Daily Encouragement

February 8, 2009 - Priority Misplaced

Meditation on Luke 13

On a Sabbath, Jesus had healed a woman who had problem with her back for eighteen years due to the oppression of a disabling spirit. But a leader of the Jewish religion was enraged because the healing was considered working on the Sabbath. That was a violation of their religious law. Why did Jesus not heal the woman on the other six days? he said to the congregation in the synagogue where Jesus was teaching.

This so called ruler of the synagogue was more concerned of keeping religious rules than for the sick who needed to be cured. Why was his priority so mixed up? I believe we can learn from his terrible mistakes.

First of all, the Jewish laws at that time was more concerned with what they could work to achieve holiness than how they should submit themselves to God's mercy and justice. They are simply legalistic rather than having the heart of obeying God's requirement. Secondly they had completely failed to see God's deep love to people specially to those who needed help immediately. Thirdly the Scriptures say that Jesus told them that their laws were more favorable to animals than to people on the Sabbath. They had misinterpreted God's law by creating more laws for protecting their own property yet had little regard for the sick and needy. (v. 10-17)

It seems to us that many church people today can make the same kind of mistakes. We may not create laws, but we do care more of properties and materials than a person. We pay more attention to keep our rituals, custom and festivals than ministering to those who have infirmities among us.

May God help all of us to place the right priority in our lives. Let us love our neighbors as ourselves more than just budget and retirement plan.

February 9, 2009 - To Be A Disciple Is A Life-Long Commitment

Meditation on Luke 14

When Jesus saw that a great multitude of people were following Him, He turned and urged them to consider the cost of being His disciples. He wanted them to understand that following Him is not only for getting bread and fishes to eat and seeing miracles of healing. They need to love Him more than any one else including their own father and mother, other close members of the family, yes even one's own life. One does not follow Jesus for just a short time at the beginning. He must continue to be Christ's disciple all his life to the finish. (v. 25-33) The word, hate in verse 26 is rhetorical. It just means lesser love. (See Matthew 10:37)

We know that many Christians gave up their lives in order to follow Jesus in the early centuries as well as in many parts of the world today such as the Middle East, Indonesia and India. These believers did not lose their taste as salt. (v. 34-35)

We must thank God for calling us though unworthy and weak to come to His banquet. (v. 15-24) But we should never give up our Christian testimony and stand up for Him.

February 10, 2009 - Who Are You Inviting To Dinner?

Meditation on Luke 15

Normally we like to invite our good friends, close relatives or patrons to our home for dinner. But Jesus wanted us rather to entertain those who could not pay us back (Luke 14:12-14) or rejoiced with the sinners who repented. (v. 7, 9, 32) In the later encouragement, Jesus was responding to the murmuring of the Pharisees who said that He received and ate with sinners.

Would it not be good for us to gather together with our friends to invite some unbelieving acquaintance to our home for dinner and share the Gospel and our testimony with them? It may turn out to be a time of rejoicing for us here as well as for the angels in heaven. (v. 10)

May God give us the wisdom to entertain guests with the mind of reaching the lost. That I believe is one of the lessons we can learn from this chapter. It may not be easy or some may fear that it is costly. But remember Jesus' emphasis for all of us is to reaching the lost. He said that it is more important to help one sinner than to fellowship with the ninety and nine who need no repentance. (v. 7)

February 11, 2009 - How To Spend Your Money

Meditation on Luke 16

These are two stories about two rich men. The rich man in the first story had called upon his unfaithful steward to give a report for his dealing. This guy quickly forgave the interests of all the debtors of his master. This is a very shrewd way to protect the reputation of his master as an adherent of the Jewish law yet he himself gained the favor and friendship of the debtors so he would be taken care of in the future.

Jesus used his story to teach His disciples the importance of preparing for eternal life. The wisest way to use money is to make friends now and lead them to the Lord. In commenting the action of this steward, He said, "For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light." (v. 8 NKJV) We must prepare for the future and in particular our eternal abode.

But we must understand that none of the characters in this story were righteous or faithful. Immediately Jesus cautioned the disciples that one needed to be faithful in handling the unrighteous mammon before he could be trusted by the true riches in heaven. Also one cannot serve God and at the same time be controlled by the love of money like the Pharisees were.

So Jesus told about another rich man. He cared only about his entertainment and enjoyment to the point that he was indifferent to the sickly beggar, Lazarus who was right at his front door. This was totally unacceptable in the teaching of the Law of Moses, and the prophets. His arrogance was even manifested in Hades where he was suffering. He still wanted Abraham to send Lazarus to do things for him. What a jerk!

Those who love money more than any thing else can have no place in the kingdom of God. But those who love God would also love his neighbor too by providing for their needs.

February 12, 2009 - Don't Forget To Give Glory To God

Meditation on Luke 17

The healing of the ten lepers in this chapter is an important reminder for us to give thanks to God for what He has done for us in our daily life. Though we have Thanksgiving celebration every year in this country, I am concerned that many people I know, Christians included, do not give thanks to God out in the open after they have experienced great blessings in their lives such as healing from serious disease or being successful in business.

Dr. Luke said that there was only one leper among ten who would come back to glorify Jesus for their healing. I hope that it is not an indication that it is the norm of human ingratitude. But I have observed quite often that people seem to know that God is good to them but they will keep that feeling inside and seldom express thankfulness to God in front of others. The Bible showed the action of this one, "... when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorifying God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan." (v. 15-16 NKJV) Giving thanks to God then should be loud plus expressing worship to Jesus.

As a result of the Samaritan's thanksgiving, Jesus said to Him, "Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well." (v. 19) Not only this person was healed, his sin was forgiven. He was made whole completely in the sight of God!

Let us learn from this Samaritan, a foreigner in the eyes of the religious people. Whenever God has done something very recognizable for you, give thanks to Him in front of others and take time to worship the Lord. Then God will bless you even more.

February 13, 2009 - Comparison In Prayer

Meditation on Luke 18

Jesus encouraged all of us to pray continuously without losing heart. (v. 1-8) But He also taught us how to pray in the right way. From verses nine to fourteen, He gave the examples of the prayer of a Pharisee and a tax collector in that time.

The Pharisee prayed with good appearance. He went to church to pray. He stood up in prayer. He gave thanks in prayer. But the trouble was that he compared himself with others in his prayer. He told God that he was more righteous than others. He was so proud of the fact that he fasted twice a week and gave tithes of all that he possessed. But the tax collector simply acknowledged that he was a sinner and prayed in a manner of true humility and confession. Jesus said that the latter was justified before God rather than the Pharisee who thought that he was a better person and exalted himself in prayers.

It seems to me that some Christians are like that Pharisee today. They do pray every day as well as on Sunday at church. They do give thanks. They are careful in their postures in prayers and some even raise their hands while they pray. They have good conversation in prayers by telling God what are happening in their lives. But they seem to criticize others in their prayers and dictate God to change so and so to the standard they think it should be. Yet they never acknowledge their own sins and unfaithfulness. They never ask God to change them. No wonder they have hardly experienced powerful answer to prayers. To them, prayer is just a routine habit. They are persistent alright. But they never expect God to do more than human plan. Their God is too small, as someone has said. No wonder these Christians do drop out from prayer meetings in church. Their children who watched their religiosity but faithless examples at home will eventually leave the faith their parents belong. The major reason I suspect is that the children heard so much of criticism and comparison of churches and peoples in the church at home in conversation as well as in prayers that they are sick of attending church when they grow up on their own.

May God help us not to think of ourselves better than others even those in the same church.

February 14, 2009 - The King Of Jerusalem

Meditation on Luke 19

Chapter nineteen demonstrates the authority of Jesus as the Messiah King. He granted salvation to the chief tax collector, Zacchaeus. (v. 9) He hinted from the parable of the Minas that the King will demand His servants to be productive. He gave them a mina and said to them, "Do business till I come." (v. 13 NKJV) He demanded to ride on a colt into Jerusalem as a king of peace. And the people honor him as such. They cried out, "Blessed is the KING who comes in the name of the LORD! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" (v. 28-38)

But Jesus wept over Jerusalem as He drew near it because he knew that the people there did not really know they were visited by the KING OF KINGS. (v. 41-44) He predicted that Jerusalem would be completely destroyed. But we thank God that Jesus will bring in the New Jerusalem from heaven as it is recorded in Revelation 20:2, 10.

After Jesus went into the temple of Jerusalem, He again showed His authority by cleansing the temple and drove out those who bought and sold in it. He said, "My house is a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves." (v. 46)

The religious leaders later questioned His authority. (Luke 20) Though Jesus did not answer them, those of us who know him as the King of the universe should pay attention to His demand as recorded in this passage.