Tag Archives: the book of Luke

July 21
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“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:37-38, NIV)

Two lessons for us today from the words of Jesus: (1) Don’t judge others; and (2) be generous with others.

In both instances, our own prospects are inextricably linked to course we choose for other people.  

When we judge others, in due time, others will judge us with the same standard we’ve used for them.  Therein is the problem with judging others: We are more strict with others than we are with ourselves because, well, we know our situation. Few of us welcome a standard applied to us that we’ve used for others, but that is how we work.

In the second lesson, Jesus encourages us to be generous with others (in both our tangible and in our intangible gifts).  When we give to others, God gives the same (and more) back to us.  In this, we should not give in order to receive from our heavenly Father; instead, we should give in order to be like our heavenly Father. 

Seize every opportunity to show mercy to others, because our own day of need is coming.  While we may rightfully judge situations, we have no right to judge persons.  There are aspects to every person’s story of which we are ignorant — and as sure as night follows day, the tables will turn.  – Luther

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May 23
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“Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.” (Luke 22:27, New Living Translation)

The disciple of Jesus is a servant. 

He or she is not a “servant-leader.” He or she is not an “apprentice-leader.” He or she is not “doing time” as a servant until something opens up at the top of the hierarchy. The pinnacle of a disciple’s aspiration is to be like his or her Lord; and the Lord Jesus is “among you as one who serves.” 

This is so not like us.  We desire the perquisites that come with leadership; or we see leadership as a reward for being a “good foot soldier.” But even leadership, in the estimation of our Lord, is nothing more than a greater opportunity for servitude; and “servitude” is to “service” as “being” is to “doing.” 

Make servitude for the sake of being like Jesus your sole ambition as a disciple. Even in the kingdom of God, good help is hard to find.  Aspire to be the “help.”  – Luther  

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May 19
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“’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 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.'” (Luke 18: 29-20, NIV)

While some may classify these words of Jesus as a “hard saying”; in reality these words are some of the most gracious in all of the bible.

There is a worthy tale that illustrates what Jesus is saying: A rich man had a son who painted a self-portrait.  Though no one would ever mistake the painting as the work of a skilled artist, the father treasured this painting above all else, because the son — who was his sole heir — had been killed in war and the painting was a reminder of his beloved son. In his will, the rich man required that the painting be sold at auction with all of his other possessions.  On the day of the auction, estate agents and bargain hunters from far and wide converged at the rich man’s estate for the sale.  The first item up for bid was the son’s self-portrait.  The crowd grumbled.  They had not traveled to the sale to bid on the work of a third-rate artist.  They were there there to buy houses, land, livestock, and fine furniture!  

 At first, no one wanted to bid on the painting, but the auctioneer made it clear that in accordance with the rich man’s will, the painting must be sold ahead of all other property. So, to move along the process, one person made a small bid for the portrait.  Hearing no other bids, the auctioneer  said, “Sold!” to the lone bidder, then added, “You’ve just purchased the entire estate: Houses, land, livestock, and fine furniture. The lot is yours.” 

The crowd was stunned.  

The executor of the rich man’s estate appeared at the podium to address the unhappy gathering of would-be buyers, and said, “In accordance with the desires of the father, the person who gets the son, gets it all.”

We can make our lives “a la carte” and risk missing the One; or we can take the One above all others and ahead of all else — and having gotten the Son, get it all.  As Jesus taught us: “Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all of these [other] things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)  – Luther

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