Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8)

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’” Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”
Luke 18:1-8

Dear God, justice seems to be the key word in this book translation. So what does justice look like? And are there times when you need me to experience injustice for your purposes and/or my growth?

The obvious thing that comes to mind right now is what is happening in Ukraine, Israel, and Gaza. The injustice of all of that for countless people is overwhelming. Maybe I and others haven’t prayed for their justice enough. I don’t know. But that’s a hard one to I’m not saying you caused it. I know Satan’s plan is to divide us and he is perfecting that plan more and more. But it’s still hard to watch. I’d love to see you come and bring justice quickly.

Someone asked me yesterday what my core tenants of faith are. Before telling him what I think you’ve taught me about the soil in my heart, the fruits of the Spirit and Jesus’s two top commandments, I told him my favorite verse is Acts 20:24: “However I consider my life worth nothing to me…” If that is true then do I really need justice for myself?

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I confess there are times I just don’t know how to pray—especially for myself. But I offer my life to you. Break me, melt me, mold me, heal me. And please show me how to love you and love others as well as you need me to for my sake and for theirs.

I pray all of this in your, my Triune God,

Amen

 

Parable of the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16:1-13)

Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money. So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’ “The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg. Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’ “So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’ The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.’ “‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.’ “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light. Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home. “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own? “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”
Luke 16:1-13

Dear God, I have never been able to get my head around this parable. I mean, you might as well be describing a scoundrel like Jacob and you would never bless…Hold it. Wait. I guess you would bless a scoundrel like Jacob.

I just looked at a biblical commentary for this passage to see what they said, and it didn’t necessarily work for me. It felt like they added some words to it that weren’t there.

I had another thought this morning as I pondered this scripture. I had lunch yesterday with a friend, and we talked about how our temptation when we read ancient texts like the Bible is to lay our 21st-century culture onto theirs. To read the stories through our own eyes instead of theirs. Maybe that’s what’s happening here too. Maybe I’m doing mental gymnastics to make this story align with my 21st-century viewpoint instead of sinking into the message Jesus says he is teaching in verses 8 and 9. The NLT translates verse 9 to say, “Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.”

I told another friend yesterday about Rotary International’s Four-Way Test. It is the idea that if run everything we do through a simple filter of honesty and good will then good things will follow–even if it costs me something personally. Here’s the Four-Way Test: Of all of the things we think, say, and do,

• Is it the Truth?
• Is it fair to all concerned?
• Will it build good will and better friendships?
• Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Of course, this parable violates the “truth” part of this test, and it isn’t necessarily embracing fairness, and even the beneficial to all concerned is sketchy. But the shrewd manager certainly built good will and better friendships.

I don’t know, Father. This parable immediately follows the “Parable of the Lost Son.” But I can’t tell if Jesus is saying you are the rich man in this parable or not. If it’s your nature to reward this scoundrel. And maybe there’s a cultural layer I’m missing. Maybe there are unspoken nuances that someone in the audience would automatically know that I don’t. Either way, I think my role today is just to listen to the Holy Spirit as best as I can and then be responsive. To go when He says, “Go!” To wait when He says, “Wait!” So please give me ears to hear and eyes to see.

I pray this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 

Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son (Luke 15) – Part 2

15 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. ² This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!

³ So Jesus told them this story: ⁴ “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? ⁵ And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. ⁶ When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

Parable of the Lost Coin

⁸ “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ ¹⁰ In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

Parable of the Lost Son

¹¹ To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. ¹² The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

¹³ “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. ¹⁴ About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. ¹⁵ He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. ¹⁶ The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸ I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, ¹⁹ and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

²⁰ “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. ²¹ His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’

²² “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. ²³ And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, ²⁴ for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, ²⁶ and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

²⁸ “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, ²⁹ but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. ³⁰ Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

³¹ “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. ³² We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

Luke 15

Dear God, last night I prayed through these three parables thinking about them from the perspective of your pain and then subsequent joy when you find us. Now, I’m thinking about the other thread between the Lost Sheep parable and the Lost Son parable: there is not as much celebrating for the one who stays. Again, Jesus didn’t have to expressly make this point, but he did.

For the Lost Sheep parable, he says, “In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!” The NLT even has this end with an exclamation point, although I don’t know that punctuation like that is in the original text. Then, for the Parable of the Lost Son, [you] tell the son who stayed, “‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!”

Your love for us is truly amazing. Truly amazing. And the love you baked into our being made in your image for loving our children is amazing. But even animals have an amazing love for their children. Ostensibly, there is nothing different about my two children vs. all of the other people of the world except that they came from my wife and me. They are the two humans in the world who were born to us, and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for them. I can see where the same would be true if we adopted them, although I’ve never experienced that. But this parental instinct is deep. Yes, I failed to love them well several times. Yes, I made mistakes. But oh, how I love them.

Father, thank you. Thank you for not baking anything into me that you cannot relate to–except the sin nature. But thank you for even coming to earth through your Son and exposing yourself to temptation as well. Thank you for experiencing fear. Loss. Poverty. Homelessness. Love. Betrayal. Rejection. And I suppose I don’t want to leave these two parables without noting that it is possible for all of these stories that the sheep, coin, or son would never be found. That they would have successfully hidden from you and stayed away from you. For those I love, I pray that you would find them. That they would make themselves known to you.

I pray all of this through the mercy of Jesus,

Amen

 

Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son (Luke 15) – Part 1

15 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. ² This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!

³ So Jesus told them this story: ⁴ “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? ⁵ And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. ⁶ When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

Parable of the Lost Coin

⁸ “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ ¹⁰ In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

Parable of the Lost Son

¹¹ To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. ¹² The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

¹³ “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. ¹⁴ About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. ¹⁵ He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. ¹⁶ The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸ I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, ¹⁹ and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

²⁰ “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. ²¹ His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’

²² “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. ²³ And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, ²⁴ for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, ²⁶ and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

²⁸ “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, ²⁹ but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. ³⁰ Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

³¹ “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. ³² We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

Luke 15

Dear God, these three parables go together so I am going to take them together. I noticed something I’ve never notice before because I don’t think I’ve ever looked at these parables as being told at the same time and in the same context. What I noticed is that each one describes you as not only being delighted when you find us when we are lost, but you also celebrate it with others. Each of these parables includes inviting others to join in your celebration. The angels? I suppose. Whomever it is you celebrating with, this is not just a mild enjoyment you get from finding us again. It’s a celebration. What that tells me is that much celebration comes from a lot of pain and anguish.

How do you experience pain? What is that like for you? I’ll confess that I experienced that kind of pain even today. Something happened that brought some of my pain over relationships lost to the surface and I sat by myself and wept today. And I cannot imagine the joy I would feel if those relationships were even somewhat restored. So what about you. For that much celebration described by Jesus, how much more so are you experiencing the pain of the loss?

So that’s what makes you amazing. You make yourself vulnerable to pain when it comes to your relationships with us. We are so small and insignificant when compared with you, and yet you (as Jesus) describe yourself as being unbelievably happy when we return. You’re amazing!

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I might address another time the older brother in the last story, but right now I just want to sit with this idea of your pain and anguish over us as individuals. Oh, how I don’t want to cause you pain. Sure, if I stay with you then there isn’t a need for the big celebration. That’s okay. My love for you is such that I just want to be a source of joy for your Holy Spirit, for Jesus, and for the Father. It’s not about a party thrown over me, but about a lack of pain for you caused by me. Help me to live into that desire.

I offer you this prayer in the name of my Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

Amen

 

Parable of the Narrow Door

²² Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem. ²³ Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?”

He replied, ²⁴ “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. ²⁵ When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ ²⁶ Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ ²⁷ And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.’

²⁸ “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out. ²⁹ And people will come from all over the world—from east and west, north and south—to take their places in the Kingdom of God. ³⁰ And note this: Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then.”

³¹ At that time some Pharisees said to him, “Get away from here if you want to live! Herod Antipas wants to kill you!”

³² Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and the third day I will accomplish my purpose. ³³ Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem!

³⁴ “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. ³⁵ And now, look, your house is abandoned. And you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

Dear God, as I read this passage today, I just got the feeling that Jesus was feeling the full height, breadth, and depth of his deity. Well, the first thing I actually noticed was that some Pharisees seemed to care about Jesus’s safety. They were probably in the know among the other Pharisees and their plans for killing Jesus. Nicodemus might very well have been in this group. Anyway, it is nice to see some compassion and concern among some of the Pharisees.

But back to Jesus really feeling it. He was on a roll here. Again, if I were to find one theme among all of these parables as they describe you and your kingdom–your autobiography, if you will–it would be that there truly is a narrow road. I’m still not totally certain what defines the narrow road, but I know that it’s a matter of heart and purpose as we strive to love and know you.

It seems lately there are a lot of politicians who building their brand on describing themselves as knowing you, but their fruits simply are not there. They worship you with their lips, but their hearts are far from you (Matthew 15:8). And the weird thing is how many people are following them. I suppose because they are playing on the people’s fears and then giving them what they want to hear. They are sowing doubt and then giving the people themselves to worship.

But as for me, Father, I need to follow you. I need to pray for those who are my “enemies.” And I do. I have a few people right now who consider me their enemy. I pray for absolutely each and every one of them. I pray for their peace and healing. I pray for their joy. I pray that they would know you. I pray that they would experience you in the people around them. I pray that you would use people in their sphere to influence them with your voice. Your peace. Truly be their God. Help them to turn loose of all of their idols.

And now, lest I be seen as somehow seeing myself as better than any of them, I ask the same things for myself…for us all. I pray for my peace and healing. I pray for my joy. I pray that I would know you. I pray that I would experience you in the people around me. I pray that you would use people in my sphere to influence me with your voice. Your peace. Truly be my God. Help me to turn loose of all of my idols. Reveal to me what those idols are. What my sin is.

I pray all of this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 

Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-34)

¹³ Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”

¹⁴ Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” ¹⁵ Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

¹⁶ Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. ¹⁷ He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ ¹⁸ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. ¹⁹ And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’

²¹ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

²² Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. ²³ For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. ²⁴ Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! ²⁵ Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? ²⁶ And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?

²⁷ “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. ²⁸ And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

²⁹ “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. ³⁰ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. ³¹ Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.

³² “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

³³ “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. ³⁴ Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Luke 12:13-34

Dear God, I had a meeting today that included a remarkable woman. She and her husband have experienced a great crop in their lives. However, there was also a time of personal tragedy 30-ish years ago when they were struggling to the point that she said their church had to make their house payment for them for six months because of a severe medical emergency their child experienced. But now she has expertise, resources, and an incredibly giving heart. She has not just added more money to her bank account from the great “crops” that have come in for them over the last 30 years. She gives and gives and gives. And not just of her money. She gives her time. Our nonprofit is about to embark on a big project. She heard about it, and asked to meet with me and some board members so she could share her expertise with us. And she did, and it was invaluable.

The thing about her that I think Jesus is emphasizing here is that it’s obvious she has a relationship with you. Not because of what she says, but because of who she is. I just see the fruits of the Spirit in her.

I had a weird dream last night. I found myself in what was basically Nazi Germany and I was one of the vulnerable who was being hunted and trying to escape. I was able to make sure the people I was with got away, but I was left behind. After being temporarily caught and even shot (but I was okay because I had a bulletproof vest for some reason), I managed to escape and mysteriously found myself in a safe place. I say all of this here because, while I was scared, I was not terrified. When they were shooting me, I was disappointed, but not defeated. And the whole experience left me feeling sympathy for people in both Israel and Gaza right now. Also in Ukraine. When I woke up, I just laid their in silence and processed the deep emotions I was feeling.

I don’t know, maybe that has nothing to do with any of this. I guess the other thing I was thinking about today is some of the Christian media I consume and the danger of doing too much of it. One Christian podcast I listen to came out today and the main topic was discussion of an article about 7 (or was it 9?) things Christians disagree on that just don’t matter. So the hosts talked about the article item by item. It was interesting and thought-provoking, but not really soul-nurturing. Then I listened to another podcast that talked about current divisions in the Christian church in the U.S. and Europe over political lines. Again, interesting, but not soul-nurturing. I had to get up early for a board meeting this morning, so I didn’t spend time with you in prayer, but I decided this afternoon that I really needed to spend some time with you like this before I go to bed.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I love you. I need you. I need this relationship with you. You aren’t a theology, a philosophy, or a guideline for my life. You are my God, and I need you growing in me. I need you living through me. I need you all around me. That’s what this parable is saying. If I don’t have you then I am a fool. I don’t want to be a fool. Thank you for meeting me here.

I offer my life to you through the grace of Jesus,

Amen

 

Parable of the Friend at Midnight (Luke 11:5-13)

⁵ Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ⁶ ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ ⁷ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ ⁸ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.

⁹ “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

¹¹ “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? ¹² Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! ¹³ So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Luke 11:5-13

Dear God, as I look at these parables and try to decipher what it is I can learn about you through them, this one puzzles me. I can change you?!? I can change your will?!? Who are you that you should even listen to me, much less relent and change your mind?

As long as I am on this earth, I do not think I will ever understand this part of your nature or exactly how this works. But I know there are some things on my heart this morning. The one that is really on my heart is a friend and his wife who are going through a huge health issue. Oh, Father, I’m not only asking for her life. I’m asking for an easy path forward for them…for her. Oh, please, Father, heal her. Holy Spirit, move in her body and give her a sense of your peace and hope. Guide her. Love her. Love him. Give him strength to love her and serve her. Help this pain to count. Draw them closer to yourself through this. And help their children. Comfort them. One of their children has a young and rich faith in you. Use this to draw him closer to yourself, and protect him from being drawn away from you because of any disillusionment he might have. The same for their two daughters. Use this in their lives. Don’t let this pain and fear be wasted.

Lord, there are so many other things. I had lunch with some dear people yesterday, and there is a lot of pain in their lives. Don’t let their pain be wasted. Heal their pain and use the healing to bring them into complete relationship with you. With each other. With their extended families. One of them is staying with a sister tonight. Use that time, Holy Spirit, to heal both of them.

Oh, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, you know I’m not as good at intercessory prayer. I need to be better. But from international things like Ukraine and Israel, to national things like congress and the presidency, to local things in our state and local governments, to personal things in our community, to individuals, we need you. Lord, use my life as soil for a tiny mustard seed and, even if it only provides a branch for one bird, let my life be a source of your hope and joy in the world.

I pray all of this through the grace of Jesus,

Amen

 

Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

²⁵ One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

²⁷ The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

²⁸ “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

²⁹ The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.

³¹ “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. ³² A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.

³³ “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. ³⁴ Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’

³⁶ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.

³⁷ The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”

Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

Luke 10:25-37

Dear God, “The one who showed him mercy.” I’m going to come back to that, but I think that is the key to this story for me. But I want to start with a couple of quick observations.

First, this “expert in religious law” knew his stuff because he gave Jesus the answer Jesus himself gave as the most important commandment (Matthew 22:36-40). So good for this man for knowing this answer. In fact, in this translation, Jesus replies, “Right!” with an exclamation point, to him.

Second, he “stood up to test Jesus.” I don’t blame him for this either. If I had been there, I would want to have seen Jesus tested. I don’t know that I would have had the courage to do it, but I would have been skeptical about this man being your Messiah. I wish we knew what happened to this man after this encounter. Did Jesus satisfy him and pass his test, or did Jesus simply pass the test, but the man was still skeptical?

But back to the story, I think the whole point of this story is for Jesus to expand everyone’s net to include everyone.

“Who is my neighbor?”

“Everyone is your neighbor.”

I was watching a politician give a speech yesterday. As I write this, the U.S. House of Representatives is locked in an intraparty civil war on the Republican side. There aren’t a whole lot of people from either party showing mercy. In fact, one politician gave a speech yesterday and included what he said was his favorite verse: 2 Timothy 4:7. But it was a complete misquote and misapplication of what Paul was telling Timothy. The politician said, “Paul is the old guy giving advice to the young guy Timothy. And he says, ‘Fight the good fight, finish the course, keep the faith.’ And I tell folks I love that verse because of the action in it. Americans aren’t timid folks. They are people of action. And the words in that verse: fight, finish, keep, I think fit the American spirit.” I can only imagine if Paul had the opportunity to walk in that room and talk to that man after that quote, what he would tell him. I don’t think he would be proud of how Congress is acting right now. I don’t think he would go up to him and say, “Attaboy!”

Why? Because that’s what what Paul said to Timothy. The New Living Translation has the words apply to Paul in the past tense. For context, here are both verses 6 and 7:

⁶ As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 

The verbs Paul used were not “fight, finish, and keep,” but “fought, finished, and remained.” And who he was fighting against was anyone who got in the way of him proclaiming Jesus–mainly the established church of the time. He was fighting for a message of loving you with everything we have and showing mercy to everyone. The misapplication of this passage by the politician actually made me very angry because a lot of people who do not know the Bible will think this is who you are–a power-hungry God who is looking to impose your will on us.

So finally, as I look at who Jesus is telling me you are through this parable, I see a God who has pretty simple expectations on his church. Love everyone. Show mercy to everyone. That’s what you expect of me.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, as I move into the rest of this day and prepare to resume my vocation in a couple of days, help me. Help me to love this politician who so badly misquote Paul yesterday and used you as an excuse and authority for his selfish actions. Help me to love everyone I encounter. Help me to love those who have wronged me. Oh, Lord, I want to be just like you, and just like you means being very generous in my love for others. Oh, Lord, I want to love you well. Help me with my un-love.

I pray all of this through the mercy afforded to me through Jesus,

Amen

 

Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30-32)

³⁰ Jesus said, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, ³² but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.”

Mark 4:30-32

Dear God, verse 30 is interesting. It portrays a little of Jesus’s tone of voice that we don’t often get. I can just kind of picture him puzzling over how to get his point across to this group of people who don’t get it yet. He search for a metaphor. To see the example he finally came up with, it’s almost like he’s saying to himself, “How do I get through to them that the Father’s kingdom doesn’t come in big? It comes in surprisingly small and grows out. And if it grows correctly, it will not only be big, but it will be a blessing to everything.”

Then he comes up with the seed metaphor. “Okay, how about a tree? A tree does so many things. It can provide food. It can provide shade. It can provide a resting place for birds. So if a tree is my end, how can I get across to them that the beginning is always small? Well, a mustard tree seed is really small. Yeah, that should work. A mustard tree seed.”

Then he pitches this concept to them: “It is like a mustard seed planed in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.”

So going back to the purpose of this series on learning about you through what Jesus says about you (the autobiography of God), what can I learn about you and how you work through this parable? Well, let me reverse it. You could be a god (little “g” intended) who said, “The kingdom of god is a king who commands that everything he declares be enforced on the people. He destroys anyone who disobeys him.” Now there are actually some parables like this such as the Parable of the Wedding Feast. But those still show you as someone who has been inclusive and longing for relationship. The difference for the man who was tossed out and separated from you is that he didn’t respect anything about what you expected of him. There was no reverence, but only selfishness. You are still not to be taken for granted or disrespected, but you are also not going to just push your way into things from the top down. You are going to start with contents that will fit inside a seed. And how does a seed work? The seed takes what it brings to the table and the uses things from it’s environment (water, nutrients in the soil, air, sunlight, etc.) and it multiplies itself and grows. It doesn’t do it in isolation, but it lives and grows where it’s planted.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, as I come to the end of my vacation and use these last couple of days to prepare myself to be planted, I come to you to ask that you grow in me. The truth is, Satan can work in the same way. negative seeds can grow. The weeds you described in the Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat have the same effect. They can strangle and choke out your fruit. So help me to weed my soil today as well. Oh, Holy Spirit, help me to provide you good soil in which to grow.

I pray all of this through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus,

Amen

 

Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29)

²⁶ Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. ²⁷ Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. ²⁸ The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. ²⁹ And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.”

Mark 4:26-29

Dear God, I was watching a Christianity Today interview this afternoon with Beth Moore. Then I watched another one with Philip Yancey. This parable ties in nicely with some of my thoughts while I was watching the interviews. The biggest tie-in is Jesus’s line for the farmer, “…but he does not understand how it happens.” We can be oh so clever and try to figure out how things are working out, but the truth is that we have no idea. Whether it be in our families, our personal lives, our churches, our denominations, our governments, or the world in general. We do not know what you are doing. We do not know how the Kingdom of God works. We do not understand you. We do not understand your ways. I do not understand your ways.

So what are you like? Well, you are mysterious. You work behind the scenes. You are doing things we cannot see. But the a leaf blade pushes through. Head of wheat are formed. Grain ripens. And you give us two jobs in all of this: two plant seeds and then harvest the grain. So what kind of seed planter am I?

This morning, I was starting to feel a little down and overwhelmed about what awaits me when I get back from vacation. There is a lot of hard work to do. I don’t know how all of it is going to work out. I don’t know if I might fail at some of it. I started to get scared and overwhelmed. Then, I just happened upon these interviews. It’s still a mystery to me how they came up, but I was so blessed by them. The Beth Moore one really helped me as she talked about some of the struggles she has recently had and how you were with her through them. When it comes to Philip Yancey, I have been reading his memoir, Where the Light Fell, and his whole life and the work he has done regarding exploring different aspects of your nature were born out of his childhood experiences with your church and his family, including the loss of his father before he was old enough to know him. You were working in both of their lives. You are still working in both of their lives.

So you used these two interviews to encourage me. To buoy me. Your Holy Spirit spoke to me and inspired me for the work that lies ahead. It has also encouraged me to not let the joy and opportunity of these last few days of rest be wasted. To let them be rest. And this is where the parable comes in: even though it looks like nothing is happening in the rest, the blade is growing and preparing to be fruit.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, first, thank you for being my paraclete today. Thank you for being my comforter, advisor, and counselor. Thank you for the healing you have done in the friends I’ve prayed for. Thank you for the healing you are continuing to do. I have some friends right now who are facing a particularly scary situation in the health of the wife. Oh, Lord, be a healer for them. And use this to do something we cannot imagine. But this couple is dear. They are wonderful. Help them, oh, Lord. And continue to be with the others (I can think of five right now in my head) we are praying for as well.

I pray all of this with great joy to be able to call you; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; my God,

Amen