Tagged: Daily Reflections
“Say to them, ‘The reign of God is at hand.’ ” —Luke 10:9 Jesus sent the seventy-two disciples on mission with no extras and no comforts. Their primary mission was to proclaim to the mission towns that the kingdom of God was at hand (see Lk 10:9, 11). This proclamation was so important that all else took second place. As an example of this, Jesus told his disciples not to move from house to house when they entered a town (Lk 10:7). This might seem like a nit-picking type of command, but this has a purpose. Jesus wants his missionaries...
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“For to His angels He has given command about you, that they guard you in all your ways.” —Psalm 91:11 When thousands of people are killed in a tragedy, the question arises: “What happened to their guardian angels? They didn’t seem to do such a good job of guarding their charges.” The response to this question is wrapped in another question: “Why did Jesus’ guardian angels let Him be crucified?” Jesus stopped the angels from protecting Him. He said: “Do you not suppose I can call on My Father to provide at a moment’s notice more than twelve legions of...
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Jesus “set His face toward Jerusalem.” —Luke 9:51 Jesus “firmly resolved to proceed toward Jerusalem” (Lk 9:51). This was one of the most important decisions in human history. This decision to go to Jerusalem was a crucial moment in God’s plan of salvation, for it ended in Jesus’ saving death and glorious Resurrection. Immediately after making this decision, Jesus was opposed by Samaritans and had to rebuke James and John to deliver them from the evil one (Lk 9:53, 55). We likewise face serious problems after we make our most important decisions for Jesus. How many people have been rejected...
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“Whoever welcomes this little child on My account welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes Him Who sent Me.” —Luke 9:48 In the world, we don’t welcome people because we don’t welcome competition. We see other people as a threat. If they take their cut, there’s less for us. We tend to be jealous, possessive, and contentious. We compare ourselves with others to see who is greatest (Lk 9:46). In Jesus’ kingdom, it should be the opposite. We welcome people with open arms. Other people are not “them”; they’re “us.” We’re all members of the same body. “If one member...
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“I am tortured in these flames.” —Luke 16:24 Jesus told a parable about a rich man who was in the netherworld — an allusion to what we would call “hell.” The rich man was in hell not because he was rich or because he refused to help the poor man, Lazarus. The rich man went to hell because he was insensitive to Lazarus. He didn’t even notice the poor man at his door, although even dogs noticed Lazarus (see Lk 16:20-21). The rich man was not only insensitive to Lazarus but also to Moses and the prophets, that is, the...
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