Living out what we hear from Jesus.

April 14, 2013 - Luke 8:16-20

^16-18 “No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a washtub or shoves it under the bed. No, you set it up on a lamp stand so those who enter the room can see their way. We’re not keeping secrets; we’re telling them. We’re not hiding things; we’re bringing everything out into the open. So be careful that you don’t become misers of what you hear. Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes.”

^19-20 His mother and brothers showed up but couldn’t get through to him because of the crowd. He was given the message, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside wanting to see you.”

Jesus invites His followers to witness Him in the public - just like a lamp on a lamp stand that people can see our testimony. All the message that we hear from Jesus should be revealed in the open. Living out what we hear is the way to grow our Christian life into maturity. Jesus asserts that, "Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes."

My Lord Jesus, this is another day to be with You - hearing what you speak to me; seeing how you interact with people; going where you are; and feeling what your heart feels; and praying what you pray to the Father. May You be my Model and Guide into your life and love with the Father God through Your Spirit. 

Are we listening to the words of Jesus?

April 13, 2013 - Luke 8:1-15

8 ^1-3 He continued according to plan, traveled to town after town, village after village, preaching God’s kingdom, spreading the Message. The Twelve were with him. There were also some women in their company who had been healed of various evil afflictions and illnesses: Mary, the one called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod’s manager; and Susanna—along with many others who used their considerable means to provide for the company.

^4-8 As they went from town to town, a lot of people joined in and traveled along. He addressed them, using this story: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. Some of it fell on the road; it was tramped down and the birds ate it. Other seed fell in the gravel; it sprouted, but withered because it didn’t have good roots. Other seed fell in the weeds; the weeds grew with it and strangled it. Other seed fell in rich earth and produced a bumper crop.

“Are you listening to this? Really listening?”

⁹ His disciples asked, “Why did you tell this story?”

¹⁰ He said, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom—you know how it works. There are others who need stories. But even with stories some of them aren’t going to get it:

Their eyes are open but don’t see a thing,
Their ears are open but don’t hear a thing.

^11-12 “This story is about some of those people. The seed is the Word of God. The seeds on the road are those who hear the Word, but no sooner do they hear it than the Devil snatches it from them so they won’t believe and be saved.

¹³ “The seeds in the gravel are those who hear with enthusiasm, but the enthusiasm doesn’t go very deep. It’s only another fad, and the moment there’s trouble it’s gone.

¹⁴ “And the seed that fell in the weeds—well, these are the ones who hear, but then the seed is crowded out and nothing comes of it as they go about their lives worrying about tomorrow, making money, and having fun.

¹⁵ “But the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there’s a harvest.

Are we listening to the words of Jesus? Jesus warns us with a story of seed about how our hearts respond to His words? Some hear it but abandon it quickly; some hear it but just keep it at the surface without roots and no soon are the words scratched away from the evil; some hear it but the words are choked because of worry and other temptations; and only some hear it and hold on until the words bear the harvest.

Am I also listening to the words of Jesus. Hold on the words of Jesus and keep on praying to Jesus, bringing all my concerns, worries, anxieties back to Jesus. Allow Jesus' words through the Spirit shape my hearts and transform my worries and anxieties to prayer and trust to God. This is a composting process, just like the sprouting of seed and growth of plants. It requires patience, trust, practice of the listening prayer and the Presence of Jesus, until my spiritual life can grow and take roots in Jesus, bearing harvest of spiritual maturity as the time is completed. 

The forgiveness of our sins turns our life upside down.

April 12, 2013 - Luke 7:36-50

    ^36-39 One of the Pharisees asked him over for a meal. He went to the Pharisee’s house and sat down at the dinner table. Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfume and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his feet. Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him.”

   ⁴⁰ Jesus said to him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

   “Oh? Tell me.”

   ^41-42 “Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?”

   ^43-47 Simon answered, “I suppose the one who was forgiven the most.”

   “That’s right,” said Jesus. Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, “Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair. You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn’t quit kissing my feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. Impressive, isn’t it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal.”

   ⁴⁸ Then he spoke to her: “I forgive your sins.”

   ⁴⁹ That set the dinner guests talking behind his back: “Who does he think he is, forgiving sins!”

   ⁵⁰ He ignored them and said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

The woman show how she loved Jesus as she had experienced a great forgiveness of her sins. She wept before Jesus and used the most precious perfume to anoint Jesus' feet. The observers, Pharisees, never experienced this kind of forgiveness and considered that the woman's response was too weird to be acceptable in their religious points of view. 

My Lord, experiencing the amazing forgiveness of sins is the most desire in my heart. Am I a Christian? Yes, I do believe that my sins had been forgiven as I put my faith in Jesus. But have I completely experienced the forgiveness by Jesus? I think the answer is No. My old self is not completely dead yet. In the past, I understood the forgiveness of sins in terms of the removal of the penalty of sins - no more judgment and no more guilt before God - I am justified and saved. But God's forgiveness of sins is more than that. Jesus comes to heal the consequences and condemnation of our sins as well. He comes to reconcile us with God and also helps us to reconcile with our true self - to accept our new self in Christ. We nail our old self on the cross with Jesus but accept our new self in Christ. We love Jesus more as we experience His love more in redeeming us from our old self to a new person in Christ - experience His removal of our sins; His healing of our past wounds or hurts; His power of liberating us from the slavery; His Presence in our life; His unconditional love to us - no more guilt feeling, no more comparison with others, no more inferiority of feeling, etc. 

Being a messenger of Jesus - Friendship with Jesus

April 11, 2013 - Luke 7:24-35

^24-27 After John’s messengers left to make their report, Jesus said more about John to the crowd of people. “What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A messenger from God? That’s right, a messenger! Probably the greatest messenger you’ll ever hear. He is the messenger Malachi announced when he wrote,

   I’m sending my messenger on ahead
To make the road smooth for you.

   ^28-30 “Let me lay it out for you as plainly as I can: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer, but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. The ordinary and disreputable people who heard John, by being baptized by him into the kingdom, are the clearest evidence; the Pharisees and religious officials would have nothing to do with such a baptism, wouldn’t think of giving up their place in line to their inferiors.

   ^31-35 “How can I account for the people of this generation? They’re like spoiled children complaining to their parents, ‘We wanted to skip rope and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk but you were always too busy.’ John the Baptizer came fasting and you called him crazy. The Son of Man came feasting and you called him a lush. Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

John the Baptizer was commended by Jesus as the messenger of God, who prepared the road for Jesus. The ordinary people or sinners heard his message and were being baptized into God's kingdom. John lived out a life that people might not approve and called him crazy and out of mind. But he became one of the greatest messenger for Jesus. This generation needs Jesus and His messengers who live out a life that simply seeks the approval of Jesus, not human's popular opinions. 

My Lord Jesus, as I begin a new day, may I focus my eyes again on You as my model and pattern of life. See how You relate with people, and I follow. Hear what You speak to me, and I speak Your words. Feel how You are compassionate toward people's plight, and my heart follows with Your heart. Continue to pursue a loving relationship, a friendship with my Jesus, and experience Your presence in my life today. 

What do you expect from Jesus?

April 10, 2013 - Luke 7:18-23

^18-19 John’s disciples reported back to him the news of all these events taking place. He sent two of them to the Master to ask the question, “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?”

   ²⁰ The men showed up before Jesus and said, “John the Baptizer sent us to ask you, ‘Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?’”

   ^21-23 In the next two or three hours Jesus healed many from diseases, distress, and evil spirits. To many of the blind he gave the gift of sight. Then he gave his answer: “Go back and tell John what you have just seen and heard:

   The blind see,
The lame walk,
Lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised,
The wretched of the earth
   have God’s salvation hospitality extended to them.

   “Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves fortunate!”

What do we expect from Jesus? John's disciples saw how Jesus healed people from diseases, distress and evil spirits. They saw from their first-handed experience how Jesus did miracles to heal, to raise, to liberate, to cleanse, and to restore people. What do we expect from Jesus? Was he only a teacher, a philanthropist, a religious man, a magician, etc. No! He is the Son of God who absolutely changes people's lives and demonstrates the power of the coming Kingdom of God. 

My Lord Jesus, stretch my faith to trust that You are the God in whom everything is possible. You are the One to change people's lives and subjugate the evil power of Satan. You are the Messiah who can save this world from degeneration into destruction. 

Jesus is in us - We are in the Holy Mystery

April 9, 2013 - Luke 7:11-17

^11-15 Not long after that, Jesus went to the village Nain. His disciples were with him, along with quite a large crowd. As they approached the village gate, they met a funeral procession—a woman’s only son was being carried out for burial. And the mother was a widow. When Jesus saw her, his heart broke. He said to her, “Don’t cry.” Then he went over and touched the coffin. The pallbearers stopped. He said, “Young man, I tell you: Get up.” The dead son sat up and began talking. Jesus presented him to his mother.

   ^16-17 They all realized they were in a place of holy mystery, that God was at work among them. They were quietly worshipful—and then noisily grateful, calling out among themselves, “God is back, looking to the needs of his people!” The news of Jesus spread all through the country.

God is back! Jesus performed miracles that even dead was raised to life again. People realized that they were in a place of mystery. Jesus is still alive today through His Spirit. He dwells in us. He sees people's misery. His heart still breaks just like when he saw the woman lost her only son. Jesus is a compassionate God - He is powerful and at the same time his heart goes with our hearts. No one asked for healing or miracle; no one interceded to God for miracle; no one came to him for help. But as Jesus heard a woman's painful cry, his heart broke. His compassion moved him to go and touch the coffin, and to proclaim the resurrection of the dead man. Jesus is back and looking to the needs of His people. 

We believers are living a mystery of Jesus' powerful Presence. May our hearts open to His heart, feeling His compassion on people in plight. May our eyes open to His hands, seeing His touching hand on people in needs; and may our ears open to his voice, hearing His mighty words in deliverance of people's bondage and healing of people's illness. 

The Power of Intercession and Simple Trust in Jesus

April 8, 2013 - Luke 7:1-10

    ^1 1-5 When he finished speaking to the people, he entered Capernaum. A Roman captain there had a servant who was on his deathbed. He prized him highly and didn’t want to lose him. When he heard Jesus was back, he sent leaders from the Jewish community asking him to come and heal his servant. They came to Jesus and urged him to do it, saying, “He deserves this. He loves our people. He even built our meeting place.”

   ^6-8 Jesus went with them. When he was still quite far from the house, the captain sent friends to tell him, “Master, you don’t have to go to all this trouble. I’m not that good a person, you know. I’d be embarrassed for you to come to my house, even embarrassed to come to you in person. Just give the order and my servant will get well. I’m a man under orders; I also give orders. I tell one soldier, ‘Go,’ and he goes; another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

   ^9-10 Taken aback, Jesus addressed the accompanying crowd: “I’ve yet to come across this kind of simple trust anywhere in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know about God and how he works.” When the messengers got back home, they found the servant up and well.

Luke records how a servant of a gentile centurion was healed by Jesus - Jesus' presence and healing occurred in a servant. We don't see the servant prayed for healing; we don't see Jesus planned to heal the servant; we even don't see Jesus met with the centurion. But we see the power of intercession - the leaders of the synagogue urged Jesus to heal the centurion's servant; we see the simple trust or faith of this centurion in the healing power of Jesus that even Jesus was surprised of this centurion's simple trust. 

We believers can experience the power and presence of Jesus in our lives as we faithfully intercede; and we make a simple trust in Jesus. Jesus, the Son of God, is compassionate and powerful. He is willing to dwell in us through His Spirit, and He is here to transform us. Jesus, let me follow you and encounter you in what I do, and who I meet today.