Month: August 2024

Luke 7:26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 

Heavenly Father, Be with me as I go through this day. Help  me not to weigh You down with my human expectations. Help me to be able to see You as You are, where You are. Help me to choose joy this day, to see all the little blessings and miracles that are everywhere.

Luke 7:27 This is the one about whom it is written: “ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’

Dearest Lord, I don’t want to miss Your blessings, Your provision, because I am so distracted with my wants, needs, worries, troubles. Help me to be still in each moment and to know that You are God, You are sovereign, You are with me. Always.

Luke 7:28 I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

Precious Savior, Help me to be still and know that You are God. Help me to be mindful so that I don’t miss Your presence, which is all around me. Root me in Your peace, love, and mercy each moment so that I can experience this day as You intend–focused solely on Your goodness, shining Your light for others, being Your hands and feet in this weary world. Amen.

Luke 7:29 (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. 

Have a blessed day.

Luke 7:22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.   

Again we are back to people’s *expectations* of Jesus. The Jewish people were being oppressed by Roman rule. They *expected* a Messiah who would deliver them from that rule. They were so convinced that that was who the Messiah would be, what the Messiah would do, that they missed Jesus the Messiah in their midst. Healing the sick, the lame, the blind, the deaf? Impressive, I guess, but when I’ve got Roman soldiers breathing down my back, I’m looking for something much different.

Luke 7:23 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

I am so, so guilty of the exact same thing. I get hyper focused on some problem or issue or desire of my heart, and even though God shows up and shows out in my life again and again and again, I miss it because I *expect* something different. I feel like that must truly hurt God’s heart–to see His beloved so focused, so miserable, and so utterly missing His many, many gifts and blessings while my attention is on something else. Jesus, Help me.

Luke 7:24 After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 

Precious Savior, You know my fallible human nature. You know my heart. Forgive me when I miss Your bigger plan because I am so focused on my own *expectations.* Help me to be present in each moment, to seek You, to see You, to be Your hands and feet in this world. Amen.

Luke 7:25 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces.

Have a blessed day.

Luke 7:18 John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, 

I find today’s scripture fascinating and a bit heartening. John, Christ’s forerunner, is questioning if Christ is the Messiah. Commentary says, “John was already in prison, and things began to appear incomprehensible to him. He had expected that Christ would speedily destroy the powers of darkness and judge the unrighteous. But instead of doing this, He leaves him, His forerunner, helpless in prison.” (Geldenhuys)

Luke 7:19 he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

Don’t misunderstand. I am not heartened because John is confused. I am heartened because I have had moments where I have been like, “What the heck, God?!?” and John’s reaction helps me to see I’m not the only one. Though as I type this, I realize that John had *expectations* of what the Messiah would do–human, fallible expectations–but Jesus isn’t a puppet on a string. His ways are not our ways. I am guilty of having human *expectations* for Jesus as well.

Luke 7:20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’ ”

Precious Savior, Thank You for opening my eyes to the fact that I have very human expectations for You at times. Thank You that Your ways are not my ways, Your ways are higher than anything I can imagine. Help me to stop projecting my expectations on You. Help me to see You and love You as You are and to trust Your sovereignty in all situations. Amen.

Luke 7:21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.

Have a blessed day.

Luke 7:13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

What strikes me first about today’s verses is Jesus’s compassion for the woman. She is a widow, and her only child has died. Is his compassion for her loss? For the difficult life He knows she will have without a relative to care for her? Does it even matter the reason for His compassion? Jesus sees her pain, knows her pain, and He reacts with compassion.

Luke 7:14a Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still.  

I am a why kind of gal. I like to understand the inner workings of situations. But when it comes to Jesus, when it comes to His knowledge of our hearts, His understanding of our pain, our loss our grief, the why of it all doesn’t really matter. We are God’s deeply loved children. He sees our pain. He knows our pain. He showers us with compassion. Always.

Luke 7:14b He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!”

Precious Savior, Thank You for the reminder that You are with me always. Thank You that You know my heart, You know my life, You understand my pain–no matter the cause, and You are with me, always. Thank You for Your deep love, mercy, and compassion. Amen.

Luke 7:15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

Have a blessed day.

Luke 7:6 So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.  

The centurion, according to commentary, has both great faith (he knows Jesus can heal, just with His word) and great humility (he does not feel he is worthy of Jesus’s presence, but he knows all he needs is Jesus’s healing word for his servant). And as I was reading today’s verses, Hebrews 4:16 came to mind: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Luke 7:7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 

Our ability to approach God’s throne with confidence, I think, has skewed our perception of His healing. I know I’m guilty of thinking I know how healing would best look in a situation. And, typically when I pray for healing, I want earthly healing so life can continue as usual. God doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes heavenly healing is what’s best.

Luke 7:8a For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me.

Precious Savior, Thank You for opening my eyes to these truths. I didn’t realize that my confidence in approaching Your throne came with my confidence that the healing *I* thought best was truly in line with Your will. Forgive me. Help me to trust. Help me to have great faith *and* great humility. Help me to approach Your throne with confidence that You know what’s best in every situation. Help me. Amen.

Luke 7:8b I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 

Have a blessed day.

Luke 7:1 When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum.   

Commentary on Luke 7 helps me to understand that the centurion mentioned in these verses was unusual for the time period. For one, he has heard of Jesus and respects his authority as a healer. For another, he cares for his slave enough to ask others to approach Jesus on his behalf in hopes of procuring healing. Apparently, Roman law allows for the killing of sick slaves who are so ill they cannot work. This centurion did not choose that option.

Luke 7:2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die.

All of this makes me wonder why we are getting this story at this time. Is it about the miraculous healing that is about to take place? Is it to show us that the centurion stereotypes that abound do not accurately reflect each individual? We can definitely learn a lot from that. We may not have centurions today, but we’ve got stereotypes, and we use them to lump people into easy, faceless categories. Jesus, Help us.

Luke 7:3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant.

Precious Savior, Thank You for loving us as individuals and not lumping us into stereotyped categories. Help us to see each other as individuals. Help us not to lump and stereotype and judge. Help us to look at others, all others, and see You shining through. Help us, Jesus. Amen.

Luke 7:4-5 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 

Have a blessed day.

Luke 6:46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?   

I watch a lot of home improvement shows, and I know that if the foundation is solid, it doesn’t matter how far gone the house is, it can be rehabbed. It might have to be knocked down to the studs, but with a solid foundation, everything else can be fixed. However, if the foundation isn’t solid, the house cannot be saved. It doesn’t matter how grand or lovely or new the house is–a faulty foundation will ruin everything.

Luke 6:47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.

What a beautiful, affirming way to end Luke 6. I see all the mean and petty parts of myself that need to be turned over to Jesus, but I also know that my foundation is strong, it is built on Him, so even though I know I have a LOT of work yet to do, the house is savable because the foundation is solid. Thank You, Jesus.

Luke 6:48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

Precious Savior, I see all the issues. I see the metaphorical peeling wallpaper and the holes in the drywall. Thank You for the reminder that my foundation is solid in You. No matter how much work is left to do, Thank You that I’ve got You at my core. Amen.

Luke 6:49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

Have a blessed day.