Today’s reading: Luke 10:13-37

“But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.'”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:33-35‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Jesus prays in vs 21-24 that He was thankful that God didn’t reveal truth to the experts but to the childlike.

Yet in vs 25-37 He interacts with an expert and ends up telling him one of the most profound parables ever told.

There was no one that Jesus was unwilling to interact with, even the experts who mostly wanted Him dead and out of the picture.

Also, I pray today that the compassion that I feel for others would flow into acts of grace and generosity, like the Samaritan.

May showing mercy become a reflex reaction for us all.

🤲

Today’s reading: Luke 9:51-62, 10:1-12

“He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus says the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Yet in the verses following we see the 72 going into towns where they were rejected. How can that be a plentiful harvest?

The bottom line is that not everyone is going to join the elect.

Yet some will.

The some are why we share the Good News about Jesus as much as we can, wherever we can. See 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.

In the world, success looks much differently than it does to Jesus.

God, send us out for the some. If we win the some and they all win some, we have just pulled in a plentiful harvest. Yet at first it didn’t seem like much and we may have been disappointed.

But you, God, are always seeing further than we can.

Send us out like the 72!

Today’s reading: Luke 9:28-50

“They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭9:31‬ ‭NIV

There are three accounts of Jesus’ transfiguration in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This is the only place of the three that gives us some insight into the content of Jesus’ conversation with Moses and Elijah.

Yet what were they specifically talking about concerning the cross?

Jesus, with all his foreknowledge and all his ability to raise the dead and heal the sick, still felt the kind of things that we feel. Were Moses and Elijah there to counteract those feelings of discouragement and being overwhelmed by the task ahead?

This makes me this of these passages:

Hebrews 4:15 //
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses...

Hebrews 5:7 //
During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

Today’s reading: Luke 9:7-27

“And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭9:22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Must be rejected.
Must be killed.
Must be raised.
These were not optional activities for Jesus. They were essential for Jesus to carry out his rescue mission.

And as we read verses 23-24, we see that we are to enter into this same rescue mission. We are called to be rejected (1 Peter 2:4), we may be called to die for our faith, and we will most definitely be raised by Jesus when He comes again.

It is a privilege to be identified with Jesus!

Today’s reading: Luke 8:40-56, 9:1-6

“Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭8:48‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To the Jews, the leader of the local synagogue was the obvious choice for a healing, especially a 12 year old girl (his only child). Yet Jesus was sidetracked by a woman with such amazing faith that all she had to do was touch the fringe of Jesus’ robe and was healed.

Why does Jesus say that her faith has healed her? Wasn’t it God that had healed her?

This gets me wondering about all the incredible things we fail to witness in our lives as a result of a refusal to really trust Jesus.

God is waiting for us to take Him and His Word seriously.

Increase our faith, Jesus!

Today’s reading: Luke 8:22-39

“For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.” ‭Luke‬ ‭8:29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The goal of the Devil and his demons is to drive us into solitary places, to overwhelm and invade and ruin our lives with torment. I see this as being what hell will one day be like for those that do not trust in Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

God, do for us what Jesus did for this man. Bring us back into community with your healing. May we not run from Christian friends, but instead, may we run to them (even creatively with social distancing 🙂).

I love the picture of this man sitting at the feet of Jesus. No more tombs. No more nakedness. No more insanity. He is now clothed and in his right mind.

Jesus, do this again and again and again among us. We won’t make it without you.

🙏

Today’s reading: Luke 8:4-21

Luke 8:11-15:

1. Hard path >> Devil steals
2. Rocky soil >> temptation steals
3. Thorny soil >> worry, riches, pleasure steals
4. Good soil >> it yields an abundant crop — nothing is stolen

God, prepare my heart to hear Your word each day.

God, prepare the hearts of those we come in contact with each day. Prepare them to hear your word and may it have a lasting, multiplying effect.

🌱 🌱 🌱 🌱

Today’s reading: Luke 7:36-50, 8:1-3

“and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭8:2-3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Women have always played a vital role in what God has done in the world from the beginning. Even Jesus’ earthly ministry had women supporting it financially.

In our culture, that downplays the significance of biblical gender identity, it is refreshing to see that it mattered throughout the whole of Scripture.

Women have things to offer and bring that men could never accomplish in the same way.
Same thing with men.
Both men and women have been uniquely created to live out the calling that God has placed on their lives.

Though we are not differentiated by value (both men and women hold equal value), we are differentiated by the unique roles we play in marriage and in God’s kingdom.

Today’s reading: Luke 7:11-35

'But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)' - Luke 7:30

I found this little side note by Luke to be really interesting.

How was not being baptized by John rejecting God's purpose for them? It was showing that they didn't feel like they had anything to repent/turn from. They believed it was the tax collectors and sinners that needed to return. They also may have been deterred from being baptized by John because he called them a bunch of snakes? :)

In this uncertain time, it is even more important for us to get up and slip into positive routines.

Get ready.
Get into the Scriptures.
Spend time in prayer.
Set other personal goals you haven't had time for in the past.
Identify any sin in your life that you have been refusing to turn from. This is not a time to reject God's purpose for us. He desires for us to return to him each day so that we can live underneath his protective shelter.

Today’s reading: Luke 7:1-10

“As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:47-48‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Come.
Listen.
Obey.
Prepared for when the flood waters come and crash against us.

Jesus, today I choose your solid foundation over the panic and paranoia and mistrust we see in the world today.

My job is simple. Come to you. Listen to you. Obey you.

Jesus, where you are leading is where we really want to go.