Luke – Page 18 – Be Still…

Luke 10:25-37 – Do This!

The Good Samaritan story was a genius example to help us understand who our neighbor is. It also shows us what being a poor neighbor looks like.

Jesus affirmed the man’s question about eternal life. This is what you must do to live. “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Living in a neighborhood, we often think that our neighbors are those living close by. Jesus opens our eyes to the real meaning.

To be a good neighbor you need to be present. We see two examples of folks, upright and presumably spiritual, who did not do the right thing. Were these folks too busy? Where these folks afraid to get their hands dirty? They were Jewish, just like the beaten down man, so it wasn’t like they were afraid of helping a foreigner. Did they fear for their own lives? Perhaps the greedy bandits were still nearby ready to pounce on their next victim. Continue reading “Luke 10:25-37 – Do This!”

Luke 10:21-24 – Childlike Faith

Read Luke 10:21-24

Do you remember what it was like to be a kid? Granted, our childhood memories look a lot different then the memories children today will make. It was a simpler time, and I sometimes long for those days.

Jesus’ words here today seem to indicate that it is to those with faith like a child that truth will be revealed. Jesus said, “Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.” Jesus was full of joy at the thought. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and see if we can’t find our inner child. Continue reading “Luke 10:21-24 – Childlike Faith”

Luke 10:1-20 – Bold Witness

Read Luke 10:1-20

This is the second time Jesus sends out his disciples here in Luke. This time, however, there are more than just the twelve, and it is likely that the original twelve are not part of this new group of 72.

It is clear that there have been more than just twelve surrounding Jesus, hanging on his every word, and following him where ever he goes. It is now their turn to see the power of God at work. It is now their turn to be obedient and be God’s missionaries. Continue reading “Luke 10:1-20 – Bold Witness”

Luke 9:51-62 – What Does Your To-Do List Look Like?

Read Luke 9:51-62

What is on your agenda for today? For me, I have grocery shopping, phone calls to return, dog medicines to administer, and laundry to do. What if Jesus came and said, “Follow me.” How would you respond to him?

The two people in our reading today needed to get their “to-do” list done first and say goodbye to family. But Jesus wanted followers immediately. He expected to be first priority and there was no time for excuses. I would happily leave my laundry behind, but not bidding farewell to family might be harder. For us today, it’s hard to imagine not being connected because of cell phones, the internet and even snail mail. Yet for this person, it could be goodbye forever.

But Jesus deserves to be our FIRST priority. Continue reading “Luke 9:51-62 – What Does Your To-Do List Look Like?”

Luke 9:37-50 – Wisdom

Read Luke 9:37-50

Today’s reading may be a bit disjointed by several stories. I did see a couple common themes. The disciples are struggling, and Jesus was getting a little frustrated. Up to this point, Jesus has seemed very positive, in contrast to some of the verses in Mark.

We can also discern much wisdom in these verses.

So, what’s happening here? We’re just down from the mountain top experience for Peter, James, and John. Now, the next day, these disciples couldn’t cast out the demon causing the young boy to foam at the mouth. I don’t know about you, but Jesus’ response was a little startling. Continue reading “Luke 9:37-50 – Wisdom”