2.9.10 – The King arrives in Jerusalem

Daily Scripture: Luke 19:11-40
11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12 He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’ 14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ 15 “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. 16 “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ 17 ” ‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’ 18 “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ 19 “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’ 20 “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’ 24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ 25 ” ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ 26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’ ” 28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ” 32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions:
Usually we can only wonder where Jesus got the idea for a parable. But verses 11-27 echo an actual event. Just a few years earlier, a group of Jews went to Rome to ask the emperor not to make Herod’s son Archelaus their king. (They failed.) When Jesus entered Jerusalem, he chose symbols that echoed prophecy and made a clear claim to kingship.

• Zechariah 9:9-10 said a righteous king would ride on a donkey’s colt, bringing Jerusalem salvation and peace. How does Luke point to the fact that Jesus planned his entrance into Jerusalem to fulfill that prophecy? In verses 37-39, who sang and praised Jesus? Who did his entrance into the holy city displease?
• Some of the grim details of the parable in 11-27 reflect the ruthlessness of Herod’s family. But the story’s focus is on the three servants who effectively used (or, in one case, didn’t) what the king entrusted to them. What talents and resources do you have? How are you putting them to work for God’s Kingdom?

Read Rev. Molly Simpson’s insights on today’s scripture at gpsinsights.wordpress.com

Weekly Prayer:
Lord Jesus, as you rode into Jerusalem your disciples sang your praises. Your enemies asked you to quiet them, and you said that if they were quiet, the very stones would cry out. I’m all for miracles, Lord, but I don’t ever want a stone to have to praise you because I got scared or forgot! Please lead me every day to live a life that sings your praises. Amen.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society®. Used by permission of International Bible Society®. All rights reserved worldwide.

2.8.10 – Almost to Jerusalem

Daily Scripture: Luke 18:31-19:10
Luke 18
31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; 33 they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.” 34 The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about. 35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. 42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
Luke 19
1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions:
“We are going up to Jerusalem,” Jesus said at the start of this passage—and he was getting close. These stories happened in Jericho. You can find Jericho and Jerusalem near each other at the north end of the Dead Sea on this map. Jesus kept healing, and reaching out to tax collectors—with great results.

• When Jesus asked the blind man, “What do you want me to do for you?” (18:41) it was not that hard for the man to identify the need he felt. If Jesus had asked wealthy, healthy Zacchaeus the same question, what do you think he might have answered? Imagine Jesus asking you that question. What answer(s) do you give?
• Luke 18:34 reminds us that after three years the disciples still didn’t “get” Jesus’ words about dying and rising. 19:8 suggests that in one day Zacchaeus’ values and actions changed radically. Has God ever changed any part of your life dramatically or quickly? In what areas are you patiently struggling to grow, even with God’s help?

Read Rev. Clayton Smith’s insights on today’s scripture at gpsinsights.wordpress.com

Weekly Prayer:
Lord Jesus, as you rode into Jerusalem your disciples sang your praises. Your enemies asked you to quiet them, and you said that if they were quiet, the very stones would cry out. I’m all for miracles, Lord, but I don’t ever want a stone to have to praise you because I got scared or forgot! Please lead me every day to live a life that sings your praises. Amen.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society®. Used by permission of International Bible Society®. All rights reserved worldwide.

2.7.10 – The Enemies He Made

Weekly Prayer:
Lord Jesus, as you rode into Jerusalem your disciples sang your praises. Your enemies asked you to quiet them, and you said that if they were quiet, the very stones would cry out. I’m all for miracles, Lord, but I don’t ever want a stone to have to praise you because I got scared or forgot! Please lead me every day to live a life that sings your praises. Amen.

Prayer Tip:
There’s no question that Jesus made a lot of enemies as his presence disrupted the power-imbalance of that time. What always fascinated me was that Jesus prayed for the very people that sought to kill him. Soon his enemies would seek to crucify him and as Jesus hangs from the cross, he utters the words, “forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). When someone deeply wrongs me, my first inclination is to angrily curse them instead of pray for them, as Jesus does here. How different Jesus’ way truly is compared to our way. I’ve counseled a number of people who have been wronged and have had a hard time finding forgiveness in their heart. As they share their stories, I often empathize with them in my mind and understand their desire for justified revenge. Yet, as I look at how the anger has consumed them, and how I think about how anger has consumed my heart in the past, I can’t help but recognize that anger and revenge is not life-giving and clearly not God’s will. Jesus offers us here the alternative of praying for the people who have wronged us instead of cursing them. If Jesus can muster up the strength to genuinely pray for the people who crucified him, surely we can find the strength to pray for those who have wronged us in ways that pale in comparison to the crucifixion. The burden and anger that is placed upon your heart will surely lift over time if you are genuinely praying for your aggressors and perhaps their heart will lighten as well through the grace of God. If you want some further perspective on this, then answer this question… Who was it that Jesus was praying for when he was being crucified on the cross for our Sin?

Lord, forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Amen.

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2.6.10 – Time alone with God

Personal Application:
When did you last take significant time (e.g. four hours) for solitude with God? It’s a great way to deepen your spiritual life, especially when pondering the deep material we’re reading in Luke. Lent begins February 17. Check your calendar. Find a block of time in February or March you can spend alone in reading, prayer and thought. Choose a quiet spot. Either leave your cell phone home or tell everyone “urgent calls only.”

Family Activity:
Read Luke 17:11-19. Discuss how differently the men Jesus healed responded to that gift. Ask yourselves how you (all of us) are like one of the nine who receives a gift from God then fails to express thanks. What can you and your family learn from the one who thanked Jesus for His healing? If your family already has a gratitude journal, spend some time reviewing it this week. Express praise and thanksgiving to God for the many blessings—big and small—you have received. If you do not have one, purchase or create a journal your family can use to record God’s blessings each day. Grow in your awareness of God’s many gifts, and remember to express your thanks to God often!

Prayer:
God, on Monday I read about the son who came home, humbled, to his father’s love. On Friday, I read about the man who turned his back on the father’s love because he loved his stuff more. I recognize parts of myself in both stories. Like the tax collector in the Temple, I pray, “Be merciful to me, O God.” Help me value the joy of being at home with you. Amen.

2.5.10 – Jesus makes the impossible possible

Daily Scripture: Luke 18:9-30
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 15 People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’ ” 21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with human beings is possible with God.” 28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions:
Jesus lived in a culture that despised tax collectors and thought children were unimportant. Jesus taught that they were more likely to find favor with God than the self-satisfied Pharisee or the ruler who loved things more than God. “Who then can be saved?” his startled hearers asked. “Without God, nobody,” Jesus said. “But with God, everyone.”

• The story of the Pharisee and the tax collector did not glorify self-hatred, as some fear. It was about not looking down on others. William Barclay wrote of it, “The question is not, ‘Am I as good as my fellow-men?’ The question is, ‘Am I as good as God?’” What helps you keep your eyes on God’s holiness and mercy, not on other people?
• Jesus didn’t ask everyone to sell all they had (e.g. the women who sustained his work—Luke 8:3). The issue the ruler in verse 18 had to face was that his goods owned him. He couldn’t bear to think of living without them. Ask God to help you see whether you own your assets, or they own you. What could you live without, if God asked you to?

Read Darren Lippe’s insights on today’s scripture at gpsinsights.wordpress.com

Weekly Prayer:
Lord Jesus, your stories included characters I identify with, and others who make me angry. They stretch my mind, tug at my heart, and sometimes move me to action. Above all, they make me want to be a part of the big story you are writing through human lives, the big story all the smaller stories pointed to. Keep leading me to my place in your story, Lord. Amen.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society®. Used by permission of International Bible Society®. All rights reserved worldwide.

2.4.10 – Is the Kingdom in you?

Daily Scripture: Luke 17:20-18:8
Luke 17
20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.” 22 Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. 23 People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. 24 For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35-36 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” 37 “Where, Lord?” they asked. He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”

Luke 18
1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions:
Asked when (in the future) the Kingdom would come, Jesus focused mainly on the need for his hearers’ to recognize and trust God every day. Then he contrasted God with an unjust human judge, and said the real issue was not whether God is trustworthy, but whether we are. “Will the Son of Man find faith on the earth?” he asked hauntingly.

• In 17:21, Luke uses the Greek words entos humon, which could mean that God’s Kingdom is “among you” or “within you.” What different emphases and nuances do you find in the two possible meanings? To what extent does each of them ring true to your understanding of Jesus’ message of the Kingdom of God?
• In 18:1-8 Jesus uses a teaching device we find often in Luke: a “how much more” argument. “If even an unjust judge will do justice if pressed hard enough,” he asked, “how much more can we trust God to do justice?” Then he asked if he, the Son of Man, will find faith on the earth. How do you answer that question in your life?

Read Rev. Penny Ellwood’s insights on today’s scripture at gpsinsights.wordpress.com

Weekly Prayer:
Lord Jesus, your stories included characters I identify with, and others who make me angry. They stretch my mind, tug at my heart, and sometimes move me to action. Above all, they make me want to be a part of the big story you are writing through human lives, the big story all the smaller stories pointed to. Keep leading me to my place in your story, Lord. Amen.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society®. Used by permission of International Bible Society®. All rights reserved worldwide.

2.3.10 – Multiplying forgiveness; dividing gratitude

Daily Scripture: Luke 17:1-19
1 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2 It would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around your neck than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 So watch yourselves. “If a brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. 7 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ ” 11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions:
Jesus’ amazed his disciples by saying, “Forgive seven times in the same day,” if needed. (We usually hear the Matthew 18:21-22 “seventy times seven” version of this.) “Increase our faith!” the disciples said. But Jesus said faith isn’t measured by quantity. He healed ten lepers who showed just a little faith. Only one (a Samaritan) took time to say “thank you.”

• Have you ever felt that “I could be a good influence on others and offer forgiveness if I only had as much faith as ______________?” What hope and possibility does Jesus’ figure of speech about the power of faith like a tiny mustard seed open up for you? What small step of faith can you take today to live into God’s calling?
• On his way to Jerusalem, somewhere near the border between Galilee and Samaria, Jesus met the ten lepers. Only the one Samaritan praised God for the healing and deliverance Jesus had given him. What are the blocks to a more grateful spirit in your life? What have you forgotten or neglected to thank and praise God for?

Read Rev. Russell Brown’s insights on today’s scripture at gpsinsights.wordpress.com

Weekly Prayer:
Lord Jesus, your stories included characters I identify with, and others who make me angry. They stretch my mind, tug at my heart, and sometimes move me to action. Above all, they make me want to be a part of the big story you are writing through human lives, the big story all the smaller stories pointed to. Keep leading me to my place in your story, Lord. Amen.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society®. Used by permission of International Bible Society®. All rights reserved worldwide.

2.2.10 – Shrewd manager, foolish rich man

Daily Scripture: Luke 16:1-31
1 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ 3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ 5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 ” ‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’ 7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ ” ‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ 8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? 13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” 14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight. 16 “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and people are forcing their way into it. 17 It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. 18 “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 ” ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions:
Jesus told of a swindler whose boss applauded him for his shrewdness in buying off “friends” to watch after him when he’d lost his job. Then Luke records another of his “status inversion” stories. A poor beggar got to enjoy heaven. The rich man who had ignored him in life begged him to send a message to save his brothers from his hellish fate.

• In a post-Bernie Madoff world, it’s vital to know that Jesus was not endorsing financial fraud! He was asking: if even a swindler can look down the road, wouldn’t you be wiser to use wealth for eternal purposes than for short-term earthly gain? Jesus said no one can serve two masters (verse 13). Which master has your deepest allegiance?
• Jesus’ next story used common views of heaven and Hades to say more about values. In verses 27-31, Jesus said Moses and the prophets could show the rich man’s brothers (and the Pharisees) a better way. As you daily choose your values (financial, social and spiritual), how are you “listening” to Moses and the prophets—and Jesus?

Read Rev. Scott Chrostek’s insights on today’s scripture at gpsinsights.wordpress.com

Weekly Prayer:
Lord Jesus, your stories included characters I identify with, and others who make me angry. They stretch my mind, tug at my heart, and sometimes move me to action. Above all, they make me want to be a part of the big story you are writing through human lives, the big story all the smaller stories pointed to. Keep leading me to my place in your story, Lord. Amen.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society®. Used by permission of International Bible Society®. All rights reserved worldwide.

2.1.10 – Why Jesus ate with sinners

Daily Scripture: Luke 15:1-32
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. 8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” 11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 ” ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com

Reflection Questions:
It was a familiar charge: “This man welcomes sinners.” With eagerly listening tax collectors and sinners all around him, Jesus couldn’t deny it. He embraced the “charge” with three vivid stories in which finding a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost boy set off a big celebration. He pointedly added an older brother who wouldn’t welcome the lost boy home.

• The Pharisees saw people as “good” or “bad” (defined by visible acts). Jesus saw all people as “lost” more than as “bad” (like the sheep, coin or boy). How does your view of God compare with Jesus’ picture of God celebrating each time a heart responds to God’s love? When have you lost your way spiritually and needed finding?
• The Pharisees, as “good” people, avoided “bad” people. Jesus’ stories ask: how can we help anyone find their way if we shun them? To what extent do you prefer to relate only (or mainly) to “good” people? If you tend to feel disdain (or envy) for the “tax collectors and sinners” you know, ask God to help you see them through Jesus’ eyes.

Read Rev. Steven Blair’s insights on today’s scripture at gpsinsights.wordpress.com

Weekly Prayer:
Lord Jesus, your stories included characters I identify with, and others who make me angry. They stretch my mind, tug at my heart, and sometimes move me to action. Above all, they make me want to be a part of the big story you are writing through human lives, the big story all the smaller stories pointed to. Keep leading me to my place in your story, Lord. Amen.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society®. Used by permission of International Bible Society®. All rights reserved worldwide.

1.31.10 – Building Your House on the Rock

Weekly Prayer:
Lord Jesus, your stories included characters I identify with, and others who make me angry. They stretch my mind, tug at my heart, and sometimes move me to action. Above all, they make me want to be a part of the big story you are writing through human lives, the big story all the smaller stories pointed to. Keep leading me to my place in your story, Lord. Amen.

Prayer Tip:
When I was a fundraising director for an organization in college, I initially had a hard time asking people for money. I thought I was inconveniencing them and would always try to find indirect ways to do the fundraising. This was a barrier that got in the way of my ability to do my job to the fullest and, quite frankly, it was a barrier that I had to overcome. I had a conversation with the previous director who asked me a couple questions that helped me deal with this – he asked, “Do you believe in the organization and what it is trying to do?” I answered yes. “Do you think that others will believe in what the organization is trying to do?” I answered yes. “So don’t deny them the chance to become a partner in what we are doing here,” he finally said. I needed to have that conversation in order to overcome this barrier, and that year we raised 10% more funds than the previous year.
Relating this to our prayer lives, each of us have barriers that get in the way of us praying and connecting to God in the fullest. Since we can seemingly get through life OK without improving our prayer life, many of us often don’t deal with those prayer barriers. If you desire to only have a mediocre prayer life and a mediocre relationship with God, then I suppose that’s OK. On the other hand, if you thirst for a better prayer life, then I encourage you to expose your barriers to a loved one or to someone you look up to spiritually. Talk about the barrier and problem-solve on how to overcome it. Perhaps you think prayer is boring or wonder if prayer even matters at all. Maybe you don’t feel like you have the time to pray or just flat out don’t know how to. Whatever the barrier, talking about it is the first step towards overcoming it.
As I continue to offer “Prayer Tips” in 2010, I invite you to email me or comment on the prayer blog about what your own prayer barriers are so that the tips will be relevant and transforming for our congregation (if you have a barrier to prayer, I promise you that others share that same barrier). In the future, I hope that these prayer tips can serve as a starting point for conversations about our prayer lives on the prayer blog. Also know that your pastors are here to help you overcome these barriers if you would like to get in touch or setup an appointment with your pastorate pastor.

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