Category Archives: Luke

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How’s Business?

Read: Luke 19

“Invest this for me while I am gone.” (Luke 19:13, NLT)

This is the simplest explanation of what Christians are supposed to be doing between their salvation and their entry into the eternal kingdom, either by death or by virtue of Christ’s return:  Investing!

The old King James Version says it like this: “Occupy till I come.” The New King James Version translates it: “Do business till I come.” Invest, occupy, do business—I like all of those.  That is what Christians are supposed to be doing with their time, energy and treasures—investing and producing an eternal profit in the business of the kingdom.  There is nothing more important—and more pleasurable—than that.

The problem is, we Christians tend to forget that we are not here on Planet Earth for our own benefit.  Along the way, we lose sight of the fact that the perfectly good oxygen we are taking in is not simply for our own pleasure.  The time and space we are occupying is not merely for our own temporal purposes—that would be a cosmic waste!

No, you and I are here on assignment for the King.  He has given us kingdom resources—influence, money, creativity, and vision. He has privileged us with opportunities to leverage every fiber of what we are and every last ounce of all that we have in a way that will produce now the stuff of eternity: Fame for the King, souls for his kingdom, and a foretaste of the abundant life (even if it is imperfectly and temporally expressed).  That is our business—nothing more than that; nothing less will do.

So—how’s business?

“The idea that the service to God should have only to do with a church altar, singing, reading, sacrifice, and the like is without doubt but the worst trick of the devil. How could the devil have led us more effectively astray than by the narrow conception that service to God takes place only in a church and by the works done therein…The whole world could abound with the services to the Lord; services – not only in churches but also in the home, kitchen, workshop, field.” ~Martin Luther

What If Good Took Over?

If you were to stand before God at the end of this day, what produce would you be able to show from your saved life?  Of course, you have been saved by grace, and not by works—so you can never earn your salvation.  But you can give effort to it.  Perhaps today is the day to give better, more focused effort in the business of the King!

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What Do You Want?

Read: Luke 18

Jesus asked the blind man, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “I want to see!” (Luke 18:41, NLT)

Jesus begins this chapter by telling his disciples a parable that they should always pray and never give up. (Luke 18:1) The big idea that Jesus wanted us to get is that God is not a reluctant deity, but a heavenly Father who is more than willing to respond to the needs of his children.

But they must ask!

Asking is the rule of the kingdom, because it both demonstrates and produces several critical factors in the Father-child relationship that faith enables: dependence upon God (Luke 18:7-8, NLT), humility before God (Luke 18:14, NLT), childlike trust in God (Luke 18:17, NLT), full surrender to God (Luke 18:29-30, NLT), and the relentless pursuit of God (Luke 18:39, NLT). All of those faith factors are precious in the sight of God. For that reason, the God who knows what we need before we even ask, and who desires more than we can imagine to give us what we desire, waits for us to exercise our faith—and ask.

That is why Jesus asked the question in Luke 18:8, “When the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” Jesus wasn’t talking about saving faith; he was speaking of the exercise of faith by those who have it. Perhaps he was looking prophetically through the passage of time to the present age when we depend on just about everybody and everything else other than our Father to take care of our needs.  If we have a headache, is our first response to ask God to heal it, or to go to our medicine cabinet for a pill?  If we have a beef with a neighbor, is our first response to go to God in prayer, or call a lawyer?  If we are facing a financial challenge, is our first response to be obediently generous toward God, or do we pull in our resources for that rainy day? Do we ask, and keep on asking?  Do we pray and not give up?  Do we keep exercising our faith—demonstrating our dependence, showing our humility, practicing our trust, offering our surrender, refusing to turn aside—by returning to God again and again for his supply?  Or do we far too easily and much too quickly find an alternative answer to our need?

The God who knows our needs has established that we must ask.  That is why in Luke 18:41 Jesus asked the question of the blind man, “what do you want?”, when the answer was in plain sight. Obviously, the man was blind; couldn’t Jesus see that?  Of course he could; the man’s utter blindness was plainly visible to Jesus. But Jesus knew that asking was the rule of the kingdom. Jesus knew that doling out healing as a cheap entitlement would never catalyze a growing faith. Jesus knew that engaging the man’s faith by asking this question would prompt him to exercise something in the moment that would energize the growth of faith for the rest of his life.  Jesus knew that putting action to faith now would allow him to see something far greater, longer lasting, and more eternally beneficial than mere sight:  That God longs to “grant justice to his chosen people quickly” when they have faith enough to ask. (Luke 18:8, NLT)

“What do you want?” Jesus asks of you.  Why don’t you tell him?  It will demonstrate your faith—even cause it to grow.  Furthermore, it will do you a world of good now, and in the long run, it will serve you well.

“The angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer fetched the angel.” ~Thomas Watson

What if God Took Over?

What do you need today that would be best if God provided it?  Ask!

 

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Conditional Forgiveness

Many assume that Jesus commands his followers to blindly forgive, freely forget whatever offense might have occurred, and unconditionally reconcile even with those who show no signs of remorse for what they have done to hurt or offend us. That is not what Jesus said…

Read: Luke 17

“If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive.”   (Luke 17:3, NLT)

There are two extremes when it comes to forgiveness: On the one hand, we fail to practice it far too often. We conveniently and creatively bypass Scripture’s teaching on this matter so easily that it must grieve the Father’s heart. And this unwillingness to extend forgiveness is such a huge problem in the family of God today, since Jesus tied our forgiveness of others to the Father’s forgiveness of us.

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 5:14-15, NLT)

An unfortunately large number of “believers” will be surprised when they stand before the Great Forgiver and he informs them that the pardon of transgressions they hoped for had been held up because of their own unwillingness to let go of anger, bitterness, resentment, and hurt long enough to extend the hand of reconciliation to someone who had offended them. Jesus is pretty clear about the matter: You don’t forgive others, God can’t forgive you! For that reason, if you are like me, you need to practice forgiveness early and often.

On the other hand, we fail to properly understand forgiveness far too often. That is an extreme as well.  Many assume that Jesus is commanding his followers to blindly forgive, freely forget whatever offense might have occurred, and unconditionally reconcile even with those who show no signs of remorse for what they have done to hurt or offend us.  That is not what Jesus said.

Did you notice a very big condition that Jesus attached to this forgiveness directive?  “If” a brother sins, “then” when there is repentance, forgive him.  We need to be ready to forgive, willing to forgive, generous in forgiving—even if it is seven times for the same thing in the same day, we are called to forgive offenses (Luke 17:4, NLT)—but only if there is repentance.

God himself doesn’t dole out forgiveness unconditionally.  He is willing to, but his hands are tied if the offender doesn’t acknowledge their sin, feel authentic contrition in their heart, and offer the fruit of repentance (a change of mind and a change of direction) in their behavior. (Matthew 3:8, NLT, Acts 2:38, NLT)
To forgive, forget and reconcile with an unrepentant person is to go beyond what God, himself does. Now in that, there is yet another extreme into which Christians can fall:  Withholding forgiveness until proper repentance is expressed for every little thing that rubs them the wrong way.  My advice to you, if you are guilty of that:  Don’t be ridiculous.  Not everything that gets under your skin falls into the category of a moral offense—so grow some thicker skin and exercise a lot of grace, my friend!

Jesus is calling his followers to a balanced understanding and a generous commitment to the practice of forgiveness.  It is the lifeblood of his kingdom, and when it flows rightly and freely from your life, it is your calling card into the throne room of your gracious and forgiving Father.


What If God Took Over?
Who do you need for forgive?  I think you know what to do!

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Commendable Crooks?

Read: Luke 16

“The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light.” (Luke 16:8-9, NLT)

This opening story in Luke 16 has been referred to as “The Parable of the Shrewd Manager”.  The plot centers around a high level supervisor of a company whose boss informs him that he is going to get the ax for mismanaging funds, either out of gross incompetence if not outright embezzlement. But before the day of his dismissal, the manager goes behind his boss’ back to people who owe the company money, and using some “creative accounting”, illegally reduces the money these debtors owed to his employer.  He does this to build some good will with these debtors so when he is unemployed, they will look favorably on him.

The kicker to this story: This shady manager gets commended for his innovation and audacity—by the boss in the story, and, so it seems, by the story-teller, Jesus.

Upon first reading this parable, one has to wonder if Jesus is advocating underhanded business practices or manipulation to maneuver out of problems?  Of course, Jesus would never do that. So what is going on? Jesus is simply commending this manager’s dedication to dealing with reality. Reality is, he’s got a problem; he’s going to lose his job, and he has no early retirement plan, no stock options, and no other employment opportunities. So he says, “I have a problem, I will take responsibility, I will form a realistic plan, and I will take action.”

That is what Jesus is commending, not the dishonesty.  Jesus is impressed with how he shrewdly takes advantage of the situation to deal with his crisis.  Now the question is, why is Jesus so impressed with this willingness to face reality? Because he knows how few tend to do it.

Jesus is also impressed with the manager because the man knew his master’s character and he formed his entire plan around that. He knew he was dealing with a generous, gracious man, and he bet everything on the belief that the master would respond magnanimously—which the master did!

Without commending dishonesty, Jesus is using this parable to teach us about the character of God. Jesus is saying if this unethical manager had the courage to face his problem by relying on the generosity and mercy of his master, how much more can you, and should you, face any reality, problem or crisis, confident that your gracious and merciful God can be trusted to generously help you.

Now in this parable, Jesus says some seemingly confusing things that when properly understood in context, provides a sense of urgency to this message.

First, Jesus says, “Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into the eternal dwellings.” (Luke 16:9) He is not saying that you can buy your way into eternal favor, but he is saying that what you do now affects who you are in eternity, which is exactly why you ought to deal with your problems with a sense of urgency.

Second, Jesus says, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” (Luke 16:10) He is saying that you need to understand how much is riding on your diligent attention. What you do now to deal with your challenging realities matters to God.

Third, Jesus says, “No one can serve two masters.” (Luke 16:13)  Your life is not your own; you belong to God.  In light of that, Jesus is challenging you to take resolute action to overcome any personal problem so you can present yourself to God in such a way that on that day when you stand before him, you will hear him say, “well done!”

You and I belong to God; we are children of the King.  And since Jesus is our Lord, we ought to deal with financial flaws and moral issues and personality weaknesses immediately and boldly and successfully. If this unjust manager did it knowing his generous master would back him up, how much more should you get after it knowing your gracious Father will help you!

I think what Jesus is really saying is, “what are you waiting on? It’s time to step up to the plate!”

“What we think or what we know or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence, The only consequence is what we do.” ~John Ruskin

What If God Took Over?

William Jennings Bryan said, “Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.” What personal matter needs your attention ASAP? Get after it today—the destiny God desires for you will be affected by your action, or inaction.

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Weekend Meditation: The Searching Father

Read: Luke 14-15

And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. (Luke 15:20, NLT)

The parable of the Prodigal Son is a story for the ages.  It is one of Jesus’ most revered stories, even in non-Christian societies. People of all faiths love this parable because of its profound and moving message of love, forgiveness and reconciliation.  But Jesus’ story is not so much about the prodigal son, or the even the elder brother, this is a story meant to give us a look inside the heart of God.  So a more appropriate title would be “the searching father”.

You know the story well: A selfish son demands his inheritance from his father—in essence, declaring that he wishes to live as if his father were already dead.  The son spends all the inheritance money on wasteful living.  Finally, at the end of his ropes, the desperate son comes back home utterly crushed, knowing he will face humiliation from his father, hostility from his family and hatred from his scandalized community. Maybe he will be mocked—and rightly so—perhaps even beaten for the embarrassment he has caused his loved ones. As the prodigal reaches the outskirts of the village, word spreads in the community that this foolish boy has come back.

Then, something very dramatic happens as Jesus tells this story.  As the people gather to watch his return, “while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20, NLT)

Don’t quickly pass by those words: “He ran to his son.” That is a stunning statement. A nobleman in the ancient Middle East would never run.  It would be a violation of his dignity.  Aristotle wrote, “Great men never run…Great men are run to.” People run to them.  Children run, those who are desperate or afraid may run.  So Jesus has the wrong person running in this story.

Or does he?  No, Jesus is revealing something very important about the heart of God. The heart of this prodigal son’s father—which represents God’s heart—is so full that he forgets everything: he forgets his dignity, he forgets everybody is watching, and he sees only the starving, exhausted, beaten down figure of a boy he had given up for dead, and the father takes off running toward his son like a homesick angel. And when he reaches him, he starts kissing him over and over again. The father then wants everyone to know that he will fully restore his son, so he has the servants dress the boy in his finest robe, he puts his ring on him as a sign of his authority, he gives him new shoes, and he has his servants prepare a feast.

The Jesus offers these amazing words in Luke 15:24, “So the party began”

That is the heart of God.  That is why Jesus told this story. That is what Jesus wants you to know.  Whoever you are, wherever you have been, whatever you’ve done, the Father doesn’t want you to be distanced from him or to return to him only to live under a cloud of guilt and a burden of regret. He wants you as his fully loved, fully accepted daughter or son.

Jesus wants you to know that whenever you return to God in heartfelt repentance, you are not returning to an unmoved deity, you are coming to a God who is scanning the horizon, looking for any sign that you are on your way home.  And when he sees you, he doesn’t sit, he doesn’t wait, he doesn’t send his servants out to escort you home.  No, he gets up and runs to you. When he reaches you, he throws his arms around you and kisses you and holds you like he will never let you go.

Then he says to all of heaven, “let’s party!” That is how much you mean to your searching Father.

“This is the portrayal of God, whose goodness, love, forgiveness, care, joy and compassion have no limits at all.” ~Henri Nouwen

What If God Took Over?

Do you need to “come home” to the Father? Don’t keep him waiting!

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Narrow and Intolerant

Read: Luke 13

“Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail.” (Luke 13:24, NLT)

Christianity is often accused these days of being a narrow and intolerant religion.  Guilty as charged!  You can come up with no other verdict.  After all, just look at the overwhelming verbal evidence offered by its founder, Jesus Christ.  Here are just a few of his outrageous claims from the Gospel of John:

“For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” (John 6:40, NLT)

“Only insofar as you eat and drink flesh and blood, the flesh and blood of the Son of Man, do you have life within you. The one who brings a hearty appetite to this eating and drinking has eternal life and will be fit and ready for the Final Day.” (John 6:53-54, The Message)

“I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.” (John 10:7-9, NLT)

“I am the one who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die. And everyone who lives because of faith in me will never really die.” (John 11:25-26, CEV)

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:16, NLT)

We could fill page after page with Jesus’ claims about himself and the exclusive authority he possessed to grant eternal life only to those who follow him solely.  For anyone who takes the time to actually read Jesus’ own words, the truth is abundantly evident:  Jesus is unequivocally exclusive, narrow and intolerant about the way to eternal life.  Of course, he loves and died for the whole world (John 3:16). And of course he didn’t stand on a street corner condemning those who refused to believe in him. (John 3:17)  Yet the unavoidable truth about Jesus is that he was very clear that there was one, and only one way, to forgiveness of sin and life forever with the Father.

Does that sound narrow?  It most definitely is—but so is a runway, and landing exclusively on it is the only way to get the airplane you are on safely to its destination. When it is the only way, thank God for narrowness and intolerance!

“If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair.” ~C.S. Lewis

What If God Took Over?

Have you ever taken the time to pray the most important prayer—really, the one prayer that empowers all other prayers—to acknowledge that Jesus is both Lord and Savior, to confess your sins and ask him to forgive you, and invite him into your life as your one and only Master and Commander?  If not, I hope you will do that right now!

 

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Rich Fools

Read: Luke 12

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” (Luke 12:20-21, NLT)

Even if you manage to keep your stuff safe to the end of your life, you will certainly take it no further than the grave. That is why you will never see a hearse pulling a U-Haul or a casket with a trunk for all your junk! Death is the great equalizer that turns millionaires into paupers and paupers into millionaires.

No—you can’t take it with you; but you can send it on ahead. That is what Jesus is reminding us of here in this story of a very wealthy man who spent it all right here with no thought of over there! (Luke 12:13-21, NLT) The point Jesus is making is that those who are not rich toward the things of God in this life will be exposed as fools when they stand before the Great Judge. “Rich fools” now—that is what they really are; simply “fools” on the day of reckoning.

We need to lean into that truth, because that day will come sooner than we think.  The great preacher, G. Campbell Morgan said it so well:

“You are to remember with the passion burning in you that you are not a child of today. You are not of the earth, you are more than dust; you are the child of tomorrow, you are of the eternities, you are the offspring of Deity…You belong to the infinite. If you make your fortune on earth—poor, sorry, silly soul—you have made a fortune, and stored it in a place where you cannot hold it.  Make your fortune, but store it where it will greet you in the dawning of the new morning.”

That is what Jesus was teaching: To break the spell of that which holds our vision and our loyalties here on earth, we need send our investments in advance to heaven. According to Jesus, whatever we generously invest in God’s kingdom on earth will always produce treasure in heaven:

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” (Luke 12:21-24, NLT)

Don’t be a rich fool!  Store up treasure in heaven by making investments in God’s work here on earth. That is what will break the spell of money, power and things in your life—and invest in that which will never lose its value—the eternal things of heaven.

“There is no such merchant as the charitable man; he gives trifles which he could not keep, to receive treasure which he cannot lose.” ~Francis Quarles

What If God Took Over?

John Calvin said, “where riches hold the dominion of the heart, God has lost his authority.” What holds the dominion of your heart?  There is no more important question you will be asked today.