Category Archives: Luke

¹² One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. ¹³ At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names:

¹⁴ Simon (whom he named Peter),
Andrew (Peter’s brother),
James,
John,
Philip,
Bartholomew,
¹⁵ Matthew,
Thomas,
James (son of Alphaeus),
Simon (who was called the zealot),
¹⁶ Judas (son of James),
Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).

¹⁷ When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area, surrounded by many of his followers and by the crowds. There were people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon. ¹⁸ They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those troubled by evil spirits were healed. ¹⁹ Everyone tried to touch him, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone.

²⁰ Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said,

“God blesses you who are poor,
    for the Kingdom of God is yours.
²¹ God blesses you who are hungry now,
    for you will be satisfied.
God blesses you who weep now,
    for in due time you will laugh.

²² What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. ²³ When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.

Luke 6:12-23

Dear God, I’ve never pictured this before, but the beginning of this passage paints a picture of a group of people sitting there and Jesus picking among them like a team captain picking his players. I can imagine the people looking around as he made each pick. “Will it be me?” “He picked him?” “Yes! He picked me!” “Why didn’t I get picked?” I would imagine there were all kinds of things going on in everyone’s minds. It’s also interesting that Jesus did this so publicly. That he identified these 12 among everyone else. It’s not that the others stopped following at that moment. It’s just that these guys got to the next level with the Messiah.

Then they come down the hill and I can imagine the pride that those 12 felt. I can imagine it because it’s the kind of pride I would have in that moment. Looking around at everyone looking at you and thinking, “Yeah, I’m special. Did you hear about him choosing 12 special people? Yeah, that’s me. I’m in that group.”

Then Jesus starts talking and things start to take a different turn: “What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. ²³ When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.“

Excuse me. What? People are going to hate me? But I’m a lieutenant of the Messiah. They are going to exclude me? Mock me? Curse me as evil? Well this doesn’t sound nearly as cool as I thought it would be. I mean, he’s talking about a reward waiting for me in heaven, but I really don’t want to be treated like Jeremiah and some of the others. Wow.

As for me in my life today, I must admit that I don’t suffer much for following you in my current South Central Texas culture. It’s politically correct for me to love you. Worship you. Talk about you. Yes, there are times when I see an injustice and I poke my head up with as much discernment as I can muster. And I take a risk when I do it. But for the most part, the more I wear my faith in you on my sleeve the more rewarded I am in my community. In fact, I have to be more careful about pride and ego than I do about avoiding scorn and hatred.

Father, I come this morning to eschew all of the things the world offers me and simply worship you. Yes, I do these prayers to you and publish them publicly, but it’s not for anyone who knows me. It’s so that others will be inspired to spend time in your scripture and see how it might be a good thing for them to do as well. I want them to see some of the things in scripture or music or other things that I encounter in my life to teach me and form me into your image. I want them to understand that the Bible is applicable for today. For our individual lives. I want them to see that another human, another sojourner in this world struggles through some of the same things the struggle through. I want to worship you with them in this way. They don’t know me. If they ran into me on the street, my name would mean nothing to them. That’s fine. It’s not about me. But for the small times when it is about me, when I do get proud, please help me to repent and return to the heart of worship. It’s all about you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

5 One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. ² He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. ³ Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.

⁴ When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”

⁵ “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” ⁶ And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! ⁷ A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

⁸ When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” ⁹ For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. ¹⁰ His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.

Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” ¹¹ And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.

Luke 5:1-11

Dear God, I love Peter’s initial response to Jesus’s miracle in verse 8: “Oh, Lord, please leave me–I’m such a sinful man.”

I wonder if I were to give Peter truth serum that day and ask him what he considered to be the sins in his life, what he would say. Did he consider himself sinful because he hung out with other fishermen and there was bawdy talk among them? Was he not great about keeping Jewish customs? I doubt it was this one because we know he was particular about only eating kosher things his entire life up until the Cornelius story. But it might have been. Maybe he had been with prostitutes. Maybe he cheated on his taxes. Whatever it was, he thought he wasn’t even worthy of your presence. He thought he was too far gone. He thought he was a wretch and he didn’t know that amazing grace was standing right in front of him.

So if you were to walk in this room right now and be physically present with me, what would my response be? Even though I know of your grace for me in my head, would I still fall to my knees and tell you to leave because I am not worthy of you presence? Does my heart really know that I should not be afraid in your presence? And given your words of assurance to Peter that he will be fishing for people from now on, should I now be wondering about how I’m fishing for people every day?

Father, use my life. I know I have a certain set of talents. I also have a great set of weaknesses. May your strength be made perfect in my weaknesses as I lay them and my talents before your cross and ask you to direct me. Use my life to encourage someone today. At least one person. And for the person in jail who has been on my heart for the last week, please give them the breakthrough that you want them to have.

I offer this prayer to you in Jesus, my Amazing Grace, and your Holy Spirit, my Counselor and Comforter,

Amen

⁴² Early the next morning Jesus went out to an isolated place. The crowds searched everywhere for him, and when they finally found him, they begged him not to leave them. ⁴³ But he replied, “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.” ⁴⁴ So he continued to travel around, preaching in synagogues throughout Judea.

Luke 4:42-44

Dear God, I can’t help but wonder what happened in those isolated places Jesus would go to. How did he commune with you? Did Moses and Elijah show up sometimes? Did he just step away to get some clarity? Jesus going out to an isolated place was after an evening of healing people, rebuking demons, and keeping it under wraps that he was the Messiah.

It’s interesting that after his time alone in an isolated place he told them he was sent to “preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns.” He wasn’t just there for Capernaum. He wasn’t just there for Israel. He was there for the whole world. I can also see that if he would have stayed in any one place too long, the crowds would have gotten out of control and expected the wrong things from him. He also needed to introduce himself to enough people so that after the resurrection they would remember and join The Way.

So how does this relate to me? Well, at a minimum, I need to be getting alone in isolated places to hear from you. I need to seek your heart. I need to figure out what you want me to do with my life. And not just my vocation, but my service to others, my love for my wife, children, and extended family, and my living out my faith with you. Yes, these quiet times of intentional prayer and meditating on scripture are very important.

Father, I want to hear your, but I don’t have to hear you to make these times worthwhile. I am not here expecting anything of you except the chance to draw closer to you in this moment. If you guide me to other things through these times, then let them be things that will bring you glory and not me. Let them be things that will draw others closer to yourself regardless of what it costs me. Help me, Lord, to follow Jesus’s model of shunning acclaim and simply serving you and your plan regardless of what it costs me. Help me to only use prayer, service, persuasion, and even suffering to impact the world around me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

¹¹ “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? ¹² Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! ¹³ So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Luke 11:11-13

Dear God, I assume this verse of the day from Bible Gateway is given today as a preparation for Father’s Day. Is it for those who maybe have father issues and a reminder for them that you are a better father than their earthly fathers? Is that why the person at Bible Gateway chose it?

I was speaking with someone yesterday about how difficult Mother’s Day and Father’s Day can be for some people. Some don’t celebrate it at all because of the pain they feel. Maybe they have an estranged relationship with a parent or child. Maybe they had the loss of a parent or child. Whatever the case may be, as I’ve gotten older I’ve started to realize that the number of people who struggle on some of these holidays might be as great or greater than those who sink into the joy of them. For myself, I certainly used to sink into the joy of it, but the last few years only really bring pain. So how do I deal with that pain? It’s a question I’ve asked myself before. The best answer I’ve come up with is to take my eyes off of myself on those days, pray for others who might also be experiencing pain, and worship you.

Father, that’s probably the answer every day. 1.) Take my eyes off of myself. 2.) Pray for others experiencing pain. 3.) Worship you. Not necessarily in that order. So I will start with that this morning. I have some family and friends who are going through different trials this very morning. Please be with them and help them. Heal where healing needs to happen. Comfort where comfort needs to happen. Help them all to draw close to yourself. Love them completely and well. Help everyone who comes into contact with their situations, from family, to friends, to doctors, be touched by you and drawn into closer fellowship and communion with you. I pray for the family of a woman I know who died on Sunday. Such a sweet woman of 92. Help her children to heal. Help her friends to heal. Her loss will be felt by a lot of people. And help me to be exactly who you need me to be today for others. Be glorified, oh Lord. You are amazing, God. You are amazing.

I offer all of this to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

19 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. ² There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. ³ He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.

⁵ When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”

⁶ Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. ⁷ But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.

⁸ Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

⁹ Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

Luke 19:1-10

Dear God, I almost deleted verses 6-9 because what I wanted to focus on what the connection between Jesus intentionally seeking Zacchaeus and his line at the end of this story: “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” This indicates that at the beginning of the story, Zacchaeus was definitely lost. He had gotten lost in selfishness and self-preservation. He was willing to be despised as long as it meant his life would be as comfortable and secure as possible. He didn’t care about others. In fact, he got his wealth by taking extra from others who needed it.

I had a woman come to my office this week looking for some help. I knew her as a donor, but I hadn’t made a connection in my head as to how large of a donor she is. As she told me her story, she shared with me how trying to help a loved one was draining her finances. And now she needs some expensive repairs done to her house. But still her real concern was how to effectively care for her loved one.

Later, I looked her up in our donor database and was surprised to see that all of her donations had been over $1,000 each year. She has seemingly been giving sacrificially all of this time. It was a reminder that people are trusting our nonprofit to be good stewards of their money.

So back to our story, Jesus noticed Zacchaeus in the tree, seemingly instantly knew who he was and what kind of man he was, and pursued him. He knew that Zacchaeus needed more than to just see him. Zacchaeus needed to know him. It is the knowing of Jesus that changes us.

This kind of feeds into the prayer I did yesterday from the video Fr. Mike Schmitz did on knowing Jesus. The question, “Do you know Jesus well enough to reject him?” is compelling. When Zacchaeus met and then got to know Jesus, it changed everything for him.

Father, help me to know you more and more. More and more, help me to know your entire Triune nature. Help me to then reflect all of you into this world and to those around me.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

³⁵ Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. ³⁶ And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. ³⁷ But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!

Luke 24:35-37

Dear God, if I’ve seen this before, I’ve forgotten it. Last night, when we were reading this passage in church I noticed that the two who saw Jesus on the way to Emmaus were present for this appearance to the disciples. They got to see him at least twice. What an experience. And what an affirmation. I’m sure they wondered if anyone would believe them. Maybe they doubted themselves a little since Jesus disappeared on them right after he broke the bread.

I’m not sure I have as much of an application for myself out of this except that it’s nice to see these two people affirmed in this way. It’s wonderful that you appeared to them for some reason that is never quite explained as they walked to Emmaus. They got to experience you privately and then with the others. I don’t know exactly who these two people were, but you gave them a special touch that is lovely to see.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I love you. I worship you. I want to pray for some this morning who need prayer. I pray for the Middle East and the tensions there. I pray for Ukraine in the same way. I don’t know how to pray for them, but they are on my heart, and I know that anything happening there is bigger than me. Oh, Father, please help people. Please be glorified. Please make this pain count and, as quickly as possible, make the pain stop. For my friend who is facing marital problems and looking at divorce, I pray that you will heal, make whole, and use this pain to drive changes in both the husband and the wife. For the sorrow in my life, please comfort me. Comfort my wife. And heal the wounds that drive this sorrow.

I offer this and my other prayers to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.” But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!”
Luke 5:17-26

Dear God, I wonder if Jesus’s first intention was to heal this paralyzed man. Did he see the greater need than paralysis that was in the man’s life? What was his background.

The line from Luke that really caught my attention in this passage was, “And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus.” I looked at several translations, and they all communicated the same thing: a unique moment for Jesus that was beyond most. I never thought about the idea that Jesus might not always have your healing power strongly with him. That there would be surges in it. I don’t know that I have any deep thoughts on that matter other than it being an interesting revelation, but I suppose it does make me feel a little better about the surges of your presence in me.

I was thinking yesterday that I’m not as much in the Christmas spirit as I was a couple of weeks ago. This is my busiest time of year at work and then the social calendar fills up quickly too so I can certainly be distracted. I think one problem is that I am not as dialed in with spending this time with you. I am still taking in sermons, podcasts and even some reading materials that are spiritually nourishing, but it’s been a few days since I sat and stilled myself before you in this way.

Father, here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you’re my God. You’re altogether holy. Altogether lovely. Altogether wonderful to me. I offer you my praise.

I pray all of this in the name of Jesus,

Amen