Author: Norm

“He said to them, “When you pray, say…” (Luke 11:2) It is interesting to me that so far Jesus hadn’t expected them to pray.For all this time with them, He was still only modelling prayer.Or maybe they were praying, but in a more formal, traditional way.They wanted to pray like Jesus, to talk to God more…

“Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:42) Martha was serving, Mary was listening and learning at Jesus’s feet.Jesus says Mary has chosen what is better; is listening better than serving?But Jesus does not challenge Martha for serving.In fact Jesus’s whole message was about serving others.In this…

“Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37) Jesus reduces the God-pleasing life to this one simple rule.Be a neighbour like this Samaritan, do what he did.He did not need to change his religious perspectives.He did not need to study the bible or go to church.Just loving people like this was the key to life and living.This is…

“‘What is written in the Law?’ he replied. ‘How do you read it?’” (Luke 10:26) Jesus asks two very important questions.I was raised to know what was written in the Law.The 10 Commandments were read every Sunday in church.They were understood in a specific way as well.For example, the 4th commandment meant specific restrictions about Sundays.The Sabbath was…

“All things have been committed to me by my Father.” (Luke 10:22) Has there ever been any other human that could have said this?Jesus does not say this because He is God; God already has all things!This is the Son of Man, the coming human Messiah (Genesis 3:15, Daniel 7:13-14).The only other humans that could have said this…

I do not take these words of Jesus literally.I hear them in the context of Genesis 3, God’s curse on the serpent. “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15) We live in a world of snakes…

In the previous chapter, James and John wanted to send fire.Since the Samaritans rejected Jesus’s peace, they wanted judgment.Here Jesus explains how to handle rejection: move on, walk away.We are servants of love, not judgment. To wipe the dust is not to judge people.It is to leave people fully, without taking anything from them.They have…

Have you ever said this: ‘the kingdom of God has come near to you’?What would it look like for the kingdom of God to come near?These seventy two disciples were not Jesus, and He is the kingdom of God.Jesus had not yet come; these disciples were sent there first (10:1). I see the kingdom of…

About 10 years ago my children challenged me to participate in a triathlon.I was not fit for participating in a triathlon.This did not mean I could not do it, but I was not well-placed to do it.Not as I was, I needed to make some changes to do it.Thankfully with their encouragement, I eventually completed…

These words remind me of two songs I struggle to sing.‘I Surrender All’ and ‘I Have Decided to Follow Jesus’.The ideas behind these songs are good.But do they reflect the reality of my heart?I am not being critical of this disciple who comes to Jesus.But does he know what he is saying?Do we know what…