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 Luke 14:1-6: Silencing the critics.(please click here for todays passage)

It is possible to do the right thing for the wrong reasons. On the face of it, it’s a good thing to watch Jesus ‘carefully’ (1). This is essential for the life of discipleship – watch Jesus, and copy Him (Colossians 3:1,2; Hebrews 12:1,2). ‘Follow the Leader.’ But Jesus’ enemies were watching Him in order to ‘get’ Him.

Beware of that critical spirit that is always looking for faults in people, and quick to believe the worst. There are far too many negative people like this in the professing church, and they do the cause a great disservice. They also end up smearing good people and fine ministries. They speak out of ignorance, arrogance and prejudice in many, many instances, and they get Christians a bad name. If you see any tendency in your heart to become a critical, judgmental person, prayerfully weed it out before you cause significant damage – to yourself as well as to others.

Beware of putting religion and ritual above relationship. People matter. If we watch Jesus ‘carefully’ – with pure motives – we will be led to love and serve and care.

Prayer: Lord give me a heart like yours

Luke 13: 18-21: The growth of the Kingdom.(please click here for todays passage)

It has been pointed out that these two parables, taken together, speak of the extensive and intensive growth of God’s Kingdom on earth. From tiny and insignificant beginnings, with just a handful of very ordinary people, the Kingdom has spread across the globe. The ‘birds of the air’ speak of the nations finding refuge – a nesting place – in this glorious Kingdom of God.

But not only have we seen (and still do see) the Kingdom growing numerically. We are also aware of the spread of its influence. So even as it grows extensively, in numbers, it also grows intensively, moving through society and its structures. Like leaven, it works slowly, silently and invisibly, but it certainly works. There is a ‘hiddenness’ about Kingdom life and growth. There is always a lot more happening than we can see.

Someone showed me a mustard seed on one occasion. I could hardly see it. But look what comes from it. God so often starts with the small, the anonymous, the obscure and the unlikely, and then works wonders with it.

On one occasion, Hudson Taylor, the famous missionary to China, was being introduced as a guest speaker at a meeting. The chairman, undoubtedly well-meaning, rhapsodised about what a wonderful man Hudson was. Hudson Taylor, however, came to the platform and said, ‘I am just the small servant of an illustrious Master.’ God sowed him like a mustard seed into the soil of China, and what growth has come from that one ‘small servant’. The impact is still being felt today.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive me that I often judge by appearances. Help me to not despise the day of small things.

 Luke 13:10-17: A place of healing?(please click here)

This story contains a number of challenges. Here are three:

1. Am I more concerned about religious rules and propriety than I am about people and their needs? There are hard- hearted folk in the professing church who, it seems to me, care more about legalistic correctness than their fellow-human beings. Today I recognise the danger and want to flag up a warning. I do not want to be like that.We ought not to be that way.

2. Do I think for one minute that I can dictate to God as to where, when and how He can work (14)? Do I want to try to cramp and confine the infinite Lord of the universe into my narrow framework? God is the ‘God of surprises’ and just when I think I have Him ‘taped’ I will discover no one can tie Him down to their own narrow understanding. Did you hear the story about the schoolboy who, when his teacher told him God was everywhere and so was most certainly in his inkwell, slapped his hand over the top of the well and exclaimed, ‘Got Him’!? We can (foolishly) be like that. But the wind blows wherever it wills. You can’t catch or control it.

3. Is my church a place of healing? Is it really Jesus’ church? Does He have freedom of movement? Does He reign there?  Do we try to tie Him up with the ropes of religious rules and regulations? Is it a place where the needy find welcome and compassion? Is it somewhere the bound are set free? Is it an environment, an atmosphere filled with miraculous power?

Jesus came into the world to release those bound by Satan, and that includes you. Will you come to Him today?

 Luke 13:1-9: Fruit on THIS fig tree.(please click here for todays passage)

I clearly remember a sermon preached by John Lancaster, at an Easter Monday meeting in Leeds in around 1987. He brought such a powerful and heart-searching message. His text was Luke 13:7, and he kept emphasising that God desires ‘fruit on this fig tree.’ He wants to see spiritual fruit growing on the branches of MY life. He looks for evidence of a Christ-like character emerging in me. God is patient and will give time for the fruit to appear, but He will not settle for the absence of it. It is by fruitfulness that we show the reality of our connection to Jesus (John 15:5), and we bear this fruit to the glory of God (John 15:8).

Fruit shows the reality of repentance (13:1-5). Yesterday we saw how we are to learn from tragedies. When we see people perishing in terrible atrocities or sudden accidents, and the like, we should remember that we are all in danger of perishing at a much deeper level – not just losing our lives, but coming under the judgment of God for our sins and being separated from Him for ever. In the light of such an imminent danger Jesus called on people to repent. But repentance, if it is genuine, will be seen in the production of ‘fruit’ (Luke 3:8a). When people truly turn to Jesus and seek His forgiveness their lives are changed. It’s unmistakable. There is ‘fruit on THIS fig tree’ (emphasis mine).

As I write I am reminded of something I heard many years ago: ‘God is more interested in the production of your character than He is in your comfort’ (John 15:1,2).

Prayer: I pray that you will cultivate in me fruit that will remain, and be for your glory.

 Luke 13:1-5: A lesson from tragedy.(please click here for todays passage)

Early this morning (22 March as I write) we heard the terrible news of  terrorist bombings in Brussels, leaving many dead and more injured. Suddenly and tragically the end came for people who were just going about their business. Some would be going to work; others, perhaps, were excited about the start of a vacation. In an unexpected moment or two everything changed.

What Jesus said here,making reference to a couple of tragic events that must have been ‘on the news’ in His day, is still relevant. We are not to imagine that those personally affected by these incidents in Belgium were worse than other people. But we should heed the lesson to repent and get right with God, because we never know when the opportunity might be gone forever. As suddenly as a disaster can strike, we can find that we die and are ushered into God’s judgment hall. So the message of the last paragraph of chapter 12 holds good today: make the effort to get right with an offended God.

‘Pardon from an offended God, pardon for sins of deepest dye…’

Such pardon is available to anyone and everyone who will turn to Jesus in repentant faith.

 Luke 12:54-59: ‘…try hard to be reconciled…'(please click here)

As an example of being able to read the signs of the times, Jesus talks about the person who does everything he can to reconcile with his enemy before the case comes to court. He knows that if he ends up in front of the Judge the outlook may not be good. He can read the ‘writing on the wall’ and what he sees there in bold print makes him want to act decisively, in order to stave off dire consequences.

‘You know how to tell a change in the weather, so don’t tell me you can’t tell a change in the season, the God-season we’re in right now. You don’t have to be a genius to understand these things. Just use your common sense, the kind you’d use if, while being taken to court, you decided to settle up with your accuser on the way, knowing that if the case went to the judge you’d probably go to jail and pay every last penny of the fine. That’s the kind of decision I’m asking you to make’ (56-59) The Message.

Jesus was calling people to reconcile with God before it was too late. Jesus came to say that this is possible and to make it possible by His death on the cross.

By the way though, do you need to ‘try hard’ to mend some broken fences? Is there someone you need to get right with? Determine to act today before the situation spirals out of control and ends up somewhere you may regret. Not only should we keep ‘short accounts’ with God, but also with one another. Don’t let a ‘root of bitterness’ grow up. That’s one poisonous plant. If some word of forgiveness needs to be spoken, get on with it in ‘the living years’.

Selwyn Hughes told the story of a man who was wounded and bitter. He became more and more sick, and eventually he died. His doctor said that, although it couldn’t be written on his death certificate, he died of ‘an undrained grudge’.

Prayer: Lord, you know I have been hurt, but help me to let it go, for Jesus’ sake, and by His grace.

 Luke 12:54-56: What’s the weather doing? (click here for todays passage)

Quite often, Jilly will say to me, ‘It looks like rain’, and I will reply, ‘Well there’s none forecast.’ Then Jilly will say,’But they look like rain clouds to me.’ More times than not she is right! I rely on the weather forecast online and am often wrong!! People can learn to predict the weather by looking around them at what they see. It seems to me that farmers are particularly adept at reading the book of nature. They make great, instinctive meteorologists.

Jesus spoke about the need to similarly read the times. It’s been said that a prophet is someone with a Bible in one hand, and a newspaper in the other – a person who can understand the contemporary scene in the light of Scripture. In the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles  12:32, we read about the men of Issachar who understood the times and knew what Israel ought to do . May The Lord help us to be in their number. Stay close to God and get His perspective on the news. That amounts to wisdom.