October 25 - Luke 10-11; John 10:22-42: Setting Things Right with Your Neighbor

Today’s Reading: Luke 10-11; John 10:22-42

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Similar to the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus wants His Chosen People to no longer focus on "standards" or definitions. He wants us to set things right because we can.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

Jesus sent 70 disciples to teach. God's Authority would protect them.
Jesus was asked "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus told a parable about a Samaritan man who helped a stranger. The Samaritan was the man's neighbor.
Jesus taught the disciples to persistently ask God to give what they needed. God would give what was best.
Jesus complained, "You want 'signs' but argue over minutia. Your eyes are too narrow to allow in My Saving Light. Stop looking for loopholes around God's Law."
Pharisees and religious scholars wanted Jesus murdered.
Jews refused Jesus as their Shepherd, but many believed in Him.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Jesus' missionary style was to allow insiders to call people to the messengers.

Churches have a problem going out. We love to stay in and wait for people to somehow find us. Jesus wanted His disciples to find a generous person and let them bring others to hear about Jesus. This is similar to how the first city accepted Jesus as their Lord. Find people in your city who can call others to listen to the Good News.

Jesus removed any limitation to the definition of a "neighbor".

As He did in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus took a standard (or a request for a definite answer) and turned it into a mindset. The Samaritan helped the man because He wanted to set things right. There was no law or moral code requiring him to act. There was no money in helping the man. The injured stranger needed someone to help him and the Samaritan was the one. There is no rule or standard to who constitutes your neighbors. Help anyone who needs your help.

Mary understood what was essential and what could wait.

I believe Jesus' point wasn't that kitchens were unnecessary. His point was that priority should go to learning how to set things right. We should not use this story as an excuse to never leave our lecture halls or living room small groups to do community service projects. We should learn from this example not to siphon time from the essentials in order to keep up a sparkling-clean home.

Jesus taught that prayer is like a friend calling another friend to help.

I struggle with prayer. It isn't because I don't think God hears my prayer or that He doesn't want to answer them. I struggle because I have difficulty seeing prayer as calling out to a friend to help in the middle of the night. It seems too distant, too formal. I struggle to balance rote prayers for the sake of praying and persistently praying for what I need. However, persistence pays off—especially when it comes to God. Before you start praying a million times for $10 million, remember that God gives us what we need. Don't bargain, ask for tradeoffs, or give ultimatums. Continuously ask God to set things right until it happens.

Jesus came to set things right, not perform magic tricks.

The Pharisees, religious scholars, and Jews wanted Jesus to perform sign after sign. They were not interested in following Jesus but discrediting Him, as I mentioned earlier. Jesus would not perform a miracle at their every beck-and-call. They had all the evidence they needed. They lacked faith not evidence.

It is not the outside that matters. The outside should mirror the inside.

The Pharisees struggled to obey God because they wanted all of the esteem from obeying God without the hard task of changing themselves to set things right. This is why Jesus has to make them see they are like a clean tomb—the dirty, dead bones are inside.

Do you struggle with praying like you are asking a friend for help?

October 13 - Matthew 12:22-50: Of Signs, Demons, and Family

Today’s Reading: Matthew 12:22-50

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Unless we fill ourselves with God's Spirit, we will become worse than we were before.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

The Pharisees accused Jesus of working with Satan to excise demons. Jesus responded, "If Satan banished Satan, he would be destroyed. If you reject the Holy Spirit, you are condemning yourself."
The Pharisees questioned Jesus' Credentials. Jesus responded, "You aren't looking for proof. Even so, here is My Credential: Like Jonah, I will be in a grave three days and nights. You squabble over 'evidence' in front of the Son of God. Be careful, evil spirits love empty minds."
Jesus' immediate family came to visit. Jesus told everyone, "Obedience is thicker than blood. Those who obey Me are My Family."

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

There are only two sides: those who set things right and those who hinder setting things right.

This is a tough saying. At first we recoil from the thought that Jesus says either you are for Him or against Him. If we realize that Jesus does not say you either God's Chosen People or Satan's pawns this saying doesn't sound as radical. Jesus will later have a different saying in a similar situation, and realizing what He is saying here will help put the two together. People who may not recognize Jesus as their Savior often agree with His Teachings and thus set things right in their relationships. I don't believe this is what Jesus is getting at here. The Pharisees did not want to set things right because they wanted to make sure the Law was followed to the letter. They were against Jesus because they preferred to hold to their dogma instead of set things right.

Words can either be your salvation or your damnation.

The Pharisees openly doubted Jesus' Authority. Jesus wanted them to realize what you say will eventually get you into or out of trouble. Words are like people—they either help set things right or hinder it.

The Pharisees did not want proof.

Jonah did not get a great display of God's Power. He missed Elijah's view of God. He did not see a burning bush. Jonah was swallowed by a large fish and lived there for three days in order to see God's Power. The Pharisees wanted Elijah's and Moses' miraculous signs. Jesus knew their hearts and that they did not want to see to believe but find the limits of Jesus' Abilities to discredit Him. Therefore they would receive a similar sign as Jonah—nothing for three days. Beware those who seek great signs in order to believe. They may be stalling to figure out a way to get out of belief.

Demons love a vacuum.

John's message was received by many who later were not ready for Jesus' Message. They were tired of their old religion but were not ready to set things right. This is why Jesus tells them the parable of a man cleaning his home then having more devils take up residency. Bad ways of thinking and acting must be replaced with right ways of thinking and acting or the bad thoughts and acts will return and become more difficult to stop.
One thing I am concerned about when discussing people who do not like the church but love Jesus is that the removal of "religious" acts may never be replaced with relationship-building practices. Instead, they become cynical about anything related to a community of people setting things right and later become stuck in a new cycle of not setting things right without anyone to help. When discussing the problems within your church and what you do replace dead, traditional acts with new, lively ones. Stopping them all together may lead to a worse relationship with God.

Will your words save you or damn you?