Today’s Scripture: Luke 9-10
Things to remember in today’s reading:
- Jesus sends the 12 Apostles out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal, Herod the tetrarch is perplexed by all that is happening and seeks to see Jesus, Jesus feeds the 5,000 and Peter leads the Apostles in stating their recognition of Him as “the Christ of God” compared with who “the crowds” were saying He was (9:1-20).
- Jesus foretells His death, teaches the Apostles and others about daily cross bearing and is transfigured before Peter, John and James up on the mountain where Jesus had gone to pray (9:21-36).
- Jesus heals the boy with the unclean spirit, astonishing the people “at the majesty of God,” and again tries to get across to His disciples that He would soon be “delivered up” to be crucified” (9:37-45).
- Jesus continues to interact with His disciples, teaching them about the true nature of greatness, about potential reactions to their preaching, and about the cost of discipleship (9:46-62).
- Jesus sends 72 other disciples on a mission of preaching and healing, meets the tests of the lawyer and teaches about loving God and loving your neighbor, and accepts an invitation to go to Mary and Martha’s house and teaches about physical aspects of serving vs. discipleship and fellowship with Jesus (10:1-42).
Things God is teaching me in today’s reading:
- Daily cross bearing is required to follow Jesus. It often requires saying “no” to other tasks (9:57-62).
- The transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain while He was praying was an important event, instilling in Peter, John and James the conviction they would need concerning the coming kingdom and the power with which it would come (see Peter’s statement in 2nd Peter 1:16-18).
- Interesting is the statement by Jesus, “Let these words sink into your ears” and the comment by Luke, “But they did not understand His saying an it was concealed from them so that they might not perceive it.” (9:44-45). The concealing was not by God. (I disagree with the ESV Study Bible which comments here, “The disciples lack of understanding is due to the meaning of Jesus’ words being concealed from them by God.” I agree with the commentator Albert Barnes who says, “They had imbibed the common notions of the Jews that He was to be a prince and a conqueror to deliver the nation…. In this way it was hid from them – not by God, but by their previous false belief.”)
- Things that are good in themselves, can distract me from the most important (i.e. close fellowship with the Lord).
Things to act on in today’s reading:
- I will not allow the physical aspects of my service to cause me to neglect “sitting at the Lord’s feet” and “listening to His teaching.”
Things to pray about in today’s reading:
- That I may take up “my cross” today and ever day!
- That I may always see the glory of Jesus and listen to Him!
- That I may never be distracted from an intimate walk with Jesus!
Thanks for reading with me dear friend. Have a blessed day!!
— Randy Sexton