Tag: Luke

John said, Master, we saw a man driving out demons in Your name and we commanded him to stop it, for he does not follow along with us.
  But Jesus told him, Do not forbid [such people]; for whoever is not against you is for you. Luke 9:48 & 50 [AMP]

Today, I was going back through these latest chapters of reading in Luke just to re-read in a line straight through. Sometimes this is really helpful in seeing something in the greater context of a book of the bible and other times, something will jump out at me that I had missed before. Today was one of those days.

This small passage comes as the disciples are asking Jesus who the greatest will be among them. Jesus pulls a little child up next to Himself and says, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.” Humility and Meekness are permeated through Jesus’ teaching. Pride, over and over, is condemned. It becomes clear that our Pride is one of the greatest sinful/evil behaviors we can commit and will quickly drive us away from the peace and comfort of the Living God.

To this point, John then asks the question in the passage at the top of this post. For these disciples it was not enough that this man should be able to do in the name of Jesus what they had so recently and so conspicuously failed to do (In verse 40 the disciples has failed to cast out an evil spirit in a boy). He had to ‘follow with them’. This has been the error of Christians in every age, and it is interesting to see it in the very first generation of Jesus’ followers. In this one little passage we see a uniting that comes from being united against evil. Jesus admonishes the disciples that essentially, we are all vessels for the Lord to do His work. When there are others levied in the fight against evil, they are with us.

I think this also translates over into things like churches or worship that happen to be more ‘Charismatic’ than you might feel comfortable with. There is sometimes an ‘us versus them’ mentality when it comes to talking about these differences. I am learning that a heart of judgement is also a dangerous prideful and self-righteous position. I may see things differently or may even feel uncomfortable with a behavior in prayer or worship – I don’t need join or repeat that behavior but I also should not condemn it either (unless it is indeed unbiblical).

I’ll finish with this. When the Ark of the Covenant was brought back into Jerusalem, David danced and did some, what appeared to be inappropriate, worship to the Lord in rejoicing of the return of the Ark. After this amazing worship of the Lord and rejoicing about the Ark, “David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” And David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will celebrate before the Lord. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes.” 2 Samuel 6:20-22

Yesterday we flew back from Georgia after dropping off and saying goodbye to our oldest Bella for her 9-month missions’ trip around the world with Worldrace. Of the 44 people going, Bella is joined by 4 of her classmates from her Senior class who are also doing this for their Gap Year. It was a special treat to spend time with the 4 families that were there with us. What a huge support it was and will be as we have our own journey of sending these precious kids of ours off. (That’s right, for the next 6 weeks Bella and the rest of the ‘Racers’ will be living in tents.

My quiet time today was on Luke 12:35-40. Jesus is talking to the disciples about ‘being ready’. He uses that imagery of servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding celebration where they are ready to open his door and serve him when he returns. As you read in my Post Title today, Jesus says, “Keep your loins girded and your lamps burning.”.

Loins being girded denotes the aspect of preparedness. In the eastern cultures of that day, you would do this so you could work or fight. The graphic below is the best one I could find in short order. Step 6 could also be stuffing the extra material in the belt versus tying it together.

The reason this is important is because Jesus is saying that we must be in a posture that is ready for action. We must have our hearts and minds prepared for the arrival of our Savior. Not only that but we must have our ‘lamps burning’. Many times, our testimony is talked about as a lamp to the world; being a light in the darkness. So, we are to be ready and a lamp to the world when Jesus comes. Jesus then also tells us that when the master comes and finds his servants this way (prepared and lamps burning), he turns the tables and serves them. This unexpected twist cannot be taken from life but is something extra provided for God’s people. But then the reward of God’s people is never commonplace: it is always the unexpected.

For who is the greater, the one who reclines at table (the master), or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am in your midst as One Who serves.

Luke 22:27 [AMP]

One of the things I have heard in the past and heard it again this weekend is that God’s Character makes Him predictable…but, when God acts it is very unpredictable. I would also say that the ways that God’s bestows earthly rewards/blessings are unpredictable as well.

Application:

I must be ready. One of the biggest helps I have on staying on the right path and living an upright life is that I would be mortified if I was both unprepared and sinning the moment the Lord returned. I don’t know the moment He will come back but I want to be living a life of Christ-Following-Action and my lamp lit when I see His face coming through the clouds on that day.

“Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom!  Sell what you possess and give donations to the poor; provide yourselves with purses and handbags that do not grow old, an unfailing and inexhaustible treasure in the heavens, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Luke 12:32-34 [AMP]

The BITE in yesterday’s post was that we should “Seek the Kingdon” and now we are seeing here that “its the Father’s good pleasure to give us the Kingdom”.  Then Jesus tells us what that looks like.

Jesus again discussing the comparison of earthly and heavenly riches.  He teaches His followers to concentrate on the ‘real’ riches, Heavenly Treasure.  This can look like selling our earthly possessions or even giving them or the proceeds away.  However, we should not take away a message that Jesus requires all His followers to sell all their possessions.  Jesus was entertained by Martha and He later set watch of His own mother under the roof of one of His disciples.  Jesus is not set on the mission to create a class of holy paupers; this would be to sin against love because those holy paupers would become a load on their hardworking neighbors.  In neither one of the cases of Martha or the disciple that took His mother in, did Jesus rebuke His follower because they had possessions.  Jesus and His followers had money to buy food and give alms. 

I think it is pretty clear that Jesus is not excluding private ownership; but he is placing emphasis on the fact that believers must not be dominated by their possessions.

“Trust in riches prevents trust in God.”

When ‘trust in riches’ takes place, the things we own become a deadly barrier to the life Jesus wants for us (His Kingdom). Real riches are a treasure that does not fail, found in purses that do not grow old. These riches are safe from thieves, from rot, and from moths (which eat away at some forms of earthly riches, e.g. clothes). The heart and the treasure go together. Anyone’s heart, the concentration of his energies and interests, is always with his treasure; in other words, the things he values most.

Application:

If I look deep down -> what do I treasure?  What possessions do I have that I don’t have loose hands with?  What earthly material am I chasing? Having just sent Bella off for a 9-month missions trip where all she has fits in a 65-liter backpack, can I grow to a place that when she returns, I too have made movement to have Kingdom.

“The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, what shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’  And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’  But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’  So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:16-21 [ESV]

This one hit both at home in my personal life as well as my leadership role at church. Our world and our planning sense (which itself is not a bad thing) can convince us that this a good way to operate; to set up a nest egg for retirement or ensure you can maintain a standard of living (when hard times hit) we have allowed ourselves to enjoy. One of the things that stood out to me is how many times the man in the parable said “My”.

• My Crops
• My Barns
• My Grain
• My Goods

Additionally, he also says “I” 8 times (in the Greek). This points to an ingrained selfishness. The man is not concerned with how to use his wealth wisely. He is not trying to serve God or help other people. He is not even concerned in having a richer and fuller life for himself. He is concerned only with self-indulgence. God calls this man a “Fool!”. The really stupid thing was the rich man’s self-assurance that the future was in his control.

Laying up treasure here on earth is an indication that we feel possessive of what ‘WE have EARNED’…that somehow it is something for us to decide what to do with for ourselves. I also feel like the person who is given a lot, yet only continues to extend 10% to the Lord, is a ‘check-boxer’ and the heart of that position is really no better.

Application:

As a man whose life hangs by a thread and who may be called upon at any time to give account of himself, I would be a fool if I relied on material things. I would also be a fool to not focus on the riches awaiting me in Heaven.

This devotion causes me to take a second look at where we (Marianne and I) position our reliance…is it on the things (money and possessions) of this world or do we demonstrate a heart of ‘open-handedness’…acting as a conduit for God’s resources He has given us the responsibility of managing?