The Everyday Prayer

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

Another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief;²¹ for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.’ vs. 20-21

At the end of the day the question we must all answer is; what did you do with the resources your were given? It isn’t too difficult to get into the weeds with this parable. Was the master just and fair? Why did the citizens not like him? Did he take what was not his? There is much to plumb in these questions, but what strikes me is that we may each be called to live and work in a place where there is injustice and inequity. This, however, does not absolve us from doing our best with what we have. What good are we to our brothers and sisters, our neighbors and co-laborers if we refuse to engage with the world simply because it’s not fair? We have each been given an assignment to love, share, and care for each other. What are we waiting for?

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

Last night was a first for me in ministry. In our final large group session of the night for Freedom Weekend (our youth discipleship retreat), we had a Vespers service. Every year we designate this service as a time for prayer and reflection. This one was was beautiful. There was movement. There was emotion. Students were praying over one another. Students were praying over adults. The Spirit of God was stirring the hearts of our youth.

This was not all that different from previous Vespers. What made this one different, was after 45 minutes of prayer I got up, dismissed the group, but something strange happened: no one moved a muscle. No one wanted to leave. They were content to sit in the presence and power of the Spirit. It was a taste of heaven, and they were not about to let it slip away.

I share this story for two reasons:

One, God is at work in the lives of our young people. Pray for them as they continue to reflect on what God taught them this weekend. Pray for them as they come down off this mountain and enter back into school routines. Pray that they don’t fall back into old habits. Pray for sustained change.

Two, the same presence and power our students felt this weekend is at work in us and with us at all times. It sometimes takes sweet moments like this for us to truly recognize it, but what if we came into church this morning with the same expectation of awe and wonder? What could happen if we expected to taste heaven?

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 18:9-14 (day five)

“The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’”

Did you notice all the personal pronouns? What we have here is a declaration not a conversation. The Pharisee seemingly addresses God, but in actuality he is talking about himself to himself. The KJV actually translates the preposition in verse 11 as “with” (himself). Isn’t that a sad description of the state of affairs in his head and heart. Empty and void of a relationship with the Lord.

Made me examine my own prayers and petitions. Are they more about me or more about God?  Sometimes,  I write out my prayers. A good indicator of who is the focus. Is there evidence of the Lord’s presence (confession and repentance)? See Isaiah 6.

Finally,  is there listening (at all)?  Whose words would I rather hear?  My own? Or, the Lord’s?

I am grateful for scriptures and parables that challenge, encourage, and direct me to have a vibrant relationship with the Living God.

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

Verse 14 – “…for everyone who exalts himself will humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

If you were to do a Word Search in Scripture of the word ‘humble’, you would find it all through Scripture.  Several characteristics are evident through the search.  Lesson 1 – Humility is a necessary factor in our relationship with God.  Lesson 2 – There is a difference between being humble and being humbled.

Humility is a choice we make before God that recognizes who God is and who we are in relation to Him.  To be humbled before God is a position we are forced into in order to help us understand who God is.  One state is rewarding, one is…well…humbling!  We can choose our state of heart and mind before God.  If we choose to be humble, Isaiah 66:2 says God will look upon us.  If we choose pride, we can expect to be humbled before God. Which will you choose?

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

“Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled.”

Is God interested in comeuppance? Aren’t you? You know that feeling you get when you see some insufferable people get theirs? The German-language word for that feeling is schadenfreude, and that vibe is strong with this parable. I mean, look at this guy. He thought he was so great, and then the cosmic rug gets pulled out from under him. He leaves unforgiven and he doesn’t even know it. It’s such poetic justice. Isn’t it great to know you’re the kind of person that can see how flawed this Pharisee is? Hey, wait a minute. Who exactly is the real Pharisee here?

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

But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ vs. 13

Re-read that verse again with a 2020 pandemic gaze. Did you see it? First century social distancing, who knew?! With all the political ramification of what I just wrote aside, let’s focus for a minute on the heart of this tax collector. The shame of sin is an incredible burden to bear; particularly for those who know they were made for more. If you are walking in a season of disobedience you likely don’t have to be told. You wear it around your shoulders like a harness. Marley’s ghost would say to Scrooge “it is a ponderous chain”. But believers must not let the shame of sin be the end of the story. Jesus clearly states that the man that laid that burden down went home justified. Isn’t it time to release that burden? If the yoke of sin is heavy, Jesus offers one that is easy.

But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ Matthew 11:28-30

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

You cannot serve God and ___________________.

You fill in the blank. This passage tells us that we cannot serve God and money, but we know it is not just money that becomes our master. What has become your master? Is it money, a hobby, your job/school, a person, your phone, or your schedule as a whole? What is it that competes with God for your time?

It is usually not an intentional choice to put something above God. Rather, it happens over time. It starts as a small sacrifice of God’s time in order to put something “urgent” into the top priority for that day. As we allow these “urgent” requests to pile on, God’s time seems to fall down the list of priorities. Eventually, the “urgent” becomes the master while God becomes secondary. If you do not protect your time with the Master, a new master will manifest itself in His place.