Day 27 Friday March 19 2010
TODAY’S TEXT- Luke 17
Jesus said to his disciples, “Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! 2It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. 4And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.” 5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7“Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? 8Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? 9Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’”
11On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, 13they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. 15Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? 18Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”
20Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; 21nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.” 22Then he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23They will say to you, ‘Look there!’ or ‘Look here!’ Do not go, do not set off in pursuit. 24For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25But first he must endure much suffering and be rejected by this generation. 26Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. 27They were eating and drinking, and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed all of them. 28Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed all of them 30—it will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 31On that day, anyone on the housetop who has belongings in the house must not come down to take them away; and likewise anyone in the field must not turn back. 32Remember Lot’s wife. 33Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it. 34I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35There will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left.” 37Then they asked him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”
TODAY’S STATUS UPDATES
The singer, Jewel, wrote a song time with lyrics that have stuck in my head. It went like this- “don’t lend your strength to that which you wish to be from. Give your lives to love and bravery and you will live a life uncommon!”
I hear those words in the text today as Jesus speaks on the issue of forgiving someone who is repeatedly wronging someone- only to beg for forgiveness (and then do it again). We know people like that who wrong us “over and over and over again.” And if we are not careful we can be filled with bitterness (at them) over and over and over again. Jesus reminds us that the only way to break that cycle is not to lend our bitterness to the occasion but rather our forgiveness. Forgiveness can transcend. It can give a fresh start. It can remove bitterness. And—it is not easy. To forgive is to lean on God. To forgive is to say- “God, I need you to help me give this person another chance”. To forgive is to be taken over by God’s spirit working within us for I don’t think any of us can really do it on our own power. It’s pretty easy for me to get bitter, angry, or resentlful. I can do that on my own power. To do the opposite, I need God’s power. I need him to lend me strength. I know the same applies for you.
This day, if you are dealing with bitterness toward someone who has wronged you- hear this, “I hope and pray that God will lend you his strength and courage so that you might be able to forgive.” As the disciples prayer, so may we pray—“Lord, increase our faith!”
**Again, please know of my gratitude for walking with me on this journey through Lent. Know that I have appreciated the kind notes and words of encouragement. I have enjoyed this walk through Luke (which is approaching the ¾ mark). It is a rich book with many great themes/stories/and lessons.
Friends Added
10 Healed
TODAY’S TEXT- Luke 17
Jesus said to his disciples, “Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! 2It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. 4And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.” 5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7“Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? 8Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? 9Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’”
11On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, 13they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. 15Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? 18Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”
20Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; 21nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.” 22Then he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23They will say to you, ‘Look there!’ or ‘Look here!’ Do not go, do not set off in pursuit. 24For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25But first he must endure much suffering and be rejected by this generation. 26Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. 27They were eating and drinking, and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed all of them. 28Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed all of them 30—it will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 31On that day, anyone on the housetop who has belongings in the house must not come down to take them away; and likewise anyone in the field must not turn back. 32Remember Lot’s wife. 33Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it. 34I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35There will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left.” 37Then they asked him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”
TODAY’S STATUS UPDATES
The singer, Jewel, wrote a song time with lyrics that have stuck in my head. It went like this- “don’t lend your strength to that which you wish to be from. Give your lives to love and bravery and you will live a life uncommon!”
I hear those words in the text today as Jesus speaks on the issue of forgiving someone who is repeatedly wronging someone- only to beg for forgiveness (and then do it again). We know people like that who wrong us “over and over and over again.” And if we are not careful we can be filled with bitterness (at them) over and over and over again. Jesus reminds us that the only way to break that cycle is not to lend our bitterness to the occasion but rather our forgiveness. Forgiveness can transcend. It can give a fresh start. It can remove bitterness. And—it is not easy. To forgive is to lean on God. To forgive is to say- “God, I need you to help me give this person another chance”. To forgive is to be taken over by God’s spirit working within us for I don’t think any of us can really do it on our own power. It’s pretty easy for me to get bitter, angry, or resentlful. I can do that on my own power. To do the opposite, I need God’s power. I need him to lend me strength. I know the same applies for you.
This day, if you are dealing with bitterness toward someone who has wronged you- hear this, “I hope and pray that God will lend you his strength and courage so that you might be able to forgive.” As the disciples prayer, so may we pray—“Lord, increase our faith!”
**Again, please know of my gratitude for walking with me on this journey through Lent. Know that I have appreciated the kind notes and words of encouragement. I have enjoyed this walk through Luke (which is approaching the ¾ mark). It is a rich book with many great themes/stories/and lessons.
Friends Added
10 Healed
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