THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 6:46-49 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46) Is doing what Jesus said optional for a Jesus follower? Jesus seems to anticipate that some disciples will not DO WHAT He says. The context is what He has just taught about loving and blessing…
Author: Norm
Good fruit
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 6:43-45 “Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.” (Luke 6:44) What kind of ‘fruit’ does my life produce? Jesus is referring to the words and deeds that I exhibit. Since no one is perfect, everyone will be a mix of good and bad fruit. But what is the dominant fruit, the…
Everyone needs mercy!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 6:37-42 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.” (Luke 6:37) To judge someone is to announce the final verdict. To declare that we know who they really are, and what they deserve. The issue here is not whether there are things that need to be judged. There is right and…
Grace for refugees and terrorists!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 6:27-36 “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27-28) It seems to me that those who refuse to help refugees don’t understand who Jesus really is. I am not talking about whether they will be saved… God’s grace goes…
Woe to the rich???
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 6:17-26 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.” (Luke 6:24) Who would you consider to be the lucky people of the world? The beautiful, rich, popular, well-fed, successful, strong, free? Jesus here describes the truly blessed condition, the ones who are better off. He is…
Serious kingdom prayer
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 6:12-16 “Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray and spent the night praying to God.” (Luke 6:12) When is the last time you spent a whole night praying? Or if not a whole night, spent a long period of time praying for something. I’m guessing it was a big decision or…
Love more demanding than law!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 6:1-11 “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” (Luke 6:9) Often the focus of a law is on what you cannot do. There are laws against being bad, but what about laws for being good? The religious leaders of…
Relationship, not religion!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 5:33-39 “No one pours new wine into old wineskins.” (Luke 5:37) Praying and fasting are examples of deep religious devotion. Jesus is being challenged on not being religious enough. But He ignores the question ‘religion’ and talks about ‘relationship’ instead. The bridegroom has arrived, the climax of a traditional Jewish marriage. All…
We all need the Doctor!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 5:27-32 “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” (Luke 5:31) Do you think of yourselves as spiritually healthy or sick? Do I see myself as someone who needs help, or not? Do you see others as more needy than you, more sinful, further from God? The religious…