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| Daily Devotions for August 23-27, 2010
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 | MONDAY, AUGUST 23
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Before engaging in a discussion about the parables present
in this chapter of Luke's gospel, we have to be sure we understand the setting.
Take a moment to read Luke 14:1-6. Where is Jesus? What is the occasion they
are celebrating? For the people at that time, what was the purpose of the
Sabbath? Who were they to be celebrating and why?
A potential danger for many of us who have been Christians
for a long time is to get lodged in auto-pilot; assuming that we have the
Christian life figured out, comfortable in our understanding of who God is and
what He wants from us. The Pharisees were in a similar situation, convinced
that they had the religion thing down. But clearly they did not:
"Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, 'Is it
lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?' But they remained silent."
"Then he asked them, 'If one of you has a son or an ox that
falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?' And
they had nothing to say."
Two very simple questions rendered them speechless. Are
there ever any questions or doubts that we face that render us speechless? How
often do we remain silent and wait patiently on God to help us understand? When
was the last time we put ourselves in a position of humble ignorance before a
Holy God?
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| TUESDAY, AUGUST 24
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Jesus presses this issue of humility as the scene
progresses. Read Luke 14:7-11. This is not just a Sabbath meal here, but a
major celebration, a wedding feast. Who wouldn't want to sit at the place of
honor? Yet, Jesus reverses the expectations and gives an alternative
understanding of greatness. "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 14:11)
These themes are familiar moral maxims for Christians, but
how often do they actually influence the way we live our lives? It may be easy
to put our spouse or our children first-after all, we love them and feel close
to them. But what about other people we don't know so well? How ready are we to
consider the well-being and success of people we don't get along with or
perhaps don't even like to be around? Who do we need to expand our love to?
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| WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25
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This idea of expansion develops into a parable as Jesus
continues talking. Read Luke 14:12-14.
Put yourself in the shoes of the man mentioned in Luke
14:12. You've thrown a big feast, you've invited all your friends, and now what
does Jesus tell you?
How does any of this make sense? What's wrong with inviting
your friends and family members? Is it wrong to hope that you get invited to
their house in return? How will you be blessed by inviting people who can't
repay you? Where is Jesus going with all this?
Read Luke 6:32-36. This is clearly a recurring theme for
Jesus, but here He expands the concept of generosity to include an entirely
different class of people. The poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame were
not people that were invited to anything. In fact, they were largely outcasts,
living on the fringes of society, excluded from everything.
Not only is Jesus calling on the people to be generous;
giving without expecting anything in return, He is also challenging them to
expand their vision of who could be included in the Kingdom of God.
Most of us don't consciously think about excluding others.
We know Jesus wants us to love the marginalized and we feel at a gut level that
He is right. But, what difference does this make in our day-to-day lives? When
do those feelings turn into actions? What steps are you actively taking to
expand the traditional boundaries to include the marginalized and oppressed?
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| THURSDAY, AUGUST 26
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Who wouldn't want to be a part of the Kingdom of God? Who
wouldn't want to celebrate in the wedding feast of God? You might think it
would be an irresistible offer, but read Luke 14:15-20. In this parable the
host spreads the net wide, sending invitations to many, but how do they
respond?
Most likely these are not even bad excuses. Fields need to
be attended to, a man who can afford "five yoke of oxen" certainly has
significant financial cares he has to manage carefully. Finally, marriage
requires significant time and energy. Scripture requires us to be wise and
prudent with our finances. Scripture calls on husbands and wives to invest in
their marriage. These are all good, noble, Biblical pursuits. Yet, there
appears to be an even higher calling here that all are missing.
In elevating these responsibilities to such a level, they
have lost sight of their higher calling to serve God. They have let good things
keep them from active participation in the greater calling to participate in
the Kingdom. Indeed, there is even the implication that their pursuit of other responsibilities,
however sincere and well-intentioned, has actually become disconnected from the
greater purposes of God.
The challenges for us are both obvious and convicting. We
are constantly in danger of unhooking our lives from God's train and letting
our own noble pursuits drift off in another direction. This is true in every
sphere of life, from church ministry to corporate work to family life. We must
put ourselves continually in a position of humility before God, seeking His
leading and direction, open to the conviction and redirection of His Spirit.
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| FRIDAY, AUGUST 27
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Read Luke 14:21-24. These verses sound confusing at first
glance, but essentially Jesus is reiterating comments He has already made to
the people. The Kingdom is for all people, even those who have traditionally
been excluded and left out. Moreover, the Kingdom is to be filled out, and that
means expansion beyond expectations.
We have been invited to participate in the Kingdom of God.
It is a joy and a delight that should be at the heart of everything we do. Who are
we inviting into this journey with us? How is God convicting us to expand our
understanding of who is included? What are you going to do differently this
week as a result?
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Jonathan Ziman
Community Life Pastor
Wheaton Bible Church
27W500 North Avenue
West Chicago, IL 60185
630.260.1600
www.wheatonbible.org |
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