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Luke 12:1-7; Romans 4:1-8

17 Oct

12 Meanwhile, the crowds grew until thousands were milling about and stepping on each other. Jesus turned first to his disciples and warned them, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees—their hypocrisy. 2 The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. 3 Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!

4 “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. 5 But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear.

6 “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. 7 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

Luke 12:1-7

Dear God, duplicity is such an interesting thing. Being on thing behind closed doors and another thing in public. Hypocrisy. It’s so easy. We want so badly for people to think well of us because we want to be liked and admired. I still have that in me although I’ve tried to wrangle it out of myself. But the more I look to you as my source of self-worth the more I let go of my public image and make my private life reflect who you want me to be because you are with me all the time. So the more I figure out how to find my worth in you the more my hypocrisy shrinks.

I want to also take a moment to look at the other New Testament reading for the church today. It is Romans 4:1-8:

4 Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? 2 If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. 3 For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”

4 When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. 5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. 6 David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it:

7 “Oh, what joy for those
    whose disobedience is forgiven,
    whose sins are put out of sight.
8 Yes, what joy for those
    whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.”

It’s all about faith over obedience. Love for you over achievement for ourselves. Abraham did some terrible things. So did Jacob. So did David. But here they are, pillars of your people’s history? Why? Not their works. It was their faith. Honestly, I still don’t quite get Jacob, but that’s up to you, not me.

Father, help me to lean into my faith in you today. You know I’m still working through some tricky things at work. Help me to know how to be a blessing to each person who needs me there. Help me to be a blessing to those whom you love (which is everyone). Help me to worship you well. Help me to love my wife and children well. Help me to be the man you need me to be.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 17, 2025 in Luke, Romans

 

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Luke 11:45-54

16 Oct

45 “Teacher,” said an expert in religious law, “you have insulted us, too, in what you just said.”

46 “Yes,” said Jesus, “what sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden. 47 What sorrow awaits you! For you build monuments for the prophets your own ancestors killed long ago. 48 But in fact, you stand as witnesses who agree with what your ancestors did. They killed the prophets, and you join in their crime by building the monuments! 49 This is what God in his wisdom said about you: ‘I will send prophets and apostles to them, but they will kill some and persecute the others.’

50 “As a result, this generation will be held responsible for the murder of all God’s prophets from the creation of the world— 51 from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, it will certainly be charged against this generation.

52 “What sorrow awaits you experts in religious law! For you remove the key to knowledge from the people. You don’t enter the Kingdom yourselves, and you prevent others from entering.”

53 As Jesus was leaving, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees became hostile and tried to provoke him with many questions. 54 They wanted to trap him into saying something they could use against him.

Luke 11:45-54

Dear God, I’ve said many times that, if I had been there 2,000 years ago I can see in myself the kind of person who would have been against Jesus. I wouldn’t have trusted him. I wouldn’t have believed he was the Messiah. If I literally saw or even heard about some of the miracles, then maybe I could have been swung around, but I am slow to accept new paradigms, and Jesus was teaching a whole new paradigm.

So I have two thoughts this morning as I read this passage. First, thank you for protecting me from myself and my own pessimism by having me born now and not then. Second, help me to know who to trust and who to oppose now. There are different teachers who teach very different things. They all carry your mantle, but they can’t all be right because some are diametrically opposed to each other. Okay, I know that none of us are completely right. Even the best of us have problems in our theology somewhere because you are simply too big for our human minds to know completely. So lead me to the teaching you want me to have, speak to me in these times and at other times throughout the day and show me the way you have for me, and help me to just humbly love others and not teach any heresy when I have an opportunity to speak to others about you.

Father, I’ve been thinking the last couple of days about compassion fatigue and wondering if we aren’t all just boiling in the pot a little. If our collective societal psyche isn’t damaged and warping our sense of reality. And I think it’s affecting all of us. It’s making our patients more irritable. It’s making our staff and volunteers more irritable. I think it’s affected my overall outlook. It’s made me feel more tired and discouraged than I probably should be. So bless us as we are poor in Spirit. Comfort us. Make us peacemakers. Help us to receive and extend mercy. Help us to not fight against persecution for your name’s sake, but delight in it.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 16, 2025 in Luke

 

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Luke 11:42-46

15 Oct

42 “What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.

43 “What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you love to sit in the seats of honor in the synagogues and receive respectful greetings as you walk in the marketplaces. 44 Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on.”

45 “Teacher,” said an expert in religious law, “you have insulted us, too, in what you just said.”

46 “Yes,” said Jesus, “what sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden.

Luke 11:42-46

Dear God, I’ve had a frustration rolling around in my head over the last 12 or so hours that my first temptation is to take these verses and apply them to the people who are frustrating me, making them the Pharisees and experts in the law and me, well…, Jesus. Okay, even on the face of it, that is absurd. But one thing you’ve taught me to do when I read a biblical story that includes clear delineations between good people and bad people is that I need to first consider that I might be the bad guy in the story. How am I like the Pharisee or expert in the law? Does Jesus have an admonition and correction for me in his words here?

So let me start with the idea that I might be missing the important things. Are there important things I’m missing? And how do we define important? I might tend to think of great political policies as important. I might even think of programs in our city that could help the poor. That could be important (and I think on Jesus’s “important scale” that might be closer to important than the political policy issues). But maybe the most important is the person right in front of me and their need. Am I missing them.

Here’s an example that you just brought to mind. There was an elderly woman in our clinic yesterday. She was there for a dental appointment. She was frustrated that she paid $30 for her first visit in over a year, which by policy was an exam and x-ray only when it’s been that long since a visit, and now she was having to pay another $30 for a separate visit, which was a cleaning. She mentioned that she only had $37 left in her account. We told her she could owe us for the cleaning, but she was still upset she was being charged at all and clearly frustrated. I felt badly for her, but I let her go on her way. I was a little annoyed at how abrupt she was with the staff so my compassion meter got turned down a bit. Now, as I sit here, I’m wondering whether we missed an opportunity to help her. Should we have taken a beat to talk to her about her financial issues and talk with her about resources in the community available to her–utility assistance, food, financial counselors, etc.? Did I miss what’s important?

Father, I am sorry for missing that opportunity yesterday along with so many others. Help me to have real eyes to see and ears to hear what is important. Help me to love. Help me to also re-think our policy and question how we charge patients for their appointments. And find this woman today. Meet her where she is. Help her. I think of the widow and her mite. If this woman is another version of her, help us to be part of your blessing to her.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 15, 2025 in Luke

 

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Luke 11:37-41

14 Oct

37 As Jesus was speaking, one of the Pharisees invited him home for a meal. So he went in and took his place at the table. 38 His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom. 39 Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness! 40 Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside? 41 So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over.

Luke 11:37-41

Dear God, I’ll admit it can be hard to figure out which rules I’m supposed to follow and which ones I’m not. First, let’s be clear, Jesus was walking into a situation where he knew he was being set up. He knew he was going to have to argue about something. Did he do this so he could set the stage for the argument he wanted to have? Did he intentionally violate the handwashing ceremony so he could launch into the cleanliness of the heart? If so, it’s pretty clever (of course it was clever–it was Jesus).

I think about the things that we do that grieve you and vs. the things we focus on. I think about the parts of Matthew 5 and the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus does the list of “You have heard it said ______, but I say ______” as he references hate/murder, lust/adultery, etc. Then I think about the things the church is fixated on today. On the LGBTQ+ issue, for example, what would Jesus say? “You have heard it said, ‘Don’t like with a man as one lies with a woman, that is detestable,’ but I say, ‘If you don’t love your wife as I love you then you are detestable.” That’s just an absolute guess made for effect, but I can’t help but Jesus’s target in the LGBTQ+ issue would be the accusers more than the accused. Heterosexual married couples are grieving your heart as much as anyone. I have grieved you sexually as much as anyone. And that’s just one example.

Father, as I go through this day, and as I prepare to teach the Christian Men’s Life Skills class tonight on Motivation, help me to be loving and not judgmental. These men are all guilty of some crime and this class is part of their sentence. They need to see you in me tonight. They need to see both your grace and your “Go and sin no more.” Help me to be that deliverer. Help the men leading tonight to be those deliverers as well. Prepare hearts to be yours. Prepare hearts for the seeds you are planting. Give us the seeds and help us to sow them generously. And teach me through the other men there tonight as well. Let your Spirit reign in my place of work, in my home, in my vehicle, and in that place tonight. And also thank you for answering our prayers from yesterday. Thank you, Father, for everything–even what I cannot see.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 14, 2025 in Luke

 

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Luke 11:29-36

13 Oct

29 As the crowd pressed in on Jesus, he said, “This evil generation keeps asking me to show them a miraculous sign. But the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah. 30 What happened to him was a sign to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him. What happens to the Son of Man will be a sign to these people that he was sent by God.

31 “The queen of Sheba will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen. 32 The people of Nineveh will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.

33 “No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.

34 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is unhealthy, your body is filled with darkness. 35 Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. 36 If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.”

Luke 11:29-36

Dear God, I need to remember to repent well. Do I? Do I have some areas of my life that I’d just rather not think about? Or that I’ve accepted as good enough to make it through until death? Are there corners of darkness I refuse to light? Is there dirt behind some of the furniture of my soul that I refuse to move the furniture so I can clean? Am I just clean enough for appearances, but I still have some vices that rob me of the life you have for me and the world for what you might want to do through me?

I want to pray that I want you to come in a reveal every part to me and cleanse me. I want to say that, but I’m afraid to. Am I really ready to go to that level with you. I’m 55 years old. I’ve been following you earnestly since I was 17. Nearly 40 years. I’ve gotten very comfortable with the level I’m at? Are you calling me to still another level?

Father, as I read this passage, I thought about going a number of ways. I thought about wondering what if Jonah had embraced his mission to Nineveh as Jesus did to all of us? And I was thankful that Jesus didn’t ultimately take Jonah’s position and try to run from us and then get bitter when you forgave us in repentance. But instead of praying that, I found myself praying about the dark corners of my heart. So I’m going to go ahead and say it and mean it. Reveal to me the areas of my heart that need to be addressed. As I sit here, I’m not sure what they are, but I have some thoughts. Give me a heart that is ready to deal with them and walk 100% after you with nothing dark so that you might radiantly shine through me. And for good measure, I have a relative who is getting some important medical information today. Oh, my Jesus. Oh, Father. Oh, Holy Spirit. Be with her and her husband today. Love them. Encourage them. Guide them. Heal her. Make her body completely whole. And use the pain and the strain to mold them into your vessels even more than they already are. They have hearts for you. Find them in this moment and help them to find you. Give them a ministry they’d never have otherwise had. But in this moment, Father, I ask that you heal.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 13, 2025 in Luke

 

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Luke 17:11-19

12 Oct

11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Luke 17:11-19

Dear God, “there’s no one more thankful to sit at the table than the one who last remembers hunger’s pain.” That’s a quote from a Steven Curtis Chapman son called “Remember Your Chains.” In the intro to the song from the video I just linked, Mr. Chapman references the depths of the darkness you saved us from. And it’s true. You did. You saved me from being a sad, insecure, worthless feeling boy. And now I hang out with men who have gone through the Christian Men’s Life Skills class who have literally been in chains in jail and are now trying to rebuild their lives. They remember literal shackles, which I’ve never experienced, but they are also either in the darkness or just recently set free from the darkness.

I’ll confess, Father, that I don’t remember the darkness well. I don’t remember hunger’s pain. It’s been almost 40 years that I’ve been following you as best as I can. I haven’t been perfect. I’ve sinned and continue to sin. And now I’m one of those other 9 who has already shown himself to the priests and now I’m just bee-bopping through my life. Yes, I help others. Yes, I volunteer for things. Yes, I worship you and love you. I’m not trying to say I do nothing, but do I need to get back in touch with the depths of what you did for me? I wonder if I shouldn’t maybe go back and spend some time trying to remember who I was before July 17, 1987.

Father, help me to add this depth to not only my current gratitude and experience with you, but to also remember to offer it to the people around me who are in the hole I can barely remember. I want my remembrance to fuel my worship of you and my witness to others. Help me to do that.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 12, 2025 in Luke

 

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2 King 5:1-15a

11 Oct

5 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.

2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents[b] of silver, six thousand shekels[c] of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”

8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.“

2 Kings 5:1-15a

Dear God, I’m intentionally stopping the story before Naaman offers the gift because I want to sit with the idea of you doing something even greater in our lives by not giving us what we want. In Naaman’s case, he wanted a bit more of a show. Something more grandiose. Something more worthy of his stature. His ego, even in his desperation and need, were getting in his own way. It took some humble servants with courage to watch him and think to themselves, “He’s lost all perspective! Why not just do what he was told to do?” The good news for Naaman is he has a moment of clarity with the servant and accepts the humble path you laid out for him. The ultimate thing that you needed him to learn was that he and his stature weren’t part of the solution at all. It was all about your mercy for him as an individual, loved child. If he had gotten his way, he would have thought somewhere in his mind that you healed him because of his stature and power. Instead, you healed him in a quiet, humble way. You leveled him down and he became like anyone else.

I confess, Father, that I do my best to be humble, but I still love to think of myself as special. My wife and I have this joke where sometimes when she gives me a compliment I say, “I know, right?” It’s a joke…but is it? When she says the nice things, they are at least something I hope is true. I want to be whatever it is she says I am. Smart. Kind. Loving. Handsome. I guess I would love to believe that these things are really true. But why? Why do I want/need those things to be true? Probably because I do want people to admire me and be impressed by me. I want them to see me and not you. And it’s so ridiculous that I want this. What good does it do anyone if I am lifted up? But if you are lifted up through me then it can do all kinds of people good.

Father, if I suffer a setback, help me to simply lean into it as the path you have for me to walk. Help me to encourage others when it’s there path too. I’ve mentioned Christian Men’s Life Skills class a lot. These men had their worst days when they were arrested and charged with felonies. But I’ve talked to several now who have leaned into it and said how grateful they are for the path you put them on through that arrest. It included this class. It included them meeting you through this class. Help me to take that attitude about the path of setbacks and suffering and encourage others when they are experiencing it they can consider it as an opportunity to gratefully walk through the narrow gate.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 11, 2025 in 2 Kings

 

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Luke 11:14-28

09 Oct

14 One day Jesus cast out a demon from a man who couldn’t speak, and when the demon was gone, the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed, 15 but some of them said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons.” 16 Others, trying to test Jesus, demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.

17 He knew their thoughts, so he said, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A family splintered by feuding will fall apart. 18 You say I am empowered by Satan. But if Satan is divided and fighting against himself, how can his kingdom survive? 19 And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. 20 But if I am casting out demons by the power of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. 21 For when a strong man is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe— 22 until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings.

23 “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.

24 “When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ 25 So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order. 26 Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.”

27 As he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, “God bless your mother—the womb from which you came, and the breasts that nursed you!”

28 Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”

Luke 11:14-28

Dear God, what an interesting exchange. I don’t understand spiritual warfare as taught and demonstrated by Jesus enough. I’ve read books like This Present Darkness that showed a certain view of spiritual warfare, but I don’t really understand it. What Jesus describes here is a bit foreign to me.

What really struck me as I read this passage this morning was the people in the first paragraph just have no idea what’s going on, but they are trying to figure things out. Their finite human minds are trying to make sense of Jesus and what’s happening. Is he legit? Should he be embraced or feared? Should they follow him or ignore him? They just didn’t know. And while I know that I am to follow Jesus, there is still so much I don’t understand. And frankly, I don’t know that I ever will understand a lot of it on this side of life. The percentage of knowledge and understanding I have against the universe’s reality is so infinitesimally small that I can’t imaging it would even register.

Father, I’m walking into this day today completely ignorant. I know the people I’m worried about. I know what I think the problems are, but I don’t really understand the problems. So please give me the knowledge and insight you need me to have, and then help me to willfully accept thing things that are not for me to know. And help me to know when I need to pray more about demons and Satan messing with different situations. Help me to not miss an opportunity to do something you need me to do.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 9, 2025 in Luke

 

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Jonah 4

08 Oct

4 This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. 2 So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. 3 Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

4 The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”

5 Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.

7 But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. 8 And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed.

9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?”

“Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!”

10 Then the Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. 11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”

Jonah 4

Dear God, oh, how you love us. It’s all right here. I was talking with a man yesterday about his fear that his sins will keep him from your presence and out of heaven. I tried to encourage him that your love is deep. What you are looking for is our hearts and repentance, not our perfection. Yes, you slowly (very slowly) form us into your likeness if we pursue you, but you also work with us where we are. This man seemed to have deep sins that concerned him. I reminded him that both David and Moses killed people, but they repented well.

So now I see Jonah being bitter about the idea that he isn’t your favored one. That he doesn’t have a monopoly on your love and forgiveness. Even the Ninevites can earn your love and forgiveness. Who were the Ninevites? Apparently, this was the capital for the Assyrians, so the king of Nineveh was a powerful person. But they were also cruel. They conquered and killed. They threatened and laid waste. Honestly, I’m not sure why you singled them out for 1.) destruction and 2.) salvation. But what I want to think about today is Jonah.

Jesus had this weird teaching. He told us to love our enemies. When someone is coming at me and strikes me on the face, Jesus calls me to turn the other cheek. When I read this story yesterday, the Ninevites reminded me of the Prodigal Son and Jonah reminded me of the older brother. One thing I like about Jonah is that he owns his foolishness. He tells you exactly what he thinks about you and your plan. What I think people who want you to not forgive others forget is that if you were to take the perspective that there is a line I can cross that is irredeemable and unforgiveable, they might actually find themselves on the wrong side of the cut line. I gain nothing if you don’t forgive my enemy. But I could lose everything if your forgiveness becomes conditional.

Father, I have so much heaviness in my heart. I have some things at work that are making my heart heavy. I have friends who are suffering. I have family who are suffering. I woke up at 2:00 this morning and never could go back to sleep. I wasn’t worrying about anything one thing in particular, but the weight of all of it made me lie awake. Maybe I should have gotten up and prayed. Maybe I should have come in my study here and done this. I didn’t. Instead, I looked for distractions. So help me to love others. Help me to be at peace. Help me to lead and help me to serve. Help me to remember the bad example of Jonah. I want to carry your message of love and repentance to everyone I meet today.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 8, 2025 in Jonah

 

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Jonah 3

07 Oct

3 Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.”

3 This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. 4 On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” 5 The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.

6 When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. 7 Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city:

“No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. 8 People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. 9 Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.”

10 When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.

Jonah 3

Dear God, this makes me think of the Prodigal Son. The Ninevites are him while he’s out living wild. Jonah’s threat of destruction is him longing for the food the pigs are eating. They are staring down the barrel of their own destruction and scared. What will they do? Will they stay there and accept the fate they brought upon themselves, or will they humble themselves and hope for mercy? Like the Prodigal Son, they decided to simply hope for mercy.

I just peeked ahead and saw that tomorrow we will get Jonah’s reaction, and I imagine I’ll think of him as the Prodigal Son’s older brother. But that’s for tomorrow. For today, I want to kind of sit here for a minute and think about humility and what it takes to get there. It’s usually rock bottom. It’s the thing I pray for when I or others experience great pain–make the pain count. Don’t let it be wasted. I’m thinking about a man someone called me about last week. He’s addicted to alcohol, but he’s not 1.) ready to stop and 2.) acknowledge you or accept any process that leans into you for healing. He’s not there yet. But the friend and I talked, and you are using this to bring his wife back to you. You’re making the pain count for her.

Father, help me to understand where I am still arrogant, and help me to humble myself so that I might be spared hitting bottom. Help me to humbly love. Help me to not judge, but simply love. I don’t want to be so arrogant that I bring on my own destruction. I don’t want to be so judgmental and vindictive that I don’t want to help and love the repentant person who is coming to you. I want to be what Jonah and the older brother should have been, not what they are. And I don’t want to be the Ninevites or the Prodigal Son either. I want to be completely humble and laid out before you. I want to be used by you however you see fit.

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

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 7, 2025 in Jonah

 

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