We are currently revisiting the story of Jesus as written by Luke. Our goal is to complete Luke’s account with the RESET series. In order to do that, we will periodically skip over a passage. Today, Jesus provides a great example of compassion.
Luke 18
35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road. 36 When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by. 38 So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 “Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “I want to see!” 42 And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.” 43 Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too.
Quiet. I love the persistence of the man. I love Jesus’ question. I was bothered by “the people in front” who were yelling at the man. Were they wanting something from Jesus and wanted to be first? Did they think he wasn’t worthy of Jesus’ attention? Did they think Jesus was too busy and wouldn’t want to be bothered by him? Did they just not like the guy? Why would anyone want to get in the way of someone else experiencing the presence of Jesus ... the healing power of Jesus? Before I get too judgmental, I need to remember that there have been times that I have been too tired or too busy or too selfish or too annoyed to express compassion. My prayer is that, in the future ... when the opportunity to express compassion presents itself, Jesus would quiet all the reasons yelling inside my head and enable my heart to express compassion anyways.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Humble
We are currently revisiting the story of Jesus as written by Luke. Our goal is to complete Luke’s account with the RESET series. In order to do that, we will periodically skip over a passage. Today, Jesus reminds us that it is all about our perspective.
Luke 18
9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 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! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ 13 “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.’ 14 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.”
Humble. The Pharisee was doing all the right things; but for all the wrong reasons. It’s all really a matter of perspective. The Pharisee was viewing himself through the lens of others ... searching for self worth by focusing on the faults of others. The tax collector was viewing himself through the lens of God ... acknowledging his own personal faults and finding self worth in accepting God’s love ... grace ... mercy. I think the real challenge is not switching lens in the middle of our journey. We have a tendency to begin with humble acceptance; but changing to prideful comparisons. What’s your perspective look like right now?
Luke 18
9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 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! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ 13 “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.’ 14 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.”
Humble. The Pharisee was doing all the right things; but for all the wrong reasons. It’s all really a matter of perspective. The Pharisee was viewing himself through the lens of others ... searching for self worth by focusing on the faults of others. The tax collector was viewing himself through the lens of God ... acknowledging his own personal faults and finding self worth in accepting God’s love ... grace ... mercy. I think the real challenge is not switching lens in the middle of our journey. We have a tendency to begin with humble acceptance; but changing to prideful comparisons. What’s your perspective look like right now?
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Thanking
We are currently revisiting the story of Jesus as written by Luke. Our goal is to complete Luke’s account with the RESET series. In order to do that, we will periodically skip over a passage. Today, Jesus reminds us about a simple (important) lesson.
Luke 17
11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. 15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”
Thanking. This seems like such a simple lesson ... saying “thank you”; but I think it is more than that. Yes, it starts with the words; but it ought to move into our hearts and our minds. We, as Jesus followers, ought to be the most grateful/appreciative people in the world ... considering the gracious gift we have received. The question is ... is that the way the world sees us? Do our words and our actions appropriately reflect the mercy we have received? If what we have received hasn’t transformed who we are, then the transformation isn’t complete.
Luke 17
11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. 15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”
Thanking. This seems like such a simple lesson ... saying “thank you”; but I think it is more than that. Yes, it starts with the words; but it ought to move into our hearts and our minds. We, as Jesus followers, ought to be the most grateful/appreciative people in the world ... considering the gracious gift we have received. The question is ... is that the way the world sees us? Do our words and our actions appropriately reflect the mercy we have received? If what we have received hasn’t transformed who we are, then the transformation isn’t complete.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Read
We are currently revisiting the story of Jesus as written by Luke. Our goal is to complete Luke’s account with the RESET series. In order to do that, we will periodically skip over a passage. Today, Jesus reminds us to listen carefully.
Luke 16
19 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. 20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. 22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 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. 24 “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.’ 25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 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.’ 27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’ 29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’ 30 “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.’ 31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Read. We need to read (and study) God’s Word carefully. Remember, this story was directed at the Pharisees. A group of men that had studied what “Moses and the prophets” had written since they were children; but somehow they had missed God’s heart when it came to caring for the poor and somehow they had missed Jesus even though He was standing right in front of them. Jesus emphasizes the power of God’s Word in verse 31, which is why we need to read it on a regular basis; but when reading we need to listen carefully for God’s heart. If we don’t, we may miss the most important part(s) of the story.
Luke 16
19 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. 20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. 22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 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. 24 “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.’ 25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 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.’ 27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’ 29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’ 30 “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.’ 31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Read. We need to read (and study) God’s Word carefully. Remember, this story was directed at the Pharisees. A group of men that had studied what “Moses and the prophets” had written since they were children; but somehow they had missed God’s heart when it came to caring for the poor and somehow they had missed Jesus even though He was standing right in front of them. Jesus emphasizes the power of God’s Word in verse 31, which is why we need to read it on a regular basis; but when reading we need to listen carefully for God’s heart. If we don’t, we may miss the most important part(s) of the story.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Shrewd
We are currently revisiting the story of Jesus as written by Luke. Our goal is to complete Luke’s account with the RESET series. In order to do that, we will periodically skip over a passage. Today, Jesus challenges your intellect.
Luke 16
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. 2 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.’ 3 “The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg. 4 Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’ 5 “So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’ 6 The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.’ 7 “‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.’ 8 “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. 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. 9 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.
Shrewd. This is one of my all-time favorite stories that Jesus told. I know it seems a little confusing because is sounds as if Jesus is commending someone for being dishonest. Personally, I don’t think Jesus would have held up someone that was breaking the law as an example to follow. The best explanation I have heard was that the manager was deducting his commission from the bill. It wasn’t unheard of at that time for a manager to receive even a 100% commission for a deal that they had negotiated. More importantly, I love the fact that Jesus challenges us to use our minds. Christianity isn’t a religion for weak-minded people. It is a passion for clever-minded people.
Luke 16
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. 2 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.’ 3 “The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg. 4 Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’ 5 “So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’ 6 The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.’ 7 “‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.’ 8 “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. 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. 9 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.
Shrewd. This is one of my all-time favorite stories that Jesus told. I know it seems a little confusing because is sounds as if Jesus is commending someone for being dishonest. Personally, I don’t think Jesus would have held up someone that was breaking the law as an example to follow. The best explanation I have heard was that the manager was deducting his commission from the bill. It wasn’t unheard of at that time for a manager to receive even a 100% commission for a deal that they had negotiated. More importantly, I love the fact that Jesus challenges us to use our minds. Christianity isn’t a religion for weak-minded people. It is a passion for clever-minded people.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)