Be Merciful To Me!

I was reading in Luke 18:9-14 this morning.  It is the story of the two men who went to the temple to pray one day.  One of the men, a Pharisee, began his prayer by saying, "God, I thank you that I am not like other people..."  Obviously, he had some arrogance issues!  The other man, a tax collector, prayed, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner."  It's hard to do sometimes but our prayers should be more like the tax collector's prayer and less like the Pharisee's prayer.  So I pray today, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." 

The Sower

I was reading in Luke 8 today and came across the parable of the sower of who sowed seeds.  You remember the story -- the sower sowed seeds but not all of them produced.  In fact, most of the seeds the sower sowed didn't produce!  That is a reminder to me that in life sometimes we have to get past many failures and disappointments to see the good things that God is and has been doing through us.  Keep sowing!  No matter the evidence today, keep sowing! 

The Blind Leading the Blind

I was reading in Luke 6:39 today where Jesus made the comment: "Can a blind person guide a blind person?"  The answer is obviously no.  In thinking about how we are called to disciple others and share our faith, it's important that we are following Jesus Christ ourselves and doing the things necessary to not be spiritually "blind". 

What Should We Do?

I was reading in the third chapter of Luke this morning.  It is the account of Jesus' baptism.  As John the Baptist is preparing to baptize people in the Jordan River he calls for repentance.  It is at that moment that people begin to ask the question, "What should we do?"  In essence they asked, "You have called us to live different lives, so what should we do?"  To some in the crowd John the Baptist replied, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise."  To the tax collectors who asked, "What should we do?" John replied, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you."  In other words, stop cheating people.  Very often the answer to the question, "What should we (I) do?" is a simple one.  Perhaps we know the answer but are at times unwilling to do what Jesus has called us to do -- even the simplest of things. 

Skeptics Invited

Skeptics Invited - Luke 1 (Posted by Beth Underwood)

In the first few verses of Luke, he invites people who are skeptics to explore the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is writing to "Theophilus"', described as the most excellent. So I looked up the description "most excellent"...other places in Scripture it is used to describe Roman government officials who are not believers in the gospel of Jesus. (Acts 24:3 and Acts 26:25). This makes me ask: what is the relationship Luke has with this guy?

 Luke kicks off his gospel telling his hearer(s) that he is not a blind faith kind of guy...but someone who read a lot about Jesus, listened to people with eye witness accounts, etc....he invites skeptics to explore the certainty of Jesus as God...is Jesus trustworthy?

 I have received a number of formal and informal invitations just this week alone...a baby shower, Facebook Groups, a wedding, meals with others, and more. Not to mention, the many ads and commericals that invite me to be branded by their products. These are all invitations to enrich our lives, are they not?

 What is the gospel of Jesus offering you right now? What are you certain of about Jesus...what are you skeptical about, in regards to Christianity?

Does Mary Have it Backward?

As I was reading the birth narrative of Jesus in Luke today I read Mary's song of praise in Luke 1:46-55.  In our culture we might think that Mary would be praising God for gifts to the proud, the powerful, and the rich, but instead Mary praised God for such values turned upside down.  She praised God for being a God who lifts up the lowly and fills the hungry with good things.  Maybe that should be a reminder to us all that God is working in ways we cannot imagine, even in the most dire of situations.  God's name is magnified when the lowly and vulnerable are lifted up in love.  Who are lowly and vulnerable in our community?