Author: Danny Panter

Re:Verse passage – Luke 19:11-27 (six)

^{27 “‘}And as for these enemies of mine who didn’t want me to be their king—bring them in and execute them right here in front of me.’” Luke 19:27

It is hard to imagine Jesus wrapping up this parable with words so violent and final. Isn’t he all grace and mercy? Did he not say, “I did not come into the world to judge the world, but to save it?” John 3:17

All true.

God’s kindness (withholding judgment for a season) is intended to lead everyone to repentance. Jesus’ ministry on earth is the epitome of God’s kindness; his grace and mercy on full display, like a billboard with an open invitation to freely follow him and escape everlasting judgement.

What Jesus says in John 3:17 refers to his first coming, but when he comes again he will come with sword and fire.

It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of a living God. Hebrews 10:31

This is precisely why we must be good stewards of what Christ has given us, his church. His future and final judgement is no joke.

Re:Verse passage – Luke 18:9-14 (day six)

…the tax collector stood at a distance. Luke 18:13

Pride does one thing extremely well, it creates distance. This distance was at the heart of this parable. The Pharisees’ self-righteousness had reduced most people to “them” and “those people,” resulting in an unholy separation.

Unholy, in that we weren’t designed for distance, we were made for connection, with God and with others.

In what ways has pride kept you for making connections with God and with others?  Where has pride created an unholy distance in your life?

Re:Verse passage – Luke 16:1-18 (day five)

¹⁵ Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God. Luke 16:15

God hates the world’s preoccupation with the accumulation of wealth for personal gain. The reason is because the human heart can’t bend both ways; it can’t give itself to both God and money. More simply, the love of money robs the human heart of a superior treasure.

How’s your heart doing? Does it detest what God detests?

Re:Verse passage – Luke 15:11-24 (day six)

When Israel was a child, I loved him,  and I called my son out of Egypt.-God, Hosea 11:1

Both sons were prodigals. One son squandered his inheritance, only to return after he hit rock bottom, the second had forgotten what it meant to be a son altogether.

Jesus told this beloved parable to remind the religious leaders of what it means to be a son. They had exchanged the covenant relationship with God for something he never intended. Rather than sons, they had become slaves to their own self-righteousness.

Jesus beckons them, “Why live as a slave, when I have called you to be my son.”

Re:Verse passage – Luke 15:1-10 (day six)

¹¹ As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?
-God, Ezekiel 33:11

I don’t think this could be overstated, God does not find delight in destroying the wicked. While he may be glorified in the destruction of the wicked, in the same way a judge is glorified when he upholds justice against grave injustice, he doesn’t enjoy it; it does not give him pleasure.

What does give God joy and delight? Jesus tells us. When the lost are found; when even one wicked person repents and turns to God.

Doesn’t that tells us something deeply profound about God’s heart towards us? The sending of the Son sprung from the infinite well of God’s compassion towards wicked sinners like us. He is not waiting for the Day of Judgment with great anticipation, rubbing his hands together with glee, thinking let’s hurry this thing along. Not even close.

Peter wrote,“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Here’s the rub, if this is the attitude of heaven, shouldn’t this be our attitude? Isn’t that what Jesus wanted the pharisees to learn?

Re:Verse passage – Luke 14:12-24 (day six) 

³⁴ “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.”-Jesus, Luke 13:34

No matter how much they may have deserved it, Jesus’ words were not always colored with anger when confronting the self-righteousness of the pharisees. To be sure, there were moments when Jesus was angry with them, but more often than not he told his parables with compassion and longing for repentance. The one he tells while at the pharisee’s house is no exception.

Jesus had dinner with these pharisees and experts of the law, not to pass immediate judgement, but to help them truly see themselves; that they were fully invested in building their own kingdoms rather joining God in building his.

I imagine that required God-sized compassion.

Re:Verse passage – Luke 13:1-9 (day six) 

² “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? ³ Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.” Luke 13:2-3

It’s easy to justify ourselves when we compare ourselves to the sin and suffering of others, especially when we imagine their sin must be way worse than our own. It becomes such a slippery slope, with the conclusion that God blesses the  more righteous, and curses or judges the less righteous.

This notion has been alive and well from the beginning. It’s why the book of Job was written. Today, we call it the prosperity gospel.

Jesus corrects this kind of thinking quickly by answering the rhetorical  question with, “Not at all!” He goes on to say, “It could have just as easily been you.” Well, he didn’t say it just like that, but that is what he meant.

When we compare ourselves to the righteousness of God, rather than one another, his wrath makes complete sense. We are all deserving of his judgment. Then every waking moment is rightly perceived as a gift of God’s mercy, instead of something we believe we somehow earned.

Re:Verse passage – Luke 12:13-21 (day six)

I find myself thinking about money a lot. Mostly out of necessity, I guess, mixed with a smattering of anxiety and insecurity. I imagine greed is always  lurking just around the bend. Isn’t that true of all of us? Or is it just me?

The stuff we have, whether in abundance or not, is where are hearts are most inclined to get dirty (greed has no prejudice):

I wonder what it would be like to never worry about bills, debt, security funds, college tuition, retirement? What if I just had store houses full of cash? Or just 0.00001 percent of Jeff Bezo’s wealth? I would never have a care in the world. I could rest secure; take care of all my needs, and do whatever I pleased.

That’s precisely why Jesus says, “Watch out for every kind of greed!” It will swallow you hole if you are not careful.

Here’s the thing, Jesus cares little about how much money I have, but cares a lot about what I treasure. Our treasure is a matter of life and death. For me, because I have to think about money so often, I also have to seriously consider what I treasure most…all the time. Isn’t that true of all of us? Or is it just me?

Re:Verse passage – Luke 11:5-13  (day six)

If you have checked theeverydayprayer.com more than once this morning for my blog post, then I think that qualifies as persistent. Being the kind of person that I am, I wouldn’t want to disappoint you or allow your persistence to go unrewarded.

Each time you checked you came with expectation, I’m sure. Along with a sincere desire for spiritual encouragement, a little spiritual nudge as you start your day.

For many of you, an early Saturday morning read of the every day prayer blog is part of a consistent pattern or rhythm in your life. An effort to connect to the heart and purpose of God through the musings of one of your pastors.

Some Saturdays are better than others I’m sure! But today, today your persistence pays off, because I too value the blog, and the small part it plays in your life; not to mention I feel a sense of obligation. It is here though, on this digital page, that I can give, whether at midnight, or 5 am, or even 9:15 (or later of course).

As you persist, may you receive. It is with God, as it is with me.

Oh, and Happy New Year!

Re:Verse passage – Luke 10:25-37 (day six)

Little did the expert know, the answer to his question was staring him in the face. Jesus is not only the means through whom the expert could inherit eternal life, but he also is the very embodiment of both great commandments.

Jesus’ arrival in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago was the real life Good Samaritan. Seeing all of us fractured and left for dead, he drew near to tend to our death dealing self-inflicted wounds. He is our good and merciful and loving neighbor.

He is Immanuel, God with us. He is the way, the truth, and the life.

If only the expert of the law had known all that; grateful we do!

Merry Christmas!