Jesus was constantly tested and challenged by the Pharisees and Sadducees, sometimes even to the point of being facetious. In Luke 20:27-40 the Sadducees set up a ridiculous scenario that Jesus was able to answer well and silence them. When Jesus answered such challenges, he was always able to present it in a simple and scriptural answer. This is what a solid Bible reading program can do for you. Read, study and read some more!
Blog
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Solid Rock
God and especially Jesus are often compared to a rock. To the righteous, he is a rock upon which we stand and build our lives, while to the wicked, he is a stone of offense that causes men to stumble. In Psalm 28, David develops this idea in his prayer and praise. He thinks of God as his rock of defense, realizing that to his enemies, the Lord’s way is offensive. Do you think of the Lord as a solid rock upon which to stand securely and deposit your soul’s and life’s work? Bonus reading: Build your house upon the rock
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Use It or Lose It
Two things:
- We have all been entrusted with some amount of wealth and ability.
- One of our primary responsibilities as those in the Lord’s church is to seek and save the lost (cf. Luke 19:10).
Just as the master expected return on his investment in Jesus’ parable (Luke 19:11-27), the Lord will want account from us when we meet Him. Whatever you have, strive to be a good steward of it and use it in God’s service.
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How to Pray
Luke 18:9-14 contrasts two men offering prayers. One recognizes his own good works and seems to try to make God a debtor. The other recognizes his sinful nature and makes God his strength. There are a few lessons in this passage, but today let us concentrate on how we approach God.
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Remaining Thankful
When Jesus sent the ten lepers to report to the priests only one returned to give thanks (Luke 17:17-18). Only one and he wasn’t even a Jew. It is easy to fall into the habit of receiving our blessings and forgetting to return thanks. Paul said in Philippians 4:6 to make all of our requests with thanksgiving. Try leading off every prayer with a list of things you are thankful for and see if requests suddenly seem less important.
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What’s Next?
Luke 17:7-10 is a small bit of Scripture that carries a lot of weight in one’s Christian walk. The temptation is to be satisfied with checking off all of God’s commandments, avoiding the top 10 sins and mostly just getting by. Jesus calls that self-satisfied feeling into check by comparing it to the servant expecting a big reward for just doing his job.
This is what Jesus was telling us:
Our next question to God should be, “What can I do for You now?”