What Are You Doing?

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Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas and said to them, “Engage in business until I come.” Luke 19:13 ESV1

Read Luke 19:11-27

What would you do if your employer called you to his/her office and handed you a check equal to about four months of your current salary? What if your boss then explained that he/she was entrusting you with this money for the purpose of conducting business and making a profit while he/she was called away for an undetermined length of time to acquire another business asset? What would you contemplate doing with the money if you knew you would be held accountable for how you put it to use in your boss’s absence? Late in His earthly ministry, this is the exact scenario Jesus presented, in parable form, to His disciples.

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So Right Yet So Wrong

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He said …, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” Luke 16:31 ESV1

Read Luke 16:14-31

Contrary to popular opinion, God doesn’t grade on a scale. If He did, none of us would get a passing grade. Think about it. How many lies must one tell to be a liar? Only one. How many times must one cheat to be a fraud? Just one time. How many times must one steal before becoming a thief? Only once. Likewise, how often must one tell the truth to be completely trustworthy? Every single time. How often does one need to be faithful to be honest? Always. How many times does one have to refrain from taking without permission to be law-abiding? Every possible time. “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it” (James 2:10).

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Shrewd in This Generation

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“For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.”  Luke 16:8b ESV1

Read Luke 16:1-13

I was about ready to give up. Though I was sure I was responding to God’s leading when I first ventured out in this direction, now I was not so sure. But hadn’t I prayed about it? Hadn’t it been confirmed by others who were characterized by giving godly advice? Wasn’t my desire to glorify God? Yet, I had been writing my Christian blog for nearly five years and if I looked at the number of followers of my site, I could easily assume that I had the least popular website on the entire internet. Was writing about what God was teaching me as I studied the Bible worth it? Considering the amount of time I spent researching, praying, choosing the most applicable words, and proofreading what I had written, it certainly didn’t seem like it! Especially when I had dozens of essays that hadn’t been read by a single soul. So, I started removing my articles and I was planning on shutting down my site. That was until I read the following parable of Jesus.

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There Are Points in Heaven for That

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“When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14:13-14 ESV1

Read Luke 14:12-24

My youngest daughter has always had the heart of a servant. Continually, she has looked for small ways to bless the people around her. When she was young, she was often troubled by the fact that her acts of kindness were not reciprocated; many times, she never even received a word of thanks for her benevolence. When she would bemoan others’ lack of gratitude, I would encourage her with: “There are points in Heaven for that.” Upon hearing these words, my daughter was reminded that God saw her intentions and her actions; even if those benefitting from her kindness didn’t appreciate it, He did.

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The Best Seats in the House

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“When you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.” Luke 14:10 ESV1

Read Luke 14:7-14

When talking about the theater or some other venue, the best seats in the house are the ones that afford the optimal view of the performance or activity. Sometimes, these favorable seats are reserved for special people like celebrities and heads of State. These preferred seats are usually the most expensive. The amount a person is willing to spend on a particular seat is directly related to how much he/she either desires to observe the event or how much he/she wishes to be seen as important in that context.

Jesus had a little something to say about desiring the best seats in the house.

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Unfruitful or Fruitful Pursuits

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“‘If it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’” Luke 13:9 ESV1

Read Luke 13:1-9

Where I live, Autumn quickly approaches. Crops ripen in the fields. Apple trees burst with fruit. Bright orange pumpkins dot the landscape. Farmers gear up to bring in the harvest. Children anticipate corn mazes, costumes, and candy. Adults look forward to sipping warm apple cider and pumpkin lattes while consuming fresh apple donuts. Everyone is abuzz with the talk of cooler weather and the soon-to-be changing color of the leaves. In my area, this time of year often brings with it a sense of peace and thankfulness for God’s provision.

When Jesus walked the Earth, He had a time when the changing of seasons and the hope of an abundant harvest were on His mind. Though it was Spring physically at this time in Jesus’ earthly life, spiritually speaking, Autumn approached as Jesus went along a specific road to a particular task. The harvest about which Jesus was thinking was not yet observable to the human eye. The awesome change about to take place was not apparent to the untuned heart. But what would soon happen would be the most significant change the world had ever experienced and the most momentous harvest of history was soon to begin.

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To Fear or Not to Fear

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“Do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear Him who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into Hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!” Luke 12:4-5 ESV1

Read Luke 12:13-21

We all fear something. That which we fear has the power to influence our characters and determine our destinies. Jesus emphasized this truth in the context of the next parable we will examine.

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Approaching the Throne of God

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 “I tell you; this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:14 ESV1

Read Luke 18:9-14

There is a protocol for greeting a member of the English Royal Family:

“For men, this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way. On presentation to The Queen, the correct formal address is ‘Your Majesty’ and subsequently ‘Ma’am,’ pronounced with a short ‘a,’ as in ‘jam’. For male members of the Royal Family, the same rules apply, with the title used in the first instance being ‘Your Royal Highness’ and subsequently ‘Sir’. For other female members of the Royal Family the first address is conventionally ‘Your Royal Highness’ and subsequently ‘Ma’am’.”2

There is a proper way to address the President of the United States.

“In direct oral address – actually speaking to the President – the President is addressed as: Mr. President—His given name or surname are not used in his presence. This pattern of not using the name is typical around the world when addressing the highest officials—chiefs of state, heads of government, speakers of houses, chief justices, and a very few others. Listen to a White House news conference: Reporters addressing the POTUS as Mr. President are doing it correctly.”3

There is also an appropriate way to come before the King of the Universe.

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Proper Persistence

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He told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.  Luke 18:1 ESV1

Read Luke 18:1-8

This past weekend I got together with my daughter and her children. We stopped to get ice cream at a local restaurant. As we were enjoying the tasty treat, my two-year-old grandson noticed my phone peeking out of the front pocket of my purse. He turned to his mom and asked, “Trac’ors ‘Mammaw’s phone, p’ease?” My daughter replied, “Finish your ice cream first.” As we chatted, my grandson nibbled at his ice cream but his eyes were focused on me. As soon as I finished my ice cream, he asked again, “Trac’ors ‘Mammaw’s phone, p’ease?” His mom repeated, with emphasis, “Finish your ice cream first.” He shoved two more big bites of ice cream in his mouth, pushed the dish aside, and asked again, “Trac’ors ‘Mammaw’s phone, p’ease?” This time my daughter said, “Yes, now, you may watch a tractor video on Grandma’s phone.” A moment later, as I searched the internet and found a short, child-appropriate video about tractors, my grandson settled into my lap and stared with glee at what was happening on the screen of my phone.

When Jesus walked the Earth, there were no tractors, Grandmothers didn’t have smartphones, the internet didn’t exist, and I don’t think they even had anything like ice cream. But, Jesus, being the Good Teacher, was able to use as He taught illustrations from what they did have. In the following parable, Jesus told a story to help His audience learn an important lesson about a significant aspect of asking His Father for what they would like to have.

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A Friend, a Father, and a Little Bit of Faith

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“Everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” Luke 11:10 ESV1

Read Luke 11:5-13

If you have been around Christianity for any length of time, you are probably familiar with the Lord’s Prayer.2 You may have it repeated several times with others in church services, on your own in times of need, or even at an occasional sporting event. As many times as you have heard and/or said it, you probably even have it memorized. If asked, you could probably recite it now. But are you as familiar with the parable Jesus shared with His disciples to reiterate this teaching on prayer?

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