Draw near to God and He will draw near to youJesus did not pour cold water on the disciples’ ambition, rather he redirected it (see also Mt. 20:20-28). He turned the focus of their zeal toward humility, compassion, and the care and recovery of others. But he also made it clear that before they started thinking about who would be greatest in the kingdom, they needed to make certain that they would enter the kingdom. read more…
No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lamp stand, so that those who enter may see the light. The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, you whole body is full of light; but when it is bad, your body is also full of darkness. Luke 11:33-34 (read verses 14-36)
INTRO: My plan was to begin our study this morning talking about distractions
But trying to come up with an illustration to introduce distractions became frustrating. So I browsed the Internet searching for ideas. I came across a couple of interesting news articles, but realized I was wasting time, panicked, and came back to my notes. I experimented with a couple of illustrations, but they were stupid so I got frustrated again. Then I opened my email to see if I had any new messages. Soon I panicked again because I still didn’t have an opening for the study, came back to my notes, but still no luck. I thought, maybe if I got myself a soda it would help–put some caffeine in my brain. But I still couldn’t think of a way to illustrate distractions and how they keep us from doing what needs to be done. read more…
It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1 (read Lk. 11:1-13)
INTRO: A few weeks ago, a friend asked if I saw myself as a spiritual director and I told him, “No, I talk too much”
I try to give too much help, provide too much information
– I have difficulty letting people struggle
One way to define spiritual direction is one believer helping another with his or her prayer life
– this is assuming that prayer is the central expression of our connection with God
– so spiritual direction would include bringing up all of the issues of our spiritual progress
– it is something we see Jesus doing all through the gospels and especially here read more…
Draw near to God and He will draw near to youMatthew 17:24-25
Taxes! What a burden to place on people. Taxed for being alive. Taxed for your initiative, innovation and hard work. Taxes taken from your earnings and invested in institutions, programs and laws that you oppose. Taxed on every purchase. And a jumble of tax laws that few people can decipher. Taxes burden the mind and wear on the soul.
Peter was hit with a tax question. When he came to Jesus with it, before he had the opportunity to bring it up, the Lord already knew what he was going to ask. And Jesus already knew what he was going to do about the tax. But before he resolved the problem, he gave it to Peter by asking him a challenging question. read more…
Draw near to God and He will draw near to youMatthew 17:24-25
I find this passage so intriguing that I am going to spend two days with it.
There is no hint in their conversation that Jesus had recently called Peter “Satan,” and no indication that Peter carried any residual shame from that rebuke or that he had any discomfort being with Jesus. Peter had not lost the revelation he received regarding Jesus–in spite of his lapse into the mind-set of human self-interest. He did not lose the spiritual growth he had experienced traveling with Jesus. Rather, he learned a valuable lesson that he would not have learned apart from his error. read more…
Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her. Luke 10:41-42 (read verses 38-42)
INTRO: Last week, a lawyer challenged Jesus with a couple of tough questions
First, what should he do to inherit eternal life
– since he asked about doing, Jesus sent him back to the Law
– there it is made clear that doing works of love is the path to life
Then, secondly, the lawyer tried to hide behind the old game of “define your terms”–e.g., “Yes, but what do you mean by neighbor? That is a rather complicated subject, isn’t it?”
– Jesus responded by telling the story of Good Samaritan, and then sent him off to “do the same”
This is one of the classic episodes in the story of Jesus, but it leaves a question unanswered–in fact, unasked! read more…
Draw near to God and He will draw near to youMatthew 17:17
There is nothing easy about this statement. A man approached Jesus, fell to his knees before him, and begged the Lord to have mercy on him and his son, who was demon-possessed. He had taken his son first to the disciples of Jesus and they could not help him, so now he goes to Jesus.
Jesus’ response immediately takes us by surprise. Is he exasperated? angry? To whom is he speaking? The disciples that were unable to help the man because of “the littleness” of their faith? The man? The whole crowd? I also wonder if Jesus meant that he had to put up with them or with their nonsense that got in the way of their progress. read more…
And He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And He said to him, You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” Luke 10:27-28 (read vv. 25-37)
INTRO: As the story opens, two important themes are introduced
- The first theme is embedded in the question, “what shall I do?”
– Jesus forms his response around the word “do”: “do this” (v.28) and “do the same” (v. 37) - The other theme is the tip-off that the lawyer is being dishonest, “put Him to the test”
– a lawyer in this context was someone who had received extensive training in the Law of God
There is more to this interaction than we see on the surface read more…
Draw near to God and He will draw near to youThis is a strange story and, at first, we might ask whether the gospels need it. What does it teach? What does it prove? But its strangeness is the very reason we should suspect its importance.
In the previous episodes, Jesus had been challenged by his opponents to provide them with a sign from heaven. In effect, they were demanding that he show them his credentials or produce something to identify himself as someone sent by God. A short time later, Jesus asked the disciples what people thought of him. In their minds, who was he? He followed that question by asking them, “But who do you say that I am?” read more…
Draw near to God and He will draw near to youWhat did Peter do after Jesus hit him with these harsh words? Did he hang his head in shame and slink away to some dark corner and hide himself? Was there a moment when he assumed he had failed at discipleship and Jesus did not want him tagging along with the rest of them? After all, Jesus called him Satan!
Can you imagine how you would react if Jesus called you Satan and said you were an offense to him? read more…
Daily Meditations From the Scriptures