Category: Blog

The Parables of Jesus

“His Word never returns empty.”

March 11, 2022

Mark 4:26-29; Isaiah 55:11; 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

As today’s Parable once again talks about a man scattering seeds, I thought I’d lead off with the verse.

“This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know-how. All by itself, the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it because the harvest has come.”

Mark 4:26-29

What’s Jesus saying in this Parable? When we spread God’s Word, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, it will produce results. Does everyone we share the Gospel with come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Unfortunately, no.

But like the man who scatters the seed, it grows. The same goes for the Gospel. Our job is to spread the Good News. That’s it. We don’t bring people to Christ. That’s the Holy Spirits’ job after we’ve planted the seed of the Gospel.

I love the following verses from Isaiah because they reinforce Jesus’s words in the above Parable. So once again, it’s a case of scripture explaining scripture.

“As the rain and the snow

come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11

Isaiah is saying the same thing. The word comes from his mouth, and it won’t return empty. It accomplishes what God wants it to.

Here’s another bible verse from 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 that reinforces how God’s word grows and spreads.

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” I Corinthians 3:6-7

In this passage, the Apostle Paul says he has planted the seeds of the Gospel. His own follower Apollos followed up and watered the seeds, but only God can make things grow.

In a nutshell, “We preach and teach the Word; God’s Word does the rest.” (Peoples Bible Commentary, Mark, 1992. Pp.66.)

Dear Lord. We are Your hands and feet in this world. Give us the encouragement to spread Your Word throughout the land. We know we are your tools to preach and teach Your Word. You will make the seeds of the Gospel grow. Amen.

The Parables of Jesus

“The Great Impersonator”

March 10, 2022

Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43

Have you ever heard of L. temulentum? I would venture to guess that you haven’t. It’s the scientific name for a weed called Darnel or Darnel RyeGrass. Unfortunately, Darnel grows among wheat plants, and it is difficult to tell the two apart until maturity. Therefore, it is pretty difficult to “weed” it out until the wheat and Darnel mature.

The similarity between wheat and Lolium temulentum is so great that in some regions, L. temulentum is referred to as true wheat (Triticum species). L. temulentum and wheat look alike until the ear appears and are distinguished as follows:

• The ears on the real wheat are so heavy that it makes the entire plant droop downward, but L. temulentum, whose ears are light, stands up straight.
• Wheat ripens to a brown color, whereas L. temulentum turns black.

(https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/eafrinet/weeds/key/weeds/Media/Html/Lolium_temulentum_(Darnel_Ryegrass).htm)

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Right about now, you may be asking yourself, why did Joe just give me a Botany lesson on the difference between wheat and darnel ryegrass. I’m so glad you asked that question 😊.

Today’s parable is called “The Parable of the Weeds.” It is believed by many people that the weed or weeds that are discussed in this parable are Darnel.

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time, I will tell the harvesters: First, collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”       Matthew 13:24-30

In this parable, we have another man good seed in what seems to be good soil. But he encounters a different problem than rocks, a path, or a scorching sun. In this story, an enemy comes into the field at night and scatters weed seeds.

The weeds and the good seed are tough to distinguish in their infancy; only when they mature is it safe to pull the weeds without damaging the good crops.

As I said, many believe the weeds would have been what we now call Darnel. In the “New Bible Commentary, 21^st Century Edition, 1994 Edition, Pp. 922. Notes 25,

“The weeds are probably Darnel. Which looks very like wheat in the earthy stages of growth and after that is so closely entangled with it that it cannot be removed without damaging the wheat.”

At this point, we know the problem and even Jesus’ parable answer to the problem.

“Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time, I will tell the harvesters: First, collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.” 

Once again, Jesus takes the time to explain this parable to His disciples.

“Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”     Matthew 13:36-43

Jesus’ explanation is very self-explanatory. Jesus is the Son of Man, who sows His Word. The believers are the good seeds that stand in this world. The weeds are the ungodly people that Satan plants amongst us. Why? So, we as believers might be pulled into the sinfulness the world has to offer.

One final note. You’ll notice that the parable refers to the “world,” not “the church.” This is because there are processes in place to deal with the unfaithful and sinners within the church.

Don’t ever think that historical events like the Spanish Inquisition or the Crusades were righteous in God’s sight. It is not our job to go out and destroy sinners in the world. Jesus will take care of that when He returns when he separates the weeds from the wheat.

We’ll return to some of these thoughts and ideas later this month when we discuss the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25.

Dear Jesus. We believe that one day you will return, and everyone will be held accountable for their actions. May your Holy Spirit guide us to walk in Your ways so on that day of your arrival, we will join you in eternity. Amen.

The Parables of Jesus

March 9, 2022

“Not all seeds take root.”

Matthew 13:1-9;18-23

Most people have not heard of John Chapman. He was born in 1774. As an adult, John worked a nurseryman, which simply means he worked with plants, bushes, and trees.

Mr. Chapman especially loved apple trees. As a matter of fact, he planted them all around the town he lived in. Eventually, He started traveling around the country planting apple trees and giving away apple seeds.

Mr. Chapman became well-known for planting apple trees and sharing their seeds. Perhaps you’ve heard his nickname before, Johnny Appleseed.

Not unlike plants, trees, and seeds we plant on our own property, it’s safe to say that every tree plant and seed sowed by Johnny Appleseed did not produce fruit.

And that presumption brings us to today’s Parable.

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The best part of the Parable is that Jesus explains it to His disciples. That’s not something He does very often. Generally, Jesus would tell a Parable and leave it at that. This allowed the listener to either dismiss it or take time to ponder what Jesus said and allow the Spirit to open their hearts and mind to its meaning.

The first section of this Parable is the story itself:

“That same day, Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still, other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” Matthew 13:1-9

I want to key in on one point at the end of the above text, as Jesus himself will explain to the Parable to you and me in the rest of the story.

Matthew 13:9 is not just talking about being a good listener. If you can hear God’s word, then “really” listen to it. Take His word to heart, believe it, and obey it. We obey God’s word by not allowing it to lie dormant in our hearts. Instead, we do what it says; we follow God’s instructions.

Over several verses, Jesus discusses how and why He uses Parable, then He explains the Parable we read earlier:

 “Listen then to what the Parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:18-23

Yes, this portion of the scripture is about listening to God’s word and what you do with it. But, it’s also about Faith.

What makes Good soil. You’ll notice Jesus never once says that the good ground doesn’t have rocks, thorns, or weeds on it. That’s because we will all and are tempted, go through problems in our lives, and face uncertain times. Yet, through it all, those in the good soil maintain a strong faith in their Savior and His love for them. They know that’s God’s Holy Spirit will guide them along the proper path and help them in times of need.

John Chapman was enthusiastic about planting apple trees and seeds. God wants you and I to be passionate and excited about planting and sowing the seeds of the Gospel where ever we go.

So, listen, read, understand, believe, and act.

Dear Jesus. It’s not always easy to listen to your word, believe it, and act. Help us to hear and listen to your word. In this way, we may sow the seeds of The Good News to everyone we encounter. Amen

The Parables of Jesus

March 8, 2022

“Are you fruitful or unfruitful?”

Luke 13:6-9

Do you have a ‘green thumb?” I must confess that I have often failed miserably in my planting endeavors over the years.

My one success story is the four barrels filled with dirt and flowers you see above. My neighbors threw out the barrels a couple of years ago, so I snatched them up. I sanded them down and sealed them outside.

Outside of our front door, we have two stoops. Therefore, they are ideal for planters. I’ve been working on these four barrels of flowers now for almost two years. Although I water everything regularly, turn the soil, add new dirt, and fertilize as needed, occasionally, one or two plants will die. So, I pull the dead ones out and plant new ones when they do.

But not all plants bloom like the ones above. I have a lemon tree that hadn’t given any fruit in almost 10 years. About two years ago, I began watering, feeding, and weeding the area around it regularly. My diligence paid off. This year the lemon tree had two lemons on it. Patience can pay off.

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That brings us to our devotion for today. The Parable of the unfruitful Fig tree.

Then he told this Parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So, he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’” Luke 13:6-9

Let’s look at this Parable from two perspectives.

In both, God is the man who had the fig tree, and Jesus is the man who takes care of the vineyard.

In the broad sense, this is a story of God being tired of the people of Israel for not coming to repentance. They are using up the very air He provides; they are of no use to Him if they don’t repent, “Why should it use up the soil.”

But, Jesus, the man who takes care of the vineyard, intercedes. He asks the vineyard owner, God, to give it a little more time. Jesus wants time to cultivate the love of God and repentance in the land.

Even though God is very patient, we see that when Jesus dies, the number of people who have come to repentance compared to the size of Israel is minimal.

There is always a price to pay for non-belief and not doing the Lord’s work. But, unfortunately, in 70 A.D., that price comes due with the destruction of Israel.

The second perspective of this Parable brings it a little closer to home. This Parable tells us that God is patient and gives people time to repent, as I said earlier. God doesn’t want any of us to perish. Instead, he wants us to come to repentance.

So, this delay puts the burden on us as believers who have repented and do God’s work He has set before us.

It’s more important than ever that we spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. We do this by sharing God’s Word, our actions, and being servants to all. The delay in judgment for non-repentance will only last so long. If a person dies unrepentant, there is no hope; their opportunity to repent and be righteous in God’s sight is lost.

We must produce fruit and use our God-given gifts to bring everyone to Christ. We must show Christ’s love to everyone, so they too can know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. In this way, all can enjoy the Grace and righteousness offered by God and experience eternity.

“You also must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Luke 12:40

Dear Jesus. There is so much to do. As you said in Luke,

“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

Allow us to be your hands and feet as we go into the field and tell the world about your love and the eternity you offer by Grace through Faith. Amen

The Parables of Jesus

March 7, 2022

“Does anybody really know what time it is?”

Mark 13:35-48

Nowadays it’s next to impossible not to know what time it is. Everyone has cell phones, and the time is on the screen for you to see. Years ago, most of us had to rely on wearing a watch to know what time it was, unless there was a wall clock, or you had the luxury of having one on the dashboard of your car.

As a species, the human race has time down to a science. We know when the sun will rise and set, there is a scheduled time to start work and go home, and we turn the timer on our oven to cook and bake. Of course, we all know what time our favorite television shows are on.

We seem to have an excellent handle on time. The baseball season begins in March, football in August, and basketball in October. Dad gets home from work at 6 p.m., mom has dinner on the table at 6:15 😊, the kids go to bed a 9 p.m., and Jesus is coming back ……

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As much as we seem to have a handle on time, people continue to be late. We are late for appointments and meetings, burn our dinner, even though we’ve set a timer, and have every excuse in the world for being late to class or work.

In the 1970s, the group Chicago had a pop song called, “Does anybody really know what time it is.” The following line of the song speaks to many people’s attitudes about time. “Does anybody really care?”

Today’s devotion concerns the second coming of Jesus and how we need to be ready for His arrival. The Bible says that no one knows the date or time of His arrival. Yet, Jesus tells us to be prepared, to be “Watchful,” for His return. Sometimes I wonder, “Does anybody really care?”

Let’s take a look at the passage about watchfulness from the Gospel of Luke.

“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet so that when he comes and knocks, they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table, and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us or to everyone?”

The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns.

Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men, and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

 “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:35-48

In the passage above from Luke, there are three short parables. At first, it may seem that the stories are aimed only at Jesus’ disciples, who were present at the time.

Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us or to everyone?”

To a certain extent, this may be true. But as believers, we are all disciples of Jesus, so this law-oriented passage is meant for all who believe.

It boils down to this.

“You also must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Jesus tells us to be watchful. The word watchful can be defined by being alert or attentive, which Jesus tells the disciples they should be. But, it also means to be vigilant. We, as Christ’s disciples, need to make ourselves ready for His coming by “being diligently employed in God’s service Like servants who are always prepared for the master’s return.” (New Bible Commentary, 21^st-century edition, pp. 1002).

As I said in a previous devotion, “We must always be about the Master’s work.” That work is spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ, serving others, giving to the needy, and being empathetic to the problems of others.

There are times I wonder about myself and my fellow servants around me. Do we care enough? Are we waiting and doing the Lord’s work as he asked us to? Or is today and tomorrow just another day?

1 Thessalonians 5:2 says, “You know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”

So, the question is, are you and I ready for the day and hour our Savior will return?

“Does anybody know what time it is; does anybody care?”

Lord Jesus. We know You will one day return to judge the living and the dead. Therefore, we ask that your Holy Spirit helps us to be ready at all times, as we remain watchful and vigilant in the work you have put before us. Amen.

The Parables of Jesus

“Pass the FoFo, please.”

March 6, 2022

Luke 4:1-4; Matthew 4:1-4; Deuteronomy 8:3

When we’re very young, we come up with odd-sounding names for things. When my family gets together, we still laugh about two items in particular that I had odd designations for when I was a toddler.

The first item was my lore-lore. You could probably sit and look at that non-word for ten minutes and not know what I meant when I said, “Lore-lore.” It was my name for a toothbrush. To this day, I have no idea why I called my toothbrush lore-lore, but I did.

The second is even odder than the first. Fo-fo was my word for bread. Again, to this day, I have no idea where the non-word Fo-fo came from, but for me, it meant bread.

I think of my word for bread every once in a while, as I am a bread lover. Sliced bread, bagels, English muffins, biscuits, and especially homemade, I am a lover of bread. (I forgot to mention the bread at Carrabba’s Italian Grill that you dip in oil and spices, OM, to die for 😊.

Of course, we know what Jesus said to Satan while he was in the desert is true in life. Man cannot live by bread alone. Our bodies need vegetables, proteins, fruits, fats, and dairy products to keep going.

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A portion of the Gospel reading for today, Sunday, March 6, is:

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted4:2 The Greek for tempted can also mean tested. by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them, he was hungry.

The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.”

Luke4:1-4

Now, let’s compare this passage to a similar one from the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 4:1-4, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,

 “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Matthew 4:1-4

It’s the same story, just from a slightly different perspective. Jesus had just been baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. As scripture says, “The Holy Spirit came down upon Him like a dove.”

Immediately after this, the Spirit led Him into the desert for 40 days and nights. The passage written by Luke says He ate nothing during those days. Matthew’s passage says, Jesus fasted. So it could be interpreted as the same thing. Either way, Jesus would have been very hungry and very thirsty when Satan started bombarding Him with temptations.

The temptation we’ll talk about today, of course, is, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 

But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”

You’ll notice I used the Matthew passage rather than the one from Luke. The reason I did that is that Jesus adds something important to the quote that Luke doesn’t have.

“It is written,

 “‘Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”

Matthew’s addition is a direct quote from the book of Deuteronomy.

“And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:3

Jesus is in prayer and fasting mode for forty days and nights. Then, when Jesus is tired and weak, the devil attacks. The devil said, Hey Jesus, if you’re really the Son of God, then make these rocks sitting on the ground into loaves of bread. But Jesus doesn’t take the bait; he looks Satan right in the eye and says, “Hey Beelzebub, you need to read your Bible. It says right there in Deuteronomy 8:3, “Man doesn’t live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Neither Moses, who spoke the words in Deuteronomy, nor Jesus in the Matthew passage, says we don’t need bread (food). Instead, they both said we need more than bread (food); we need to listen to, learn, and hang on to every word that comes from God.

We all need to eat to keep our bodies healthy. We also need to work. We all need time with friends and family. But most of all, we need time to totally immerse ourselves in God’s Word. We need uninterrupted time to sit and the feet of God for prayer, studying His word, conversation, and adoration.

In reality, bread can be anything from eating to work to recreation. It’s everything the world has to offer. But remember this “bread.” Doesn’t last forever, nor does it satisfy us for a long time.

Let me leave you with this question to ponder today. What’s more important to you? The bread the world has to offer, or “The Bread of Life,” we receive from Jesus?

Dear Jesus. Help us not be seduced by the bread the world has to offer. Instead, help us to feed off the “Bread of Life,” God’s Word, Your redemptive act on the cross, and the Holy Spirit’s guidance and direction. Amen.

The Parables of Jesus

March 5, 2022

“Greed is just another word for Covetousness.”

Luke 12:13-21

Have you ever played the game Monopoly? I played the game of Monopoly quite often with my friends, family, and classmates. But, as an adult, I now realize that no matter how you look at it, Monopoly is a game of greed.

I actually Googled the following sentence, “Is Monopoly a game of greed?” The first thing that popped up on Google was this:

“Monopoly is the sort of board game where greed is good. You win by hoarding money, ruthlessly purchasing property, and then building nice little greenhouses on that property to rent out like Airbnbs, only to transform them into massive red hotels as soon as possible to rent out for even more brightly colored money.” (theglobeandmail.com)

That is a straightforward, if not a rigid, definition of the game of Monopoly. Although I’m not sure if greed is ever good, even in a board game.

As kids and youngsters, you play the game of Monopoly until your money is wiped out and you say, “Darn!” Then, the game is over, and you move on. If only life were that simple.😊 Perhaps Monopoly doesn’t teach the best lessons in integrity and caring for others to teach our children. Still, it’s just a game, isn’t it?

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In the real world, we see greed all around us. People steal, cheat others out of their money, and do whatever they can so they might have more. More money, flashier cars, bigger homes, jewelry, and power.

Greed: excessive or rapacious (covetous) desire, especially for wealth or possessions. (Dictionary.com)

Today’s parable tells the story of a man who ponders building big barns to hold all of his crops and then sit back and enjoy life. But, first, let’s read the story from the Gospel of Luke:

“Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you? “Then he said to them, 

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”  Luke 12:13-21

In the above reading, you may have noticed that Jesus never directly advises the brother about his inheritance. Instead, Jesus tells a parable. Jesus gives a prelude to the parable by saying,

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Jesus is basically telling the man, the crowd, and us that the parable He is about to tell is about greed.

This rich, “fool, is entirely self-centered. When the rich man ponders his riches, he only thinks about himself. He never says a word about thanking God for the great harvest or giving to the needy.

The man is not someone who has a good relationship with God. He has the wrong attitude about life because the only things that matter to him are his possessions and money.

Earlier in this devotion, I gave you the definition of greed. So here is the meaning of covetousness: “Eager or excessive desire, especially for wealth or possessions.”

There is no real difference between greed and covetousness, is there? The rich “fool” is only interested in “stuff” and his own self-interests. If we become like him, we’ve totally embraced the world and have no time, effort, or inclination to be about the Lord’s work.

Here’s the point, if we get all caught up in what the world has to offer, we have no time to do God’s work here on earth. And if we are not doing His work, and we have all kinds of money and possessions, when He calls us to eternity, we have lived empty lives.

It’s true, you can’t take it with you. Even Bill Gates, worth billions of dollars, will someday leave this world behind, and not one penny will go with him.

There’s nothing wrong with having possessions and money. However, we must use those possessions and money to help others show God’s love by giving to the needy and serving others.

Then one day, we will be face to face with our creator, awaiting those words we long to hear from Him, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Dear Lord. Help us to not be greedy and covetous people. Show us how to be a blessing to others with the gifts you have given us. We long not to be self-centered, but instead, we want to be Christ-centered, teaching, loving, and serving others. Amen.

The Parables of Jesus

March 7:41-43

“Our Debt is paid in full.”

Luke 7:36-50

Have you ever been in debt? Of course, you have!

If you have a credit card and have a balance, you’re in debt. You’re in debt if you own a home and have a mortgage. If you have a monthly loan payment, then you’re in debt.

At one time or another, we’ve all been or experienced debt.

About ten years ago, my debt was high enough that my wife and I were getting ready to declare bankruptcy. We had gotten to the point where we couldn’t keep up with the bills, and our credit card debt was through the roof.

The day before I contacted a lawyer about what steps I needed to take to declare bankruptcy, a church friend came to see me. He had heard about my debt problem and told me that a group of people wanted to help. He asked me to get all my bills together and give them to a particular person, and they would be taken care of. The next day I handed over all my bill statements, and a check was written for each of them. My bailout was in the 10’s of thousands of dollars.

A great weight had been lifted from my wife’s and my shoulders. We were virtually debt-free, except for our household expenses.

My debt was paid in full.

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Throughout the Gospels, Jesus speaks many times about money and debt. In today’s parable, He uses it to convict someone of their lack of faith, sinfulness, and disrespect.

When reading the parable all by itself, you might think it’s strictly about debt. But you need to read the entire passage to fully understand what Jesus is saying in this parable.

“When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

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

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,7:41 A denarius was the usual daily wage of a day labor. and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:36-50

It seems Jesus received many invitations to share a meal with others. This time it was a Pharisee named Simon who invited Jesus to dinner. It becomes evident very quickly that Simon is not a believer or follower of Jesus. If anything, He asked Jesus to His home to humiliate and test Jesus.

It seems odd that we find a woman who had lived a questionable lifestyle in the Pharisee’s home. But, back in Jesus’ time, doors were left open and people, like friends, family, and beggars, came in and out without invitation. So here we find a woman who had been sinful, who was now a believer. Somehow, she found out Jesus would be at Simon’s house and went there to show her love and adoration for Jesus.

Simon the Pharisee sees the woman (some writers believe it was Mary Magdalene), washing Jesus’ feet with her tears, drying them with her hair, and pouring perfume on His head. He voices his distaste for the woman to himself.

That’s when Jesus tells Simon the parable. If you haven’t figured it out, the woman is the person with the more significant debt, Simon is the one with the smaller one.

Jesus tells Simon the things he had not done up His arrival. Simon hadn’t washed Jesus’ feet, which was a tradition upon welcoming guests. He didn’t kiss Jesus hello, which is another tradition. And Simon didn’t pour oil on Jesus’ head, which is another act of hospitality. Many small items were neglected, but he was still wrong to neglect just because Simon didn’t like Jesus’ teachings.

The woman made up for everything Jesus’ host neglected. This woman was obviously already a follower and believer, so her sins were already forgiven. She came to Simon’s home to show her love and adoration for Jesus. Jesus tells her that her sins are forgiven and to go in peace.

The woman’s large debt was paid in full because of her faith and love of Jesus. We never learn what Simon’s post-story reaction to all this is, but you can be sure he definitely needed to do some soul searching.

Dear Jesus. Our debt is paid in full because of Your death and resurrection and our faith in you. Because of Your actions, our sins are forgiven as far as the east is from the west. Thank you for your undeserved love for us. Amen.

The Parables of Jesus

March 3, 2022

Luke 6:46-49

“Sandcastles”

Most of us have been to the beach and built sandcastles at one time or another. Sometimes it’s as easy as taking a small bucket and filling it with wet sand over and over again and erecting a castle on the beach.

Other times it can be pretty complex, as the photo below shows:

No matter which kind of castle you build, they have one thing in common. Both types are erected out of the sand on a sand foundation. If a big wind comes up, the castles will slowly erode. Then, the castles will collapse when the tide comes in and become nothing but a memory.

The old real estate adage of “location, location, location” comes to mind when building a sandcastle. Building a house out of the sand on the sand will never last either.

Location and foundation make a difference when building a home. I live in Florida, so the best place is high ground. In most cases, that means building the base up to where the house will be constructed by several feet.

The second and most crucial part of a home is its foundation. Modern homes use footers, rebar, and cement floors. Many homes in Florida are made of CBS block, which doesn’t deteriorate and will stand up to winds and storms. The houses here also have special hurricane ties, which help prevent your roof from blowing off during extreme wind events.

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In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus uses the idea of having your home built on a solid foundation. It was His way of telling those He spoke to the importance of listening to Him. He wanted them to implement what He was teaching into their lives.

 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 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. 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.” Luke 6:46-49

In this parable, Jesus is speaking about two different kinds of listeners. Some listen to His words and put them into practice, and those who don’t. Jesus is giving us straight law in this parable. Listen and learn what He has to say and implement it in your life.

In Luke 11:28, Jesus repeats these words once again in the Beatitudes,

“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

So, what’s Jesus telling us? He wants us to build a house that resists the floods of life. That house is us building our life on the foundation of Jesus and His love for us.

He doesn’t want us to simply read devotions Bible verses and go to church. He wants us to live what His Word says. If you and I build our lives on Jesus, we have a solid footing when storms come into our lives.

When we read and listen to Jesus’ words, we can acknowledge where we fall short in following Him. Then we can adjust our lives and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in the direction and paths Christ wants us to follow.

This makes us stronger in Christ and allows us to be ready for trouble when it comes. As the song says, “Jesus is my rock, and He rolled my blues away.”

Perhaps it’s time to take stock and review how sound your foundation in Christ is. Where are you lacking in following His instruction, and where do you need to make adjustments in your life?

Jesus. Help us build our lives on the firm foundation of your word and love. Help us show others your strong love for us as we follow the path you put before us before we were born. Amen.

The Parables of Jesus

March 2, 2022

Matthew 5:14-16

“Why don’t they ever turn the lights on?”

My wife and I enjoy watching mystery movies. We watch many of them on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, but we also watch mysteries on other channels.

One of the oddest things we find in many mystery movies is that almost no one ever turns on the lights when they enter their home or a room they’re checking out. So, when you see this happen, you know one thing for sure, something terrible is about to happen.

The other thing that happens when someone in the movie doesn’t turn the light on when entering a home or room, my wife and I always shout out, “Turn the light on!”

Would you walk into a dark room and just stand there looking for something or someone and not turn the light on? Of course not! Like myself, you would turn the light on, so you could see where you were going, you didn’t trip, and try and catch an intruder off guard.

When the light is on, people can see where they are and should be going.

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In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus makes precise statements concerning light.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

Did you notice the first line of this parable? Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.” Of course, we already know that He is the light in this world, but He explicitly tells us, as believers, that we are His light in this world.

Jesus also warns us not to hide our light. What do you think that means? It seems to me Jesus is saying not to withhold the gifts and life Jesus has given to you. How do we do that?

Well, we let our light shine before others. But, what exactly is our light?

In Galatians 5, the Apostle Paul differentiates between the acts of the flesh (world) and the Fruits of the Spirit.

“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21

Obviously, if you live by the acts of the flesh (world), you are not shining Jesus’ light in the world. Therefore, we do not want to be examples or have people follow in the acts of the flesh.

Instead, we as Christians want others to see Christ’s light through us as we immerse ourselves in the Fruit of the Spirit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

These are the traits of Christ we must follow to be His light in this world. Within these fruits of the Spirit lies service to others, empathy, patience, and compassion.

Do you need to turn on the light switch? Don’t let your light be a mystery; let it shine for all the world to see, so others may know our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jesus. You have instructed us to be lights in this world for you. Help us show your Spirit of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in everything we do. May all the light we shine in the world always be to your glory and not ours. Amen.