[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (JAC) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]
LUKE
15
No
way I am ever doing what is written in Luke 15. I know nobody who has done it
dead or alive. And I don't think anyone has ever done it and will ever do it,
especially the third story. Probably there were some for the first and second
stories. Overall, to a modern mind, Luke 15 is a "stupid" and
impossible story. But the stupidity of man is the wisdom of God! Because Luke
15 is talking about God's passion for the lost ones.
My
Take:
#1. If I have 100 sheep and 1 got lost, no
way, I am leaving the 99 in the wilderness and going after just 1 lost sheep. I
still have 99. 99% sheep are with me. I can afford to lose 1. 😎😅😬
#2.
No way, I am going to labor that much for just one lost coin. And why would I
call my friends to celebrate when I find it again. Actually, I have a lot of
coins on my table. I don't care if one or all of them are lost! 😎😅😬
#3. No way I am going to receive such a
"prodigal son" in that manner. I will surely give him a lecture
before or after I receive him. I might even find it difficult or might never
regain my trust in him! 😬
Thanks
be to God; He is not like me or any man. He loves because He Himself is love!
LUKE
16
—The wisdom of Jesus—
No
way the manager of this parable is a good guy. He is as crooked as anyone can
be. But Jesus finds something to commend him.
Lesson
learned: We can find a commendable thing in everyone. We can speak well of all,
if we choose. We can even eulogize the devil: the devil is never lazy! [Steve
Lawson]
Also,
all of us are as crooked as this manager. We wasted our life, resources, body,
time, everything which God has given us. Our life here on earth is stewardship.
We all failed. But this crooked manager at least learned to make friends—and
that was Jesus' point.
Jesus
wants us to make a lot of eternal friends, (not earthly friends) with our
earthly resources. Paul Washer said that Christian missionaries are the wisest
investors because they invested everything they have in the coming Kingdom.
LUKE
17:17
"So
Jesus answered and said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?’"
Friends,
I appeal to all of us to by-heart this Scripture portion. It's 17:17 of Luke.
That's easy. It teaches us about gratefulness. One of the reasons why there is
unhappiness in this world is because of ungratefulness. Even Adam and Eve were
not rich in gratitude that they desire to eat the fruit. They could have eaten
all the fruits, except that fruit. Alas!
Many
times, by being in a ministry, people often ask me to pray for them. Hardly do they
ever call or text me back to thank God for the answered prayer. I am not better
than them. I do the same. I often send prayer requests to people and neglect to
tell them back to thank God for the grace of God.
To
be more pathetic: every day I pray, and I pray for even all the mundane
activities of life because I cannot live alone, but the time I reflect on my
prayer points in gratitude is nowhere close to being proportionate.
I
am one of the nine!
LUKE
18
Two
interesting and needful prayers man must pray.
v13
"God, be merciful to me a sinner!"
Even
as redeemed Christian, we need the mercy of God every moment of our
life, because we always fall short before the glory of God as long as we live on
this side of heaven. Apostle Paul loves to use this word for the churches.
v41
"Lord, that I may receive my sight."
Even
as born-again Christian, we need to be enlightened as long as we live here on
earth. Even in heaven, we will continue to be enlightened. Paul prays in
Ephesians for their eyes of understanding to be opened (enlightened) to
comprehend the richness of Christ. Oh! How my eyes of understanding need to be
enlightened, more and more . . .!
LUKE
19:17
"And
he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very
little, have authority over ten cities.’"
Was
Mother Teresa truly born again? Is she in heaven or hell? Her salvation is
doubtful. But I love one of her quotations, which goes like this: "Little
things are indeed little, but to be faithful in little things is a great
thing."
LUKE
20:5-8
“And
they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say,
‘Why did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will
stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” So they
answered that they did not know where it came from. And Jesus said to them, ‘Neither
will I tell you by what authority I do these things.’” [Legacy Standard Bible]
It
is fascinating to know that all humans are the same. We react similarly. Those
men of Jesus's days (2000 years ago), an ancient world, and us, we all have
similar traits.
We
love to respond "I don't know"😂 Actually, we know, we just don't want to cooperate
with the questioner, or we just say when we just don't want to tell the answer.
In a sense, "I don't know" means 'I won't tell you.'
Interestingly,
Jesus didn't say, "I don't know". He didn't even say, "Me too, I
don't know." He is careful with His word. He meant what he said,
"Neither will I tell you"
LUKE
21:38
"And
all the people would get up early in the morning to come to Him in the temple
to listen to Him."
Wow!
Early
in the morning to listen
to Christ!
Al
l- not just
priests (or pastors)
Would
- habit
Get
up - from
sleepiness
Early- earnestness, intensity
Morning- the first and fresh duration of the day
Come
to Him- the delightful
walk with Christ teaching
Temple- the place of learning, reverence, worship
Listen- the chief means of learning. The delight of life to
know more of Christ.
Would
we thirst for God just as the deer pants for the water!
LUKE
22:3
"And
Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, who belonged to the number of
the twelve."
Judas,
one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ being possessed by Satan! 😱👹 Who would have thought of that! Who would have
doubted him? Yet he was.
Somebody
said, "Nearer the church farther from heaven!" Whatever that may
mean, even those who seem to be closest to God could indeed be farthest from
God. In the story of The Pilgrim's Progress, there were some who
came to heaven's gate, yes, even sailing across that scary river and climbing
the hill, but they departed to hell! (p.69).
Well,
Praise God that God has sealed us with His Spirit, that no matter what, He will
never let us fall away utterly! That's why I love this song "He will hold
me fast!" https://youtu.be/936BapRFHaQ
LUKE
23:31
"For
if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is
dry?" [LSB version, 2021]
If
the righteous suffer, how terrible will the life of sinners be! If Jesus, the
Holy One of God was crucified, wouldn't the world want to silence us too?
In
this context, Jesus, the green tree, was crucified. The dry tree, the people of
Jerusalem, were consumed in 70 AD!
"Be
merciful to us even in Your judgment, O Lord, our God!"
LUKE
24:2-3
“And
they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did
not find the body of the Lord Jesus.”
What
picture from Sunday School books or paintings comes to your mind when you think
of the resurrection?
I
grew up seeing a door of the tomb half or fully open, and Jesus leaves. It
impressed on the mind that the stone was rolled away for Jesus to get out of
the tomb.
Actually,
it was for the weak women to come and see the empty tomb and believe that
Christ has risen as He has promised before. And also, for all the disciples to
come and find out and believe.
Jesus
didn't need help anymore. It is the disciples that needed help! Btw, in
everything God doesn't need us, it is we that need God.
Oh!
I love to sing that old song, "I need Thee! Oh! I need Thee!"