'Jesus' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’” vss. 12-13 Luke 17:11-14 There were several skin diseases endemic to the Holy Land, and those who suffered from them were known by the generic term “lepers.” It was believed that these diseases were spread by contact, and so anyone with a rash of any kind was considered contagious and subject to quarantine. Lepers evidently traveled in groups…
Daily Devotions
So, you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’” vs. 10 Luke 17:6-10 In this little parable Jesus says that the role of the slave is to do the master’s bidding without expecting praise or thanks. Presumably the disciples would have agreed. That’s how slavery works. But it must have been a jolt then when Jesus goes on to describe…
Daily Devotions
And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’” vs. 6 Luke 15:3-10 Because the parable of the lost sheep is so familiar we sometimes don’t even question the lunacy of the shepherd. Even in those pastoral times it’s doubtful that any shepherd would leave ninety-nine sheep in the wilderness and then go searching for one who had gone missing. It doesn’t…
Daily Devotions
Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” vss. 1-2 Luke 15:1-2 The message that Jesus was proclaiming was of particular interest to the broken and the hurting, and when he came to the villages, those folks came out in large numbers to listen to him. He told them stories of a loving and merciful God and…
Daily Devotions
Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great; for it is better to be told, ‘Come up here’, than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.” Proverbs 25:6-7 Proverbs 25:6-7 The book of Proverbs was one of the three books of Hebrew scripture that have been classified as Wisdom Literature. Its content varies but generally it includes a variety of pithy sayings and observations gleaned from various sources…
Daily Devotions
When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.” vs. 17 Luke 13:15-17 Jesus hadn’t minced words when he corrected the leader of the synagogue and his cronies. He called them hypocrites, and the people responded with rejoicing. Not only were they happy to see the bent woman straightened; but they were also likely thrilled to see the religious leaders put in their…
Daily Devotions
Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight.” vss. 10-11 Luke 13:10-14 When Jesus saw the bent woman in the synagogue crowd as he was teaching on the sabbath, he couldn’t contain himself. Even though he knew there was a law against healing on the sabbath, he…
Daily Devotions
If you call the sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, serving your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs; then you shall take delight in the Lord,” vss. 13b-14a Isaiah 58:13b-14 Those who have spent a lifetime worshipping on a weekly basis probably do so for a variety of reasons. For some it’s simply a habit and they don’t really think too much about it. But…
Daily Devotions
You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?” vs. 56 Luke 12:54-56 The people in the crowds who gathered to hear Jesus teach were adept at making weather forecasts. Years of agricultural living had made them experts on interpreting the skies and the winds. They were much more capable than we are when it comes to reading the book of nature. But Jesus…
Daily Devotions
Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” vss. 3-4 Psalm 82 The psalmist is imagining a council of the gods of the nations that has gathered to consider the state of humankind. Such gatherings are mentioned several times in the Hebrew scriptures and can be understood as a precursor to the absolute monotheism that was typical…
Daily Devotions
They plan to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, just as their ancestors forgot my name for Baal.” vs. 23 Jeremiah 23:26-29 Jeremiah had a bone to pick with the so-called prophets who hung around the court in Jerusalem. They would say whatever they believed would tickle the ears of the king and the nobility, and their advice was always self-serving. Jeremiah believed that the word of the Lord was like fire…
Daily Devotions
But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.” vs. 39 Luke 12:35-40 Jesus follows up his instructions on the dangers of riches and the importance of living simply with a little parable about the importance of servants being ready for the return of their master. It’s hard to miss his point! We don’t know what the future will bring, and…