Day 106: Luke 18:1-17

“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"' - Luke 18:13 ESV

As far as we can look back into the Christian history of organized worship, we see that Jesus-followers have always sung "Kyrie, eléison" to begin times of praise. It is Greek for "Lord, have mercy."

The Pharisees had fallen into the harmful habit of treating others as less-than and themselves as elite.

The story Jesus tells illustrates the Tax Collector's willingness to express his complete dependence upon God for pardon for what he had done. He realized his deep need for redemption. Jesus will not forgive those who refuse to see themselves as God sees them.

We come, having our sins revealed and eager for supernatural transformation.

We declare, "Lord, have mercy."

Jesus declares, "Child, your sins are forgiven."

We respond a thousand times, "Thank you."

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" - 1 John 3:1 NIV

"The principle behind it all is that he who exalts himself will be humbled. No-one has anything of which he can boast before God. By contrast, he who humbles himself will be exalted (cf. 14:11). The penitent sinner who humbly looks for God’s mercy will find it." - Morris, L. (1988). Luke: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 3, pp. 282–283)

Day 105: Luke 17:11-37

"Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it." - Luke 17:33 ESV

Much to our surprise, Jesus uses two of the most terrifying scenes from the Old Testament to illustrate how we are to be ready for His eventual return.

Scene one: The Flood. Many believe there were thousands (some believe millions) of people living on the earth during the days of Noah. They were going about business as usual, stimulating their economy, when the flood came and wiped them out.

Scene two: Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot was deemed a righteous man and was allowed to be spared in the midst of a very barbaric culture. His wife and daughters were apparently drawn into the lifestyles of those they were living among. She became an element on the periodic table.

Why would Jesus want us to etch these scenes into our minds when it comes to His Second Coming?

The people in Noah’s and Lot's times were completely unaware of the danger that was about to come upon them. Yet it was very real. We need to know that Jesus is coming to redeem the righteous and judge the wicked. We have to be living lives that are ready for His return.

One day at a time.

"Remember Lot's wife.  That means for us that God will bring Jesus Christ again in his good time. We cannot know that time; we dare not speculate about it. We must live so that whenever he comes, at morning, at midday or at evening, he will find us ready." - Barclay, W. (2001). The Gospel of Luke (p. 262)

Day 104: Luke 16:19-31, 17:1-10

“The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ And the Lord said, ‘If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you."' - Luke 17:5-6 ESV

Apparently, our universities' business schools were not the first to speak of things like scale or gains. When the disciples hear of Jesus' command to forgive others unconditionally and with constancy, they are overwhelmed. Deep in their gut, they felt the insufficiency of their faith.

What Jesus was trying to get them to realize is that the issue was not found in the size of their faith.

When it comes to measurement and power, Jesus is the ultimate. He is both our creator and our sustainer (see Hebrews 1:3). Our minds can't even begin to comprehend just how far God's capability reaches.

When we place any amount of faith (trust) in Him, there is no limit to what can happen next.

We would do well not to worry about the amount of our faith, but instead to concern ourselves with the consistent placement of it in Jesus to do what we cannot.

"Genuine faith can accomplish what experience, reason, and probability would deny, if it is exercised within God’s will." - D.G. Miller

Day 103: Luke 16:1-18

“And he said to them, ‘You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God."' - Luke 16:15 ESV

One of my favorite John Wooden quotes goes like this: "Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

When Jesus uses the word abomination, He isn't playing around. It means something that is detestable or repulsive to God. It is a word that was used in the Old Testament (LXX) to describe idols or cultic objects.

The Pharisees were not unlike how we can be at times. We can get caught in a trap of trying to justify our actions, especially when it comes to money. The Pharisees' love of money caused them to use whatever means necessary to obtain more and more. They had not just been unfaithful in a little. Their misuse of the Law of Moses was their indictment.

What does God see when He looks at your heart? Does He see a deep desire to help others, or does He see an all-consuming want for more?

Becoming popular with crowds is overdone and overrated.

Being justified in the sight of God can only come as a result of our trust in the blood of Jesus Christ.

"The Pharisees thought that because they had power, wealth and authority in the community, they could use their success to justify their sinful lifestyle. People were willing to be blinded to the evils of the Pharisees, but Jesus reminded them that God knows the heart. He reminds them that we live in a topsy-turvy world, where those things that are highly esteemed among men, are detestable in the sight of God. Power and success, if achieved at the expense of human beings, by the exploitation of the weak and poor, are despicable to God." - Sproul, R. C. (1999). A Walk with God: An Exposition of Luke (pp. 313–314)

Day 102: Luke 15:1-32

“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found."' - Luke 15:31-32 ESV

In our reading for today, Jesus gives us three examples of losing and finding.

1 Sheep

1 Coin

1 Son

"When criticized by the Pharisees for eating with sinners, Jesus tells three carefully constructed parables which teach the love of God for sinners and the rejoicing in heaven when a sinner repents."  - Black, M. C. (1995). Luke (Lk 15:1–7)

One of the biggest fears most of us have in this life is that we will come to our end and be forgotten. We ask questions like: Would anyone care if I became lost? Would anyone care if I died? This is when hopelessness and depression can hit the hardest.

But we serve a God who delights in finding lost things. We worship a Savior who specializes in resurrecting the dead.

You need to know that, with Jesus, you will never get lost in the vastness of the crowd. Though you may think that your movements are going unnoticed, you need to be reminded that God is watching and hoping for you to come running toward His outstretched arms.

Jesus is hoping for you (and others) to give occasion for a ruckus of praise in heaven. When we return, heaven rejoices. The lost are found; the dead are raised.

Day 101: Luke 14:7-35

"Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." - Luke 14:27 ESV

Following Jesus (becoming a Christian) doesn't mean that we add our faith to the repertoire of an already established and successful life. When we trust Jesus for salvation, it is a complete deconstruction of our current lives in exchange for a brand new one. The things that we used to value most are now irrelevant because of this new life into which God has ushered us.

A lot of the language in our reading for today is disturbing to us. Are we really to hate our families and our own lives? Are we really to expect that following Jesus will require us to be ready to die for Him? Are we really supposed to be generous to those who can't return the favor? Is choosing humility over pride that big of a deal?

We have all candidates for baptism recite a first-century Christian confession. It is sometimes called the "Good Confession" (see 1 Timothy 6:12). It goes something like this: "I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and I accept Him as my Lord and Savior."

By becoming a Christian, we declare to everyone that Jesus is superior in our lives and that He is the only one who can save us. It isn't that we have a death wish or that we neglect our responsibilities to our family. What we find is that entrusting our lives to Jesus makes us become difference-makers.

We are now enabled and ready to love and serve like never before. We don't require credit or acclaim or the spotlight. Our only desire is to worship the One who saved our souls.

"Cross-bearing is of the essence of discipleship." - Leon Morris

Day 100: Luke 13:22-35, 14:1-16

“And he said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course."' - Luke 13:32

What did Jesus mean by calling Herod Antipas a fox? It definitely wasn't a term of endearment.

Many believe Jesus was calling him sly, worthless, or inconsequential. This was a bold thing for Jesus to say about the most powerful man in the region of Galilee (where Jesus grew up).

Herod was also the one who was responsible for John the Baptist's imprisonment and death (see Luke 3:1, 9:9). And we all know how we feel about people who mistreat our family members (John was Jesus' cousin).

Check out the following quote:  “Antipas also had family issues that proved to be his undoing. He divorced his first wife, Phasaelis, the daughter of King Aretas IV of Nabatea, and then married his niece Herodias, who had previously been married to two of Antipas’s half-brothers. This incurred the criticism of the popular Galilean prophet John the Baptist and drew a military reprisal from Aretas, whose victory over Antipas was regarded by many as God’s punishment for Antipas’s execution of John the Baptist.”  - The New Testament in Its World, N. T. Wright & Michael F. Bird, Page 270

It seems what Jesus is really trying to say is that what Herod said, thought, or did had no consequence on His mission. Not even the most powerful man in his home area would be able to deter Jesus from His journey toward death and resurrection. Everything that happened during Jesus' final weeks was to happen on His terms.

Today you may feel pinned down by those around you or those in authority over you. Always keep in mind that Jesus is the ruler of all, and what our Savior thinks of us is of the highest consequence both now and for all eternity.

Day 99: Luke 12:1-21

"No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." - Luke 13:3 ESV

Apparently, we are not the first people to wonder why bad things happen to good people. Jesus has two tragic events that He addresses here. One that they brought up and one that He mentioned. The friends of Job also were wrestling with this problem. If Job was such a good man, why was he suffering so much? Isn't that reserved only for the wicked?

Jesus is trying to help us work through this problem. It isn't just the wicked who suffer crazy fates like these. In another place, Jesus declared that God sends the rain (blessing) on the just and unjust (Matthew 5:45). So it goes to show that God allows (in this fallen world) tragedy to take place in the lives of both as well.

On this side of heaven, we won't really get our “why” questions answered.

The key takeaway that Jesus insists we have is that tragedy should always drive us to return (repent) to God with all our hearts. One day all suffering will cease. All tears. All sorrow. Gone. (see Revelation 21:1-7)

Until that day comes, may we take every chance we get to turn our attention to the one who saves. When we choose to repent, we have decided upon eternal life.

"We lose our capacity to be surprised by him. So when a tragedy befalls us, we turn in anger to the Lord God of glory, who fills our lives with grace and mercy every day. Jesus detected that kind of hardness of heart in those asking this question, and found it necessary to give a severe warning: ‘But unless you repent, you too will all perish.’ Oh that we might understand the difference between justice and mercy." - Sproul, R. C. (1999). A Walk with God: An Exposition of Luke (p. 277)

Day 98: Luke 12:35-59

"You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” - Luke 12:40 ESV

It isn't optional for the Jesus follower to be prepared; it is a prerequisite. Yet, if we are sincere today, we would admit that there are many times that we slip into a lethargic state when it comes to readiness.

Why does Jesus want us to be ready? Ready people are not unshowered couch dwellers when it comes to their faith in Jesus. Prepared people are ready, at any moment, for Jesus to return and set all things right. When we live this way, we will also find ourselves reaching a level of right living that we never dreamed possible—our desire for integrity skyrockets.

I think many Christians aren't excited about our Savior's return, because there is so much they want to still experience here on earth. What we don't often realize is that if God can provide you glimpses of joy and fulfillment now, how incredible will a perfectly conditioned place in God's presence be?

As those who follow Jesus, we should be looking forward (daily) to the time when He will come and redeem all things for all of eternity.

“Jesus rounds off this section with the explicit statement that the disciples do not know when the Son of man is coming. That coming is certain, but the time is not known; it will be at an unexpected hour. They must therefore live in constant readiness, as the whole of the foregoing section makes clear.” - Morris, L. (1988). Luke: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 3, p. 235)

Day 97: Luke 12:8-34

“And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”' - Luke 12:15 ESV

Advancement has to be one of the deepest core values of our American culture. We too often believe that more is more, and we just have too much evidence to prove otherwise.

Jesus, yet again, was being dragged into another controversy. This time it was an internal family dispute. Don't you love when you find yourself in the middle of one of these? Yeah, me neither. 

Jesus refuses to intervene on this guy's behalf. Instead, he hammers him with the statement quoted above. Our lives do not consist in the abundance of stuff that we can accumulate. 

Getting this guy's share of the inheritance was not going to cure his covetousness.

So, if this life isn't about acquiring more and more, what is it about?  Well, Jesus shows us in verses 32-34. Life is about advancing God's kingdom (not our own). Life is about holding all of our possessions and finances with open hands. Life is about storing up treasure that can never be stolen by a thief or a dip in the stock market.

Life is about making Jesus the treasure that our hearts follow.

"Not making a legal judgment, Jesus did make a moral one. Your request shows how greedy you are, he told the man. Lay aside your greed. Think about life. What is most important to you? Money or relationship with God? Surely, your life is more important than what you own." - Butler, T. C. (2000). Luke (Vol. 3, p. 204)