Relevant Reflections to Let God's Word Back Into Your Hands and Heart
In this passage we are given hope and a warning, or word of caution. Nobody wants to have sorrow or misfortune, so the second part of today’s reading can be a bit frightening. The first half, however, is very uplifting.
What defines poor and what defines rich in this case? Continue reading “Luke 6:20-26 – Just Wait”
Here’s Luke’s account of Jesus’ big reveal of those twelve chosen to be the closest to him. These twelve would see it all, up close and personal. What an honor to be chosen. Many are following and coming to know Jesus, but these twelve, apostles, would be the inner circle.
But how did he do it? How did Jesus know who to select? He prayed. His prayer could have been something like, “Father, help me discern your will. Who are those followers of mine who will withstand the persecution and will stay faithful no matter what? Who do you want me to select, Father?
Powerful. Over the years being part of ministry teams and groups, it was always our practice to pray before a meeting, a rehearsal, or before any sort of planning session. Why? We wanted God to be part of our plan. We needed God’s input for our plan to work.
Looking back, I see many plans of man that failed. We prayed, but in some instances, it wasn’t God’s timing. We’d encounter roadblocks that could only be moved by the hand of God. It just didn’t happen. In those times, we often wonder where is God, and why isn’t he blessing “our” plans. While it’s hard to admit “our” plans are not always God’s plans, the sooner we can accept that, the easier it is to move on and find God’s perfect will for us.
There is a distinction here between apostles and disciples. We always talk about Jesus’ 12 disciples, and then name them off. Technically speaking, we are ALL disciples or followers of Jesus. The twelve that he chose are those specifically called “apostles.” The word, apostle, has a more general sense of those being called or sent, as ambassadors or missionaries. It is common for Christians to distinguish the twelve as apostles, also to include Paul, the author of many of the epistles in the New Testament.
What is important for us to realize is that WE are disciples. So long as we are followers of Jesus, we are his disciples. However, with that comes the responsibility to proclaim the gospel. A true disciple will not hide or feel any sort of shame. A disciple may question and wrestle with God, and a disciple may face adversity. There is evil in this world trying to take control, and disciples tend to be the first target. A disciple of Jesus will stand in faith.
So how do we stay strong? Grow. We need to continue to fill our minds with thoughts of God and his positive, life transforming truth. Staying connected to other believers and devoting time daily to the consumption of Biblical truth will give us superhuman strength when we need it.
As Jesus showed us in the wilderness a couple readings ago, he called upon the truths of Scripture to keep him strong. We have that, too. We just need to make that a priority so we can be the best disciples ever.
Let’s pray. Father God, forgive me for not always relying on you and your strength. Fill me with a new passion to seek you, learn from your truth, and be fearless to stand up for you and to promote you to the world. Help me be a disciple of integrity and grace. Speak through me so that others will hear and be moved to follow you. May my words be your words to give hope. Clear away the garbage of my past that often invades my head and heart. Cleanse me and use me today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Sabbath is a day set aside for rest and worship. In the Jewish tradition, that is abstinence from work from Friday evening until Saturday evening. For Christians, that would be observed on Sunday. Back when I was a child (the old days, as my kids would say), many stores were closed on Sundays. Not so today.
So what exactly is Sabbath? The Pharisees were certainly strict about it. But then they were so law driven and seemingly strict about everything. You will recall one of the 10 Commandments tells us to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. Interesting that this command starts with the word “remember.” I don’t think we are doing that great at remembering, do you?
Now, a lot of us go to church on Sunday. But what happens after that? Do we come home and cook a meal? Do we do some laundry, go shopping, mow the grass? Or do we come home and continue our time of worship, take a nap, read the Bible, and spend the remaining hours of our day in prayer? I think the latter is what God intended for us. I’m guilty, a sinner.
Having a day of rest sounds amazing, doesn’t it? Of course, God would have that in his perfect plan for us. Work hard for 6 days, and then rest on the 7th, just as he did. When we rest, we need to be giving thanks for all the blessings we have received.
So, the Pharisees here are really just trying to keep the letter of the law and keep the Sabbath holy. They had their religious system all worked out. Jesus didn’t fit in their mold. They didn’t see him for what he was, WHO he was. Could we be missing Jesus, too?
Jesus wasn’t doing away with the Sabbath, because clearly that is still important to him. He wanted us to know we could be less rigid in our observance. Jesus wanted us to see that human need is more important than human rules and regulations. Further, that he, as God, had created Sabbath, and therefore his authority trumped the rules. The Creator is always greater than the creation.
So, how do you spend your Sabbath rest? Are you feeling a little guilty that maybe you haven’t been keeping it as holy as you should? Me, too.
Let’s pray. Father forgive me that I have been forgetful of your command to keep the Sabbath holy and rest in you. I have been so focused on other things. I will try and do a better job of keeping one day available for only you and my human needs. Thank you for the reminder today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Have you ever fasted as a way of showing your devotion or dedication? It is a discipline practiced by many, but because it isn’t a public matter, we might not even know it is happening. Fasting is done in reverence to God. However, when God is sitting right there with you, it is best to make the most of your time. That is what Jesus is saying here, yet I’m sure it went right over the people’s heads.
One of my favorite Christian bloggers is Nicole Smithee. She wrote a genius article on fasting. I share it with you HERE. After reading her article, I’m ready to fast. I think I’m going to work that into my schedule in the very near future.
Now the wine skin story may be a little trickier to understand. For me, I didn’t truly understand the tradition because I’ve always known wine to be in bottles, and more recently in boxes or cartons. I didn’t know that wine expands as it ages. Did you? Continue reading “Luke 5:33-39 – New Wine or Old”
This may be a short reading today, but a powerful one. Let’s unpack it a little bit.
First of all, Levi (Matthew) was a tax collector. It’s hard for us to really grasp what this means in our own context. When you think tax collector, think ruthless, think swindler, think selfish. It was a job that would make men wealthy because they were taking more than the government required. Yet, so long as the government was getting paid, little was done to monitor and hold these officials accountable.
With that in mind, Jesus picked one, Levi, to be his disciple, his follower, his friend. The Pharisees had a field day with this one! The NLT translation refers to them as “scum.” Other versions would say, sinners, crooks, etc. Continue reading “Luke 5:27-32 – Are You Sick?”
