Category Archives: Luke

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

Luke 19:8-10

Dear God, a true son of Abraham. That’s a cool compliment I don’t think I’ve noticed before. I can here Jesus say it in a loud, boisterous tone—“A true son of Abraham!!” That might not be how he really said it, but I kind of like that interpretation.

I was describing by male lineage to someone about a week ago and I told them that come from a line of good men of whom I’m proud. Are there negative things that have been passed down through the generations like addictions? Yes. Are there even som physical things I’ve inherited from these guys that I could do without? Sure. But when push comes to shove, honesty and integrity are important values in at least the two men I have been able to know in my life. I hope I live up to being their son. And I hope my children can live up to that as well. It is a wonderful legacy to leave the future generations.

I could go on and on about the other positive things, but what I want to pray to you about is what it means to be a “true son of God!” If I were sitting around a table with Jesus and he were to pay someone that compliment, what would it mean? Well, that’s pretty much what he did with Zacchaeus when he called him a true son of Abraham. So what did Zacchaeus do to deserve this compliment? He repented and he made restoration. That’s pretty much it.

Father, help me to find every area in which I need to repent and help me to make restoration when possible. It makes me think of the 12 Steps in AA when one should take inventory and make amends except when to do so would harm someone else. That’s a really good step because it starts with humility and honest self-examination. Help me to continually do that and help me to model that for others as well. The secret truth is, real freedom from my shame and secrets comes from real repentance. Help me to be free.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

Luke 9:21-24

Dear God, I’m sure the disciples couldn’t get their head around the fact that Jesus would have to be rejected by the very people they had been taught to revere their whole lives—the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law. And how much did Jesus know about his own death at this point. His reference to taking up your cross could have been a local colloquialism at the time, it might have been a foreshadowing of what was to come, or it might have been added by Luke later after everyone knew about the cross. Either way, this passage definitely demonstrates that Jesus was letting them know about the future.

I talked to a friend last week about prophecy. I remember my dad telling me years ago that he doesn’t think we are given prophecy so that we will know or understand the future, but so that, after the prophecy is fulfilled, we will know that you were in control.

Father, as my own life unfolds, give me the peace to know that all is happening in your timing and for your good. Be with those I live as they figure out their futures. Help me to be one way through which your presence enters my home, my workplace, and my community. Let them be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”

Luke 24:27-32

Dear God, I’m trying to imagine the first people who sat down to make these new types of church retreats they were starting. Whomever came up with Emmaus Walk did a good job. A time where Jesus/the Holy Spirit uses a time set apart for revealing the scriptures and Jesus’ true nature to someone. The same can be said of ACTS Retreats. In the same way that the book of Acts is about the evolution of the early church, ACTS Retreats are about a person of no faith being exposed to Jesus’ power, grace, and glory (much like Paul), and current believers to work out their faith to a deeper understanding (much like Peter).

Retreats are good things. I’ve been on many in my life. I’ve had four or five that totally transformed my life. The four that come to mind are the FCA Leadership Conference that taught me about discipleship when I was 17, the couples retreat at Laity Lodge when I was 24 that helped me reconcile myself to the life you had put me in, the study retreat at Laity Lodge in April when I was 30 that revealed to me my need for scripture and started these prayer journals, and the retreat at Laity Lodge when I was 45 that helped me let go of trying to recapture a life I had loved but was now gone, and start to build a new life that was different but still good. Yes, you have taught me a lot when I can get away with you.

Father, help me to continue to discipline myself to find those moments with you when you can take me to the next level of my growth in you. I am not there yet, but at least I know that I’m not there yet. I will try to stay the course and see what you do to me.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:8-12

Dear God, what a message! The Messiah is here and he couldn’t be born into a much more lowly state. He’s in a trough in a barn. What exactly will this child’s path be and how will he become the Messiah? I know these shepherd will later go around telling everyone what they saw, but I wonder what was going on with them a week later. A year later. 10 years later. Did they remember? If they had made it the full 33 years of Jesus’ earthly life, how would they have responded to the crucifixion knowing what they knew from this night? Would they have been disillusioned?

And what if Mary’s and Joseph’s feelings that night. They had been told who Jesus was. Did they feel like they were failing you? Right out of the box, did Joseph feel like he was letting you and this baby down?

My point in all of this is that even when things might appear bad they can be part of your plan. Herod chased the young family out of Israel. They were poor. Jesus was rejected by the established church. He was ultimately killed by then. Poverty. Death. Rejection. Anger. Fear. It all combined to result in me being able to sit here this morning and worship you. And the story is Still told 2,000 years later.

Father, help me to NOT try to read the tea leaves and interpret what is going on by evaluating the physical world around me. Help me to simply embrace you, worship you, and trust you. That’s it, really. That’s the most important thing I can do today.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

Luke 2:1-5

Dear God, I read this passage and can’t help but feel relieved that there’s some failsafe in your plan to keep me from messing up your will too badly. Why? Because Augustus was sitting in Rome, thought he himself was god (at least, he made others treat him that way), and yet he was fulfilling prophecy. So did you cause him to do it or did you just know in advance that he would do it? I believe it’s the latter. But my point is, you know everything I have done and will do and yet Jesus came for me anyway.

Father, help me to live within the peace of knowing that I just need to stay in the moment, worship you in the moment, love in the moment, serve in the moment, and lead in the moment. I offer you all of that for your will’s sake and for your glory.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant— the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham.

Luke 1:72-73

Dear God, I’m guessing that in the midst of suffering under Rome the Israelites talked about your covenant with Abraham a lot. This is the second time I’ve seen it show up in the Christmas story with the first time being the Magnificat when Mary greeted Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth in their home.

I suppose that there are times when I am suffering that I look to your promises. But what exactly are your promises? Much like even the people in this story who were thinking you were there to physically rescue them from Rome, I think I sometimes mistakenly expect you to remove a burden or a yoke. But sometimes your plan includes the burden—either for my good or for someone else’s. So in this case your plan wasn’t to overthrow Rome with Jesus, but to create a new covenant that called people into deeper love, forgiveness and peace than they had ever known or considered. In fact, now that o think about it, I can’t really think of an Old Testament prophet or character who spoke of love and forgiveness the way Jesus did. This was a brand new message.

Father, help me to sink into your peace. Help me to have energy that is fueled by your Holy Spirit, by love, and by grace. And help me to spread and encourage that peace in others.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy: “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.

Luke 1:67-70

Dear God, the theme for my morning seems to be gratitude. I am grateful for the different things you are doing in my life. I am grateful for the prayers to which I’m starting to see some answers. Especially after seeing how some people in our community are living, I am grateful for my home and my income. There are a lot of things for which I should be grateful—too man even more me to realize. I take so much for granted.

So what is my calling in this bounty? What would you have me do when you say yes to my prayers? What can I do to glorify you and spread your blessing to others? Those are the questions that are resonating with me this morning. If “to whom much is given much is required,” then I owe everyone a lot.

Father, help me to be your servant in every moment of this day. Love others through me. Be glorified through me. Make our community better through my faithful work to you. Help me to do all of this with one goal—to bring others into your presence and worship you.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen