Day 143 Jesus laments over Jerusalem Luke 13: 34-35

Guided Reflection:

Read vs 34 and hear the sorrow and disappointment in the people in Jesus’ voice.   Jesus, the Messiah, was right under their noses and they did not get it.  I wonder how many times Jesus’ face has been right in front of us and we do not see it?  I remember a dear friend, Freda, when she was in her chemotherapy, running to me and saying she had just seen the face of God!  She explained that she was frightened about the pain of the nurses putting more needles and chemicals in her veins that day, almost in tears.  She looked up and a black man who was walking by,  turned and looked at her in the face – she said his face just glowed and she could not take her eyes off him!  She quickly looked down to see when they would start and found that while she was gazing into his eyes, the nurse was done and she had not felt it.  She could not locate him when her treatment was done.   I wonder, does Jesus lament over us not seeing and believing?  Have you have seen Jesus’ face lately?

Guided Prayer:

“I hear the lament of Jesus and wonder if you lament over me.   Where have you tried to get my attention and “I would not”?  Please open my eyes and my ears.  Make my heart understand your love.  Amen” 

Day 142 Jesus Departs Galilee Luke 13: 31-33

Guided Reflection:

            Do you hear the urgency in these few verses?  The tension is rising between Jesus,

the Pharisees, and Herod; as well as Jesus and His Mission.   Timing is everything, and being at the right place at the right time.   Why do you think Jesus wanted to get to Jerusalem before the “ax’s falls”?   What do you think was going on in Jesus’ mind?

Guided Prayer:

“Loving God, we have no idea what was going on in Jesus’ mind this day, but Jesus kept his mission and his purpose before him.  You don’t need me to be a Savior; Jesus handled that, but help me live my life so I am ready to be the right person at the right time at the right place.  Use me to your glory.  Amen. 

Day 141 The Infirmed Woman Luke 13:10-17

Guided Reflection:

Luke, being a physician, always notes the hurting and disenfranchised people when the other gospel writers do not.   This woman had some kind of physical issue that caused her to not be able to stand up straight.  Jesus’ heart was filled with compassion so he touched her and made her whole.  BUT, it was the Sabbath, and Jesus dared to “work” (heal) on the Sabbath!   Jesus confronts the synagogue ruler with his foolishness:  “Who cares what day of the week it is!  Let’s just focus doing what is needed!”  Are there places in your life where you are making issues out of things that are not really issues?   What would Jesus say to you?

Guided Prayer:

“All wise and knowing God, I admit that sometimes I am a wise guy/gal and a “know it all”, when I really do not have a clue.  Help me remember to make what is the most important thing in YOUR book be the most important thing in MY book. And, give me courage to stand alongside others who are trying to do good.  Amen.”

Day 140 When destruction comes, it is God’s revenge? Luke 13:1-9

Guided reflection:

This must be a conversation about some local news – evidently some violence happened to innocent people and folks were wondering if those people were destroyed because they were really bad and God just used Pilate’s hand to punish them; or were they innocent victims?  Have you not heard people say that hurricanes or other disasters have been the hand of God punishing people?   Jesus is comforting their hearts and minds and saying that God was not behind it.  However, Jesus uses this bit of news to remind them that repenting and getting right with God is an important thing to add to your agenda!

Guided prayer:

“Like the fig tree, Dear God, please prod and prune me, so that the places where I am not fruitful can become alive and vital, producing much fruit for you.   Help my life mean something – help me not to waste it.  Today I pray for others who might be perishing at the hand of injustice.  Amen”

Day 139 Settling disputes Luke 12: 57-59 (Matt 5:25,26)

Guided reflection:

Do you think that we sometimes cause our own messes?  In Jesus day, they had law suits too – they would take a person to the magistrate to help two people to figure out who is right and who is wrong.  I think that Jesus wants us to face our messes, we know what is right and what is wrong – we do not need someone else to get us off the hook.  Jesus wants us to be honest and get on with doing what is right before God and our brothers and sisters.  Are you pretending that you do not know what you did wrong to someone else?  Come clean – you know the truth.

Guided prayer:

“Dear God, help me not to try to pull the wool over others’ eyes.  Help me face up to the truth.  Help me be honest and have the courage to do the right thing.  Amen”

Day 138 The servant’s wages Luke 12:47-48

Guided reflection:

These two verses are a part of yesterday’s conversation.  If a servant is insubordinate and does not do what his master has required, in Jesus day, they were not fired, but beaten!   Now, if he did not know what he was to do and did not do what the boss wanted, he would be reprimanded but not to the extent as the one who defied his boss.   If we know what to do and do not do it, then our Lord has the right to be disappointed with us!  Don’t worry about the things you don’t know to do, make sure you are doing the things that you do know to do!

Guided prayer:

“I may not always know what is the right thing to do, Lord, so guide me and show me the way.  However, there are many things I do know to do that would please you and bring honor to your name.  Help me focus on doing those things.  How am I doing?  Is there any place you would like to show me a different way?  Help me be open to your guiding light.  Amen”

Day 137 Being watchful and faithful Luke 12: 35-46

Guided reflection:

Have you ever had a job where you would slack off when the boss was not around?  We recently had a big wind storm.  If you had been killed by a falling tree or a loose electric wire, what would you have been “caught” doing as you passed from this life to another? (This was one of those scriptures my mother would use when she thought I was doing something I should not be doing…  Lynette, what if Jesus came at this time?)   Jesus reminds us that we are to live each day as though it is our last on this earth.  May we be found faithful and busy for Christ when our time comes.  

Guided prayer:

“Dear God, if I knew when my time would be up, Iwould be able to do what I want and then at the last minute ask for your forgiveness and I’d be off the hook – right?  No, I know that is not the way to live my life.  Help me to see that I need to live my days with fullness and passion and doing what you have called me to do.  So, Lord, are there things that are distracting me from my real purpose?  Are there things I am doing that would make me ashamed if Jesus walked in the door in the flesh?  Help me remember, you are here, at all times, in all places, no matter what I am doing.  Find me faithful, dear

Lord!  Amen” 

Day 136 The Rich Fool Luke 12:13-21

Guided reflection:

Another of Luke’s aside stories:  Two brothers are fighting over an inheritance and one wants Jesus to make his brother divide it.  Jesus is not the judge over inheritances, but he does know that a question like this, before a group of people, has a root of envy and covetousness in it!   So, instead of doing what the man wants, he speaks to what the man needs to hear… life is not about who has the most stuff!  Then Jesus tells the story of a man who had so much stuff he had to build a bigger garage for all his stuff!  And the man loves to look at his stuff and he fills satisfied – “wow, I am so lucky to have all this stuff!”  but Jesus calls him a fool – if you focus on the stuff of this world, you cannot be focused on heavenly treasures.  OK, look at your stuff.  Do you have lots of stuff?  Now, imagine your investment account in heaven – do you have a list of heavenly treasurers or are all of your treasures in your stuffed garage?  Gulp!   Are you more a consumer or are you a creator?

Guided prayer:

“Well, Lord, this is where the rubber hits the road.  I like my stuff… and I wish I had more and better stuff.  I think all my stuff makes me a cool person.  How foolish can I be?  Show me what is more important to you and help me to let go of by covetousness around acquiring stuff and who has more and if I will get my share of the inheritance… help me to seek you first.  Amen” 

Day 135 Jesus lets the Pharisees have it – again! Luke 11:37-12:1

Guided reflection:

Once again the Pharisees are on Jesus about not washing right, eating right... and Jesus let’s ‘em have it!  He tells them they are like dead men walking around pretending to be alive when they are doing dead rituals!  They lay heavy burdens on people and keep people from being free!  Not only do they not pay attention to the truth they should know, they stand in the way of others finding out the truth! Ouch!   Do rules and obligations really fill your soul?  May we not be a people who spend our time focusing on what other people are NOT doing… but may we focus our attention on being open to a new truth – and heaven forbid – may we never stand in the way of another finding the truth of God’s love.  Are you a rule keeper?  Are you disappointed in others who just don’t seem to do the things you think they ought to do?  Can you give them to Jesus and let Jesus take care of them?

Guided prayer::

“Dear Lord in heaven, help me not to be like the Pharisees and lawyers in this scripture!  Do I have a little black book in my heart that has a list of who is in, who is right, and who is not?  Help me to discern what is truth and what is not… but help me see that Christ died for all, not just those who do things right according to me.  Help me to know the right things instead.  Amen” 

Day 134 Light Luke 11:33-36

Guided reflection:

We touched lightly on this on day 29, but Luke has more to say on the subject.  When we have insight, have the light of Christ in us, we cannot help but allow it to shine through us.  As a matter of fact, our eyes give us away.  In our eyes we reflect anger, fear, hope, sorrow, grief, sadness… and aliveness, light!   Jesus is saying that when you have the light of Christ within you – it will come out your eyes and your whole being will reflect that light.  Go look in a mirror?  What does your eyes reflect?  Light?  Darkness?  Anger?   Love?  Gentleness?  Do you have your “Father’s” eyes?

Guided prayer:

“Look into my heart and into my eyes, dear Lord.  Do you see Jesus in me?  The places where you love and light have been snuffed out by the darkness of this world, heal me, rekindle your love within me.  This little light of mine, I want to let it shine!  Hide it under a bushel?  NO!  I want it to shine!  Amen”