Scripture: Luke 13-Luke 15
Observation Is it just me or does it seem like we’ve been arguing about the Sabbath a lot lately? It seems like they always want to catch Jesus on a technicality. And its not that Jesus doesn’t take sin seriously! The beginning of the section started with the proclaimation of repent or perish. Then he talked about the narrow door. In fact being small or humble seems to be a theme here (narrow door, mustard seed, fig tree, lost sheep, widow, etc). But, judging on technicalities seemed to be outside what Jesus was saying. For he seemed to love people more than rules. He seemed to love people more than customs. He seemed to want people to be healed and whole more than he wanted to be “perfectly” Jewish by the standards of humans.
Application: Where in your Christian walk are you focusing more on rules than on love. Where are you arguing over the letter of the law instead of following Christ? Where are you clinging to customs instead of clinging to God? This convicted me today!
Prayer: God, I want to follow you. No questions. No distractions. Don’t let me get in my own way. Don’t let my own rules or preconceived notions keep me from you and from loving your people. Amen.
Blessings!
Pastor Emily
Coming up....
June 27-- Luke 16-Luke 18
June 28-- Luke 19-Luke 21
June 29-- Luke 22-Luke 24
June 30-- John 1- John 3
July 1-- John 4-John 6
July 2-- John 7-John 9
4 comments:
When Jesus healed people or taught them or sat and ate with them, he didn't have a list of qualifications for them to meet. Even those who came to mock him or try and catch him in a contradiction were welcomed. Are our hearts, doors and minds really open?
After your sermon today, Emily, the cost of being a disciple stands out. Jesus says, "If anyone come to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters -- yes, even his own life-- he cannot be my disciple." Hating others seemed a little off... so I browsed some other translations for comparison... Other translations I looked up said "abandon", "love me more", "refuses to let go of", "hate everyone else by comparison". And Matthew's version of this says: "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
At the 9:45 service, Emily was talking about how God called Abram/Abraham to leave his country, your people, and your father's household and to go to the land God leads him too.
Being a disciple of Jesus is a decision that challenges us to make sure we love Jesus more than we love our family, our homes, our comforts. Many times, I'm not sure I can do that... fear sets in... But I want my faith to be bigger than my fears! God, show me where I can be more faithful than fearful today!
Fear is a human emotion. I think God knows this and I am thankful that He speaks to me through Jesus and assures me not to be afraid. Does that mean I'm not ever afraid?..I wish! But the parable of the fig tree spoke to me about how God gives us all more than one chance to get to know Him. The tree was bearing no fruit after several years and the man who planted it was ready to give up on it. But God, the "keeper of the vineyard", insisted that all the tree needed was some "fertilizer". For me this study has been filled with wonderful "fertilizer" both from Emily's daily guidance and from the others that are commenting. God wants to know us, not just watch us do Christian works for our glory and not His. Lord, I want to grow to know you better. May my fears and worries not prevent me from hearing your message and taking it where it's needed most, even when it seems inconvenient. Amen.
Being the oldest child and visiting my sister and mother in California for 6 days, I can't tell you how the prodigal son story speaks to me. Jesus really knew PEOPLE and their relationships.
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