April 11
Luke 14:7-35
One of Jesus' most common settings for his parables is a feast. He loved to talk about parties. Does this fit with your view of Jesus? When you picture Jesus, do you see him as a stoic shepherd like so many paintings depict him or as someone with whom people enjoyed being in his presence? Though he was obviously a fun-loving guy, he used stories of parties to teach lessons. He wanted us to consider whether we like all of the attention to be on us; or whether we allow others to have the spotlight. Do we live desiring to be exalted; or do we live in a way that allows others to get the praise? Do we want the attention to be on our master or on us?
Jesus also used the image of a feast to make us think through the priority that he has in our lives. When Jesus throws a party, do we accept the invitation or do other things get in the way. Jesus invites all people into relationship with him, but only some accept. Notice the excuses people give in his parable: I cannot come because of work, or I cannot come because of family. None of these are sufficient reasons for saying "no" to Jesus. Instead, we need to live in a way where we are seeking Christ at the center of our lives and exalting others above ourselves. We should be willing to give up everything to gain Christ, because he is worth more than anything else. Count the cost and pursue Christ.
Father God, help me to live for your glory. Help me to take the spotlight off myself and put it on you and others. Amen.
Where in your life are you making excuses for not fully saying "yes" to God?
One of Jesus' most common settings for his parables is a feast. He loved to talk about parties. Does this fit with your view of Jesus? When you picture Jesus, do you see him as a stoic shepherd like so many paintings depict him or as someone with whom people enjoyed being in his presence? Though he was obviously a fun-loving guy, he used stories of parties to teach lessons. He wanted us to consider whether we like all of the attention to be on us; or whether we allow others to have the spotlight. Do we live desiring to be exalted; or do we live in a way that allows others to get the praise? Do we want the attention to be on our master or on us?
Jesus also used the image of a feast to make us think through the priority that he has in our lives. When Jesus throws a party, do we accept the invitation or do other things get in the way. Jesus invites all people into relationship with him, but only some accept. Notice the excuses people give in his parable: I cannot come because of work, or I cannot come because of family. None of these are sufficient reasons for saying "no" to Jesus. Instead, we need to live in a way where we are seeking Christ at the center of our lives and exalting others above ourselves. We should be willing to give up everything to gain Christ, because he is worth more than anything else. Count the cost and pursue Christ.
Father God, help me to live for your glory. Help me to take the spotlight off myself and put it on you and others. Amen.
Where in your life are you making excuses for not fully saying "yes" to God?
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