October 14–Luke 6-7

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied”(6:20-21).

They called it “reality TV”. First aired in 1992, The Real World was a much-copied, category-shattering experiment for MTV.

We will borrow the title, because it aptly captures the words of our Lord in the Sermon on the Mount. The real world, says Jesus, is invisible (now) but soon coming.

With clarity and courage, Jesus taught the reality and value of an invisible world. He described the kingdom of God, present now but coming eventually in future glory. A world of order and peace, all things in right relationship to a good and glorious Creator. Someday the things that now hide God’s presence and beauty from our eyes will be stripped away. “Earth and Heaven will be one,” says the old hymn.

Jesus was (is) a future thinker. The certainty of the coming world determined His actions and decisions. He taught us to shape our lives in the same way.

In the real world, poor people are blessed. See James 1:9 for another expression of this same idea. Jesus is not advocating poverty. He is, without any apology, saying that poor people are rich if they are participants in the coming kingdom. Money is temporary. Eternal life is durable.

In the real world, hungry people are blessed. Needs will be satisfied when the kingdom comes. Note, please, Jesus’ frequent use of the future tense. You shall be satisfied. You shall laugh. Your reward will be great. True success must be measured against the permanent outcome. Believers are blessed now, even in moments of intense suffering, because, in Christ, all things lead to a great end.

For our Lord, the highest value is the coming age and our preparation for it. Christ does not deny the importance of the present world. He does, however, compare the permanence of the world to come to the temporariness of the present one.

For Jesus, the coming world is the REAL one. It is the one that deserves our greatest attention and confidence.

“The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof” (Barbara Kingsolver).

“The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever”(1 John 2:17).

“Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven” (Luke 6:23).

October 13–Luke 4-5

“New wine must be put into fresh wineskins”(5:38).

Jesus often used metaphors. The insightful comparisons of our Savior are very helpful for those who would walk in Him.

“New wine” is a metaphor for the gifts of God. His sweet blessings and provision. “Wineskins” is a metaphor for human response. Our efforts to receive, contain, use, enjoy God’s generosity.

Jesus is the NEW wine, God’s greatest gift! “Behold, I do a new thing,” says the Lord in Isaiah 43. Christ and all that comes from our union with Him is greater than anything we imagined! Forgiveness. Freedom from shame. Power over forces of darkness. The Holy Spirit’s real presence. Belonging. The privilege of prayer. In His Son, the Father has poured out unspeakably sweet, new wine for us! Delicious. Joyful!

It makes no sense that our response to such newness would be the old rules, the old wine skins. Whether Jewish tradition or old patterns of thinking, ALL patterns of life and thought should be renewed and redeemed as the Spirit carries us forward into God’s new chapter. Shouldn’t we change, dear ones? Gradually, courageously, joyfully? His mercies are new every morning, shouldn’t our affections and patterns be new as well?

Humans are habitual creatures. I can (do) get stuck in a rut. As powerful as the past may be, new wine requires a fresh and congruent response. Are you repenting dear one? (metanoia, to think again, to reconsider.) Will you?

Change is not only God’s demand, it is another of His great gifts! It is our privilege at the beginning of faith, but also in each stage of progressive sanctification. Are you eager and open to growth in Christ? Is your life a fresh wineskin?

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced” (James Baldwin).

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

October 12–Luke 2-3

“And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased’ “(2:13-14).

Angels. Messengers from a parallel and connected world. Powerful servants of God. They play an essential role in the stories of Scripture. Near us. Often unseen. Who knows how regularly we encounter unaware these ministering spirits?

In Genesis, angels with flaming swords are posted to guard the way to the tree of life (3:24). In Exodus, angels guide the people through the wilderness (23:20). In 2 Kings they form an invisible army of protection around Elisha (6:17).

No surprise, then, that angels are present and active at the birth of the Savior. The angel, Gabriel, announces the birth of John to Zacharias (1:11). Six months later, he comes to tell Mary of the coming birth of Jesus (1:26). In the fields of Bethlehem, on the night of the Savior’s birth, an angel declares the news to shepherds and is joined by a heavenly army praising God.

“Glory to God,” they shout. Great enthusiasm! With pure souls, these powerful beings shout the goodness and worth of the Creator. Their only focus is His goodness. May we be like them!

“Peace on earth to men with whom He is pleased.” Some caution is necessary here. Christmas hymns often use these words to declare a universal good will (general approval) of God toward all men. Scripture denies this idea. The peace offered by angels comes to those reconciled to God through faith in Christ. These, and these only, are men “with whom He is pleased,” to whom He offers the gift of peace.

After a time, the angels, “go away.” But, not really. The chapters of church history give testimony to their continued presence and participation. Angels stand near Christ in His temptation. In Acts 12, an angel opens the prison door for Peter. Scripture predicts angels will be sent to the earth to gather God’s people before the end the age. Friend, do you realize that you live in a vast and supernatural world? Do you find courage and assurance knowing that you are surrounded by angels?

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it”(Hebrews 13:2).

“While I was speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness. . . He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, ‘O Daniel. . .at the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed’ ” (Daniel 9:21-23).

October 11-Luke 1

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. . .And Mary said, ‘Behold, the bond-slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word’ “(1:35, 38).

Mary is an inspiration. Our hearts should be like hers.

She received the word of God. Without resistance or hesitation, she surrendered her life to God’s path. Twice in this reading, Mary calls herself a “bond-slave”. See also Paul in Romans 1:1. Redeemed people do not press their wills against the plan of God. We are soft clay.

Without pride or fear, Mary allowed her life to be pulled into the wake and work and victory of the Christ. She accepted life on God’s terms. She was humble.

Her cousin Elizabeth called Mary’s unborn Son, “My Lord,” (v. 43). She supernaturally knew His identity. She also understood what had been required of Mary in order to be participant in this eternal moment. “Blessed is she who has believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord”(v. 45, italics mine). Mary believed. It saved her. It allowed her to serve.

It is a mistake, I am convinced, to pray to Mary, to regard her as having a share in the work of redemption. It is NOT a mistake, however, to respect this courageous young woman, nor to learn the lessons of her godly life. Despite the biological impossibility of a virgin birth and the sociological improbablity of the Messiah being born to humble Galilean girl, she surrendered her will to God. She believed and became central in an eternal story. What human ever had a more significance?

Moderns often have strong egos. We have been trained to trust in self-effort, to make our own choices. Mary believed something entirely different. She believed God was (is) good and wise, that nothing was (is) impossible for Him, and that the way forward for her (for everyone) was to unite with God through faith. She exalted God, not self. See v. 46. Doing so, she became an example to us all.

Friend, is your heart open and soft and courageous to the purposes of God? Is God great in your eyes? Do you have humble faith?

“Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:10).

“Humility is not so much a grace or virtue along with others; it is the root of all, because it alone takes the right attitude before God, and allows Him as God to do all” (Andrew Murray).

October 10–Mark 15-16

“Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified”(15:15).

I must remember. It is a great mistake to surrender my conscience to culture. To join the crowd. To believe what they believe and shout what they shout. The world has no righteousness and cannot help me have it. Political correctness (PC) is Spiritual cowardice.

Sad story. Pilate KNEW that Jesus was an innocent man. Knew that Jesus was righteous. Early in the process, Pilate saw the true motivations in play. See 15:10. His conscience told him the right thing to do.

But, Pilate also KNEW that defending Jesus would be costly. Controversy-creating. Enemy-making. So, he ignored his conscience. Took the easy road. Yielded to the crowd. Political correctness made him complicit.

Sound familiar? It does to me. Pilate’s choice is a daily dilemma in my own life. Two roads are presented. One walks with the crowd. Whatever “they” say, I affirm or allow. Sometimes, if only by my silence.

The second path is more courageous and more dangerous. It calls me to “walk humbly with God”, sets my focus on “things above”, requires me to listen to God as He speaks in my conscience. On this path my duty is to attend to Scripture and the “still, small voice” of the Spirit.

Having heard God, I am then to obey it and to speak His word to others. Speaking the truth in love, I am to go public. No apology. No safety net. I am to acknowledge Him, to love Christ above my own safety.

Cancel culture threatens me if I take a stand. The judgment to come threatens if I don’t. Pilate’s predicament reminds me of my own, and of the better path.

“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32).

“Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way” (Luke 6:26).

October 9–Mark 13-14

“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. . .What I say to you, I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’ “(Mark 13:26, 37).

The Bible says “for the joy set before Him (Jesus) endured the cross”(Hebrews 12:2). By focusing on the future, and the joyful outcomes ahead, He found strength to stay faithful in sorrow.

Our Lord teaches His children this same wisdom. For believers, a confident expectation of the coming victory of Christ is daily bread. To imagine and expect the day of the Lord is to borrow strength for the present from the future. Friend, have you learned to deliberately and courageously hold this hope before your own heart as inspiration?

As the events of the cross came near, Jesus grew bolder and bolder with the prediction of His own glorious return. While He offered no date on a calendar, He was absolutely clear that history would eventually come to the great climax of His return and the restoration of the world. This coming day gave Him optimism and confidence.

The King WILL return in power and glory! Order and righteousness WILL be restored. Faithfulness WILL be recognized and rewarded. A sovereign God will finally overrule human sin. His glory will fill the earth. The best days of the universe are still ahead! “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”

To have and to hold this thought is what Jesus called “being alert”. To wake each morning with certainty that, “He is standing at the door,” gives a believer power and energy. As you make your way through the events of this day, will you think about the coming day? Will you breathe deeply the oxygen of this coming joy?

“Bible teaching about the Second Coming of Christ. . . is the only ray of hope that shines as an ever brightening beam in a darkening world” (Billy Graham).

“BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him”(Revelation 1:7).

October 8–Mark 11-12

“Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury, for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty”(12:41).

It was Tuesday of last week. On Sunday, Jesus entered the city in triumph. Monday, He cleansed the temple. On Tuesday, our Lord endured a long series of ugly confrontations with His enemies. The deeply threatened leaders of the nation attempted to trap and embarrass Jesus. I must be careful, here. Jesus encountered heavy artillery. So will I. There is no easy path for those who walk by the Spirit.

Late on this weary afternoon, Jesus sat down to observe people bringing gifts to the temple. Not WHAT they gave, but HOW. Not the amount, but the manner and motive. See 12:41. What He saw encouraged Him.

In every age, there are some who have ears. And hearts! They love God. Look to Him. The “remnant” Scripture calls them. God’s people. Proof of the kingdom’s silent progress. God watches over them. Delights in them.

Comes a widow. Poor. She puts in two small coins. Makes no effort to be noticed. Just the opposite. Her eyes are not on what people think. This mindset itself is a miracle! The very work of God.

She is acquainted with grief, but poverty and pain have not destroyed her. Instead, her heart is filled with true faith. Her eyes are on the Lord. Her offering was an act of simple, sacrificial love.

Jesus called His disciples. “She gave MORE,” He said. His words were no figure of speech. Instead, a statement of the hard economics of an invisible (eternal) world. God’s economy is different than the one we know. In city where the streets are made of gold, money is not the highest value. What is “more” in God’s house is love that rises from faith.

Friend, do you hear what Jesus was teaching His disciples (us)? Do you LOVE Him? Sin teaches me to love self. The Spirit and the Savior teach me to love God, to answer His generosity with my own. It has little to do with money, Heaven’s MORE is love!

“Go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me”(Matthew 19:21).

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).

October 7–Mark 9-10

“Immediately, the boy’s father cried out, ‘I believe; help my unbelief’ “(9:2).

We sympathize with this tortured man. Here is a father who is agonized by the suffering of his child. He seeks help for his son by coming to Christ.

The disciples have been powerless to help. Familiar disappointment. We seek help from Spiritual leaders, only to discover they are as baffled and empty as we are. CHRIST is our healing. Pastors, other believers, churches, may be sign-posts on our journey toward Him, but only so. The power we need does not come from any man.

Notice the gentle pressure that Jesus applies to the man’s mind and expectations. The father asks for “anything”. Any measure of help. Sub-consciously, he is managing expectations, trying not to be disappointed. Jesus insists he embrace the possibility of “all things”. Only this kind of faith accurately grasps the nature and reality of God in Christ. If a real relationship with Christ is the goal, small thinking is unacceptable.

“You cannot solve a problem with the same thinking that created it” (Albert Einstein). The stricken father is stretched by Christ toward faith.

With joy, we hear the “birth-cry” as the man declares his trust. “I believe!” he says with sincerity. Immediately, we also hear his dependency on Christ. With great humility, and true insight, the father also prays, “Help my unbelief!” We need Christ as much for the second step as the first. As much for the third as the second.

Jesus is pleased. A small step is sufficient so long as it is a true step up onto the rock of Christ. We are safe in Him, but not safe to stop seeking Him.

Friend, do you need Christ? Do you realize your need? Do you see within yourself the areas and attitudes that must eventually be transformed? One step. Then, another. True faith begins and continues. We need Him every step of the way.

“The irony is that God doesn’t need us, He still wants us. We desperately need God but don’t really want Him most of the time” (Francis Chan).

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him”(Hebrews 11:6).

October 6–Mark 7-8

“Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s”(8:33).

I must always remember. In every situation, part of the problem, at least potentially so, is the evil still within me.

Humans (natural state) are separated from God by sin. Our hearts and thoughts and preferences are flawed and distorted by self-rule and lawlessness. Self is our default. Even when we are unconscious of it, our old heart is actively pursing its own agenda. “Evil comes from within,” said Jesus in 7:23.

Small wonder that Jesus challenged the value of religion and tradition! See 7:8. Religion doesn’t go deep enough. It often only masks the true illness. Do you know any religious people who are selfish and angry? Very involved in church or charity, but proud and self-willed? “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me,” said the Savior in v. 6.

The presence of sin explains the fierce reaction of Jesus to Peter in 8:33. The Lord was not saying that Peter was Satan. He was, however, challenging the malignant “wisdom” of the Devil coming from Peter’s mouth, the stubborn influence of sin on all (even sincere) people. He called Peter out for his disloyalty. Called him to deny self (again), to reject (again) carnal logic and ambition.

How patient is the Lord with His children! How grateful we should be that He never surrenders this fight! When we drift back, our faithful shepherd will rebuke us.

Apart from the Spirit, our old hearts resonate with the “solutions” of the world. Without even realizing it, we prefer the world and oppose the Spirit. The New Covenant does not take away the sinful heart , but it DOES give the believer a NEW heart that lives in powerful agreement with God.

Friend, do you have a new heart? Are you focusing your mind and thoughts on the Spirit? Are you on alert that within you still lives a traitor whose daily counsel will be toward independence and the wisdom of the world?

“We have met the enemy and he is us” (Walt Kelly).

“I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people”(Jeremiah 31:33).

“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).

October 5–Mark 5-6

“Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.’ And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages teaching”(6:4-6).

It was Christ’s second visit to Nazareth during His public years. The first visit had been ugly and contentious. See Luke 4. After ten months, Jesus came again to His hometown.

No violence this time. Worse, actually. As Jesus preached, He encountered the settled unbelief of His townsmen. They were mired in their questions, “Where did this man get these things?” “Is not this the carpenter?” Reluctant to believe, they were unwilling (despite the miracles) to embrace a larger story. No repentance. No humility. No honor.

“A prophet is NOT without honor,” Jesus said. Prophets (of which He is the Highest) ALWAYS have a few people who recognize the power and authority operating in their lives. A few encouragers. A few friends. “EXCEPT in his hometown, or relatives or immediate family,” said the Lord, finishing His sad observation. Those who are closest to him, sadly even true in His own family, often feel exempt from the duties (and benefits) of giving Him honor. They stop short of reverence. Refuse it. Jesus called it unbelief (v. 6). Compare it, please, to the woman in Mark 5. Her absolute confidence. Her desperate pursuit.

Being too familiar (note the same root word as “family”) can be a problem. It is possible for us to KNOW much about Jesus and not SEE the supernatural reality. It is possible to have an idea of Him that is too small, too cute, too quaint, but resist any attempt to make it larger in reverence or awe. Like the people of His hometown, many in this present day think they know Jesus, but without any change of heart toward Him.

It is self-fulfilling. When we refuse to see Him large, He stays small (in our experience). “He could do no miracle there,” says Mark 6:5. Those who will not see Christ will not see Christ. Insist on a small and comfortable vision of Jesus and it will limit His work in you and your family and your church. Insist on a friendship with Jesus that is never more than familiar and safe and He will move on to other villages, other hearts, to those open to the adventure of His fullness! He is not small, but He will be small to you.

Have we known about Jesus so long that we have lost the wonder and urgency and privilege of it? Do we honor Him, or have we become too familiar?

“When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man”(Revelation 1:17).

“When they saw Him, they worshipped Him, but some were doubtful” (Matthew 28:17).