Are You Listening?…

Read: Luke 8-9
Marked: Luke 8:21, He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

Jesus had earlier told the parable of the sower in which some seed fell by the wayside, other seed fell on rock, and some fell among thorns, but some fell on good soil.

In every instance, the seed, the Word of God, was presented to people, but “hearing they did not hear”. Some let the devil, or others, take away the Word out of their hearts. Others do nothing with the Word, no consideration or meditation, so the Word caused no change in them.

Then there are those who hear the Word, but life consumes them and they forget what they’ve heard. Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

We mustn’t simply listen to God’s Word, we must hear it. We must attend to it, to consider what it is and what’s been said. In the hearing we must be doers, applying the Word in our lives.

Radical Love…

Read: Luke 6:27
Marked: Luke 6:27, But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.

The teachings of Jesus are radical. We want to be loved and love those who love us. But, to love an enemy?

Yet, this is what Jesus asks of us. And not only love, but bless those who curse us, and pray for those that spitefully use us (V28). But that’s still not all.

If someone strikes you our natural response is to strike back. Yet, Jesus says, offer the other cheek also. If someone takes your cloak, give your tunic too (V29).

This leads us to V31 in what is often called, “The Golden Rule”. As I want you to do to me, I should do to them. I don’t want to be abused, so I should treat others right, regardless of how they treat me. Easy? NO! Radical!

Strength in Temptation…

Read: Luke 4-5
Marked: Luke 4:1-2, Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.

The enemy attacks when we least expect, or when we are at our weakest. It might be after not having read the Bible for some time which is why we need to be in the Word daily.

The enemy attacks the authority (power) of God causing doubt and sowing dissent. Therefore, my heart and mind must be fixed upon Jesus.

The enemy attacks the grace and mercy of God in my life. But knowing what God has done through the cross keeps me close to Jesus.