.” I wouldn’t trade my family or my life for any portfolio even though hundreds of thousands of dollars has been spent on rearing kids and basic living in the 30+ years since I graduated college. And I have only mentioned monetary costs but there are also costs in terms of time and emotional energy as well.

Everything has a cost…

Jesus reminds me this morning that even faith costs.

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'

"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. (25-33)

Following Jesus costs.  It can cost us relationships with those we love who don’t understand who Jesus is and what He asks of his followers. History abounds with relatives turning in other relatives for being Christians. Missionaries I know have converts whose families have put a price on their heads because they converted! Extreme cases for sure, nonetheless, very real.

Faith in Jesus costs…

We don’t talk about the costs of faith in the US very often. As I think about that I suspect it has led to a ‘soft faith.’ We highlight the benefits of faith, which are many, but often neglect the costs, which can also be many.

The nudge of the Holy Spirit, as I sit with the Lord this morning, is to consider the cost of following Jesus… the monetary, time, emotional energy, etc. costs of the Christian faith…

Jesus, help me count and willingly pay the costs for following You…

 

 

Wednesday, December 15: Luke 13- Called to repent

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them--do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

The twice repeated phrase “unless you repent” from the lips of Jesus caught my attention. I sometimes pass over the call to repent thinking, “Oh,I did that when I first put my faith in Jesus.” Yes, that is true but as I reflected on this account, I found myself thinking about repentance as an on-going posture of a life submitted to Jesus. I regularly need to repent for actions I have done, thoughts I have entertained and dreams I have dreamt.

I wish my life reflected more of Jesus’ life and less of my former sin-nature but it doesn’t. I am a work in progress. Yes, I have made strides, my life is significantly different and more Jesus-like than when I first repented. Jesus has changed my life! But it seems that the longer and closer I walk with Jesus the more blemishes I see in my life for which I regularly need to repent, seek forgiveness and the strength to break.

Actions, thoughts and dreams flash in my mind.  It is time for me to do some repenting…

Lord Jesus, Almighty Father, Holy Spirit… I come to You with a humble and contrite heart. Forgive me for those areas Your Spirit revealed to me a few moments a go. I turn from them. I repent and ask You to help me gain victory in my life… In and through Jesus, my Lord, I pray. Amen.

 

A Second Tidbit from Chapter 13

Verse 16 is the final word on a brief story of a crippled woman’s healing on the Sabbath. Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?" There is no mention of casting out of a demon in this account yet Jesus says her healing freed her from the bounds of Satan. The thought that healing is freeing someone from the bounds of Satan seemed new to me. Hmmm, healing as a defeat of the enemy… I have to think about that some more. And I invite you to do so as well.

One more related thought.  In Luke 4, quoting Is 61, Jesus said He came to set prisoners free, free from the chains and bounds of Satan. More to chew on…

 

 

Tuesday, December 14: Luke 12- What do I value?

What do I value? What do I give my attention to? Buried in the middle of this chapter, filled with teachings by Jesus on many topics, was a single sentence that caught my eye. Like an arrow it pierced my morning tiredness and made me think, wonder and wrestle.

Verse 34: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I looked deeply at the things I treasure. I saw some good things and many selfish things. I wondered about how much attention I give to these things… LOTS! I tried to be honest with myself but that wasn’t easy. I was tempted to fool myself about my priorities…

I went back and examined the verses immediately preceding my morning arrow.  Jesus’ words were all about possessions. "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys (32-33). In light of this ‘Jesus-word’, I recognized that certain possessions and my quality of life is something to which I give considerable attention. This was neither pleasant nor easy to admit.

And so my morning went. I looked back at the next set of verses again.  The verses were about being watchful for Jesus’ coming and being found doing His business. Would that be me or would I be found treasuring my possessions?  And so my morning soul-searching continued.

God poked and prodded at my faith. God showed me some shortcomings and areas that need my attention

Almighty God and Father, this has been an uncomfortable morning with You. Your word challenges me in places that, obviously, are near to my heart. Lord, it seems appropriate for me to pray a prayer of confession like the one we often pray on communion Sundays…

Most Merciful God, I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. I have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength. I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly sorry and humbly repent. For the sake of your son Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and forgive my sins; that I might delight in your will and walk in your ways to the glory of your holy name. Amen

Thank you for forgiving me.  Show me how to live so that my life grows more and more reflective of my relationship with You each and every year. Amen.

 

Monday, December 13: Luke 11- Hanging on his words.

This chapter is filled with words, thoughts and teachings by Jesus. There are many parallels to Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7).

What occurred to me as I read is how people hung on Jesus’ words. It opens with the disciples who have watched Jesus pray asking him, “How should we pray?” They hungered for Jesus’ teaching on the matter.

After teaching on this and other topics the scene shifts. Jesus casts out a mute demon and reading the crowd, He begins to teach some spiritual principles around casting out of demons. The people (crowds, the text reads) hang on His words.

The crowd swells and Jesus widens His teaching gaze… and so the chapter goes. Jesus teaching; people listening, processing, even interacting.

My mind and spirit began to muse, “Do I listen to Jesus with the intensity of the disciples, crowds, others? Do I interact with Jesus and his teaching?”

The opposite I suppose is letting Jesus’ words roll off my back and drop to the ground without affecting me? (I hope Jesus wouldn’t accuse me of this.)

Which do I do? Such is my soul searching this morning…

Lord, my head acknowledges that Your word is truth.  Do I live out that truth? Lord, help me grow in curiosity of Your word. Help me grow in interest for Your word, for the direction it will give, the correction it supplys, and the help it always offers. Help me be attentive to You and Your word, Lord…. In Your name I pray. Amen.

 

Saturday, December 11: Luke 10- Not what, who.

There is an intriguing little paragraph mid-chapter that grabbed my attention. In the story line it happens after the 72, who have sent out by Jesus to preach and heal, return. The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name" (17). Immediately Jesus replies, "... I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven" (19-20).

First observation: Jesus has given the 72 His authority. It is a completed action. Jesus’ authority has been passed on.

Second observation: However, and this is where I felt the Holy Spirit’s nudge to slow down and ponder, they are not to rejoice because spirits submit to them,but to rejoice that their names are written in heaven.

Jesus has given us, as disciples, authority to do what He did.  To do amazing acts healing, casting out of demons and speaking the ‘Good News’ of His gospel. When I pause to ponder that, it is amazing!  I mean we get to do what Jesus did. We get to live like the first Christians who we read about in Acts and the NT. The authority they displayed we get to display. AMAZING!!!!!

But that is not what should fire me up. Seeing what God does through me should not be the biggest charge in my life. No, what should give me the greatest joy, the deepest ‘ahhhh’, is that my name is written in heaven. What should give me and you the ‘WOW’ of life is that we are part of God’s family.  We are saved, adopted as God’s children and that our names are written in the Lamb’s book of Life!

When we are invited by the Lord to pray for someone and we see them healed or set free from some issue or attachment; when we have a God-opportunity to share Jesus with another person and we are there when they step across the life of faith into the family of God; those are special moments and joy should well up inside of us! But we shouldn’t let it go to our heads, it is God working though us, not our goodness at work.

More special than those moments, is the truth that every moment and any moment we have access to God. At any moment and every moment we can speak with the Lord of glory, feel His presence with us and live like His son/daughter. We get to revel in our salvation 24/7/365. We get the benefit of the great cross-exchange all the time. Jesus taking our sins and bearing the penalty for them.  Jesus giving to us His righteousness so that we can stand in the presence of the Almighty without fear and with boldness, the boldness of a beloved daughter or son!

This, Jesus suggests, should give us a joy to which even the greatest work for Jesus cannot compare.

My prayer for you and me is that we do many great and mighty works for God –speaking salvations words, speaking healing and delivering words- but that we do them with a humility that grows from a never-dimming awe of our salvations in Jesus.

Lord God, I praise and thank You that You invite me to be part of Your kingdom advancement. I thank You that I am used by You to display Your power and care and love in this world. It is wonderful to be used by You in these awesome ways. But, Lord, if I never get to do another great action for You, if by Your providence and wisdom I am set to the sidelines for whatever years I have left this side of eternity, I will always marvel and rejoice that You reached down into this corrupt and fallen world and saved me. You gave me Your name, and have given me life in You. That, Lord God, produces an ‘ Alleluia’ that will sing forever in my life and spirit. To You –Father, Spirit, Son, be glory an honor and power and praise for ever and ever. Amen.