“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
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.
And Jesus said to him, “You go and do likewise.” Luke 10:37b ESV1
Quite a while ago, God laid upon my heart to pray for those He brought to my mind or pointed out to me as I went about my daily activities. The Lord made it clear to me that I should not only pray for the situations in which these people found themselves but for their salvations too. So, one day when I was traveling into the city nearest my home to run errands, I saw a man parked alongside the road with car trouble. I immediately began to pray that he would get the help he needed and that God would work through his situation and his day to bring him to a saving knowledge of Christ.
Then it occurred to me, that although I was faithful to God’s leading to pray for the salvation of man I had seen, if I were in an actual conversation with him, I might not even attempt to steer the discussion toward Christ. I felt like a hypocrite. As I prayed for forgiveness, I told God, “All I have ever really wanted out of life is to take care of what I have, love the people I have been given, enjoy the simple pleasures in life, be a breath of fresh air to everyone I meet, and to, hopefully, through those things, bring a smile to Your face. But if that is not enough, You are going to have to help me.”