Tag: Luke

Merciful Neighbor

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But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Luke 10:29 (ESV)

Here is a lawyer who has asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Not because he was sincere in his question, but for the sole reason to test Jesus. He was seeking to put Jesus to the test and determine if he had the right doctrine and religious understanding. Jesus answers the lawyer by asking him to provide a summary of the law, which the lawyer easily does by restating the phrase to love God and love people. Jesus simple answer in response is then, “do this.” This response cut the lawyer deeply, as he was obviously not living up to this standard. We see this in his next question to Jesus, where he asks for further understanding of who was his neighbor. It is a seemingly innocent question on the surface, but it is a question that reveals the true bent of the lawyer’s heart. He was obviously excluding some people from his list of neighbors and wanted Jesus to clarify and justify his list.

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Treasure and Ponder

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But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

Luke 2:19 (ESV)

There are two different occasions in Luke chapter 2, where the heart of Mary is revealed to us, and we are able to see a glimpse of the special relationship she had with her son, the Son. Mary was given the announcement of her coming pregnancy and birth of a son by an angel. To which, she simply inquired about how this was to be and then accepted her role in the eternal story of God. For the most part, I think we just take for granted that Mary accepted this role without hesitation and never questioned. We see her as submissive and obedient, which she was. She gave herself to the will of the Lord and set aside her reputation and standing among her people for the glory of the coming Christ. May’s heart had a special compartment that she took advantage of and her story encourages me to do the same. Mary’s skill was to treasure up all she was seeing the Lord work in her life. She treasured them up and pondered them. She gained encouragement and strength through the persistent and intentional work of God in the life of Jesus.

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Prepared Mind

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Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

Luke 24:45 (ESV)

Often, I get so focused on this daily life and the materialness of the world around me that I lose sight of the spiritual necessity for my heart to be refocused and aligned with the purposes of God. It is easy to get caught up in a daily life that becomes routine or habitual. A life that becomes less attuned to the things of God and more focused on myself. Even in the small way of reading the Bible. It is a good thing to read the Bible each and every day. It is a good thing to have a reading plan to systematically go through the entirety of Scripture for the purpose of godliness. It is a beautiful thing to come to the Bible with the intention of knowing Christ better and more intimately. I can do all these things, yet miss one key element. I can miss the necessity of having my mind opened by Christ so that I can understand the Scriptures. My tendency is to jump in to read God’s Word and use my mind in my own strength to understand. Yet, I am reminded in this passage that I must have the gracious touch of Jesus upon my mind if I am to understand. I need my Savior to reveal himself to me every time I come before His Word.

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Strengthen Others

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but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Luke 22:32 (ESV)

It is a common desire among us all that we not have to go through trials and sufferings during our lives. We think that life would be much more enjoyable if we never have to experience suffering or pain. Yet, not only is life filled with trials and sufferings of many kinds but our God allows us and requires us to go through trials and sufferings. There is something special and meaningful to our faith on this spiritual journey through hardships and trials. There are three points to note in this. First, Jesus tells Peter that suffering is coming and He has prayed for him. Second, that the suffering is only for a season. Third, that Peter’s faith will be strengthened during this trial to the point where he can use his experience to help others. The overarching point that speaks to me today is that in the midst of my suffering, it may seem as though there is no point, that there is no end in sight, and I am all alone. Jesus tells me that none of these things are true. The trials and suffering that are here today are meant to draw me closer to Jesus as we walk through them together. He allows the suffering to happen but has placed himself with me in the middle of the suffering. He never leaves me and never forsakes me. He brings companionship and strength in the path of suffering.

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Renounce Everything

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So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (ESV)

Luke 14:33

The Gospels are filled with many hard and difficult sayings of Jesus as he challenges his listeners, and us by extension, to take seriously the call of faithful humble obedience. The questions he asks always penetrate to the root of our heart desires. The statements he makes bring us to a critical decision point where we must either continue along our simple path of understanding or the more challenging in-depth examination of our hearts and minds to better align with the character of God. This statement from Luke 14:33 is one of these more challenging calls to change our basic understanding of discipleship and lean into a deeper relationship with Jesus. The disciple of Jesus has only one Master and Teacher. The disciple of Christ is singularly focused on and in love with the Savior. Jesus does not want me to add him to my already crowded daily checklist. He wants me to be in a loving relationship with him.

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Desiring More

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‘Jesus’ said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”

Luke 9:48 (ESV)

I have been troubled in my thoughts from yesterday as I battle to understand the simple truth of this statement from Jesus in Luke 9:48. There has seemingly always been within me a rising tide of jealousy, envy, and pride that ebbs and flows over time. Days where I am content with where God has placed me in His great story. Days where I am only concerned with being a faithful, obedient, humble servant to my loving Master. Then there are times when my heart becomes stirred and moved to jealous thoughts. Last night was one of these times that saw me move from a place of contentment and happiness with my calling to one of envy at the apparent “success” and “comfort” of others. The enemy knows that my heart is weak and frail. The enemy knows that I often desire to be more and have more in this life. He uses this to strike easy blows that often rattle me for days. These words of Jesus calm and quiet my heart and soul. These words are a comfort to me. Success is not measured by worldly standards, it is measured only in the accomplished work of Jesus upon the cross.

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Burning Heart

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Journal Entry // April 7, 2022

They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

Luke 24:32 ESV

In this chapter, the risen Christ comes and spends time with his followers and disciples. The writer gives an honest heartfelt assessment of their inability to comprehend that Jesus died and was now alive, just as he said it would happen. These very ones who had heard the message of the resurrection did not understand this message, even when it was standing in front of them talking! The portion that stood out to me in this section was that Jesus had to open their minds to understand the Scriptures. Both here in this verse and later on with the eleven, Jesus explained the writings of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms to those he encountered. Although they did not recognize or truly believe it was him standing among them, he used the Word of God to reveal himself to them.

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Crowd Demands

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Journal Entry // April 6, 2022

So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted.

Luke 23:24 ESV

I always find the story of Pilate interesting. As I read these portions of the story in the Gospels that present Pilate to us, I see this duality in him that seems to make him sway back and forth in doing the right thing. On the one hand he can readily see that Jesus is innocent of any crime that deserves death, but on the other hand his cruelty enjoys making a mockery of any prisoner. He seemingly has a conviction of truth that he has determined as judge, yet is so fearful of what everyone thinks about him that he determines to let the crowd decide the fate of Jesus and give over his authority. In the name of “peace,” Pilate sided with the leaders and rulers of the people – the ones in power – instead of being brave and performing his duty as judge. His fear of man was greater than his fear of the Lord.

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Grumbling at Joy

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Journal Entry // March 31, 2022

So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. [7] And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”

Luke 19:6-7 ESV

Why did they all grumble at Jesus deciding to stay at the house of Zacchaeus? Here is an everyday example of Jesus deciding to stay with someone in their house and enjoy a meal together. I am sure that Jesus did this fairly regularly and spent time with a host in the various cities he visited. Why is it that this time, the author reveals that the crowd grumbled? Is it simply because he went into the house of a sinner? Or is it because Zacchaeus was a tax collector? A rich tax collector at that. So when Jesus saw the enthusiasm of this man that was seeking to just glance at him as he passed by, Jesus stopped and gave him the honor of hosting him and his disciples. An honor that was not lost on the crowd and the crowd was not pleased.

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Like a Child

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Journal Entry // March 30, 2022

Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

Luke 18:17 ESV

Faith like a little child is such an amazing picture to contemplate. A little child believes the truth without hesitation or question. A little child will readily believe and adhere to the words of his father and mother. A little child looks at his father with complete adoration and desires to emulate him. A little child trusts completely and without doubt that his parents love him and that they will provide for him and protect him. A little child knows that he can rest securely in life under the watchful presence of his parents. This is what Jesus is calling me to understand and live. He is calling me to a whole-hearted, unwavering faith in the sovereign God of the universe.

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