Read: Luke 7:11-17 “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and said, ‘Don’t cry.’” Luke 7:13 (NIV) A mother’s and father’s hearts have to be strong when dealing with little ones who get hurt, otherwise their hearts would break. I recently read the saddest and shortest story ever. It was by Ernest Hemingway: For Sale: Baby shoes. Never worn. Just reading this causes my heart to break on behalf of these poor parents. I am sure we have all experienced times of heartbreak, heartache and when it seems that we have no more tears to cry.
Yet, we know that there is a loving God who has experienced losing a child in the most horrific way. I wonder if God cried when Jesus died! Jesus has the heart of God: loving, caring, compassionate and wanting all to come home to Him. When He was on earth, He tried to show His love of people and demonstrate that He understood their hurts and concerns. Jesus was walking around, teaching, preaching and healing when He came across a funeral procession. A widow’s only son had died. She had already lost her husband and now her son and she was destitute and without anyone to care for her. She was heartbroken and obviously filled with extreme grief. Jesus’ heart went out to her and just touching the bier (the platform holding the coffin), He told the young man to get up.
The widow’s son was now no longer dead and so he got up and started talking – makes me wonder what he said to everyone around him! With joy, Jesus gave the young man back to his mother. There were no more tears of sadness, rather tears of joy. The people praised God for His care for all His people. When we have our sorrows, bring them to one who understands and knows what it is to lose someone. Someone who knows your grief and heartache. Our God is a God of compassion and love! “God has come to help his people.” (Luke 7:16b)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, you know grief. You know what it is to have a child hurt and killed. Help me to bring my tears and grief to you, knowing you hear, understand and hold me in your loving arms. Amen.
Read: Luke 13:10-17 “When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, ‘Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.’ Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.” Luke 13:12-13 (NIV) This story gets straight to the heart of Jesus’ ministry. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” (Luke 4:18-19 NIV) In this healing miracle, the woman is described as bound and needing to be set free from her crippling illness. She needs liberation from the spirit that has bound her for eighteen years.
When Jesus performed miracles, He was very clever in using His healing actions to also teach His disciples and those around Him (and the Pharisees) the new law of freedom with God. In the Old Testament the Israelites were bound by the 613 laws that were given to the people at that time. Laws that bound them from doing things rather than freeing them. The Sabbath was meant as a time to refresh the body and the soul, but according to the Pharisees, the Sabbath was a day to do nothing and if you did anything you were breaking the law. Good laws should give boundaries for living, a security to work within. Jesus was trying to show that in God there is freedom for all those who are captive in sin. God is not bound by the laws of people. How are you bound?
Are you bound to your work, sport, family? It becomes a burden when things are done out of obligation rather than with joy and love. Take a step back, review your own situation and try to set yourself free from all that binds you. Find time to be released into the love, joy and peace of a loving Heavenly Father who doesn’t want to constrain you with laws, but free you in your faith by His grace. Jesus came to earth to set us free and forgive us from all our wrongdoings. Let go of the guilt. Let go of the burdens and find release. Live in the freedom that Jesus gave on the cross!
Prayer: I am unbound. I am set free from everything that constrains me – thank you Lord Jesus! Help me to share the grace and freedom that only you can give. Amen.
Read: Luke 11:14-23 “Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: ‘Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.’” Luke 11:17 (NIV) T he only thing that can keep Satan out is to keep Christ in!! There is a story about Christian converts in Southern Asia who were once Buddhist. Before they were converted, there had never been a murder in the village, never any thefts or fights. But after conversion, the people began to act ‘evil’, and crime started to happen. Years after the missionary who converted them had left, he ran into one of the people from the village. The person told him about all that had happened in the village. The missionary expected that the former Buddhist was going to blame Christianity for all their problems.
Instead, he said that it was all proof that God was working in their lives and the truth of Jesus Christ. For as long as Satan is served, he keeps his peace. In healing the demon that was mute in the man, Jesus was charged with being a demon himself by some witnesses, but Jesus stated that it makes no sense for a demon to cast out a demon. Someone who is working for God is filled with God. The devil’s weapons cannot be used against God. There is no middle ground, for Jesus says, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Luke 11:23) In our world today, one of the greatest lies is that of neutrality or indifference.
This indifference does not realise the evil of evil, or the good of good! Casting out the evil is not good enough Jesus says, one must be filled with God and all that is good. The devil will fight back, but the reality is that Christ is so much stronger, and that Jesus won the victory over the devil once and for all on the cross. At our baptisms we were named and claimed by Jesus, and nothing can take us out of His hands. Our place is with God, and we have a place reserved for us in Heaven. But now, we live in His grace and presence on Earth. Keep your life filled with Christ!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for filling my life with you and every good thing. My life has been claimed by you so let my focus be always on you, for there is no middle ground. Amen.
Read: Luke 5:1-11 “Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’” Luke 5:5 (NIV) There is something about fishing that you either really enjoy, or you don’t. There is not much of a middle ground. To catch a fish requires patience, quietness and perseverance. If you don’t have these qualities, maybe fishing is not your thing to do. When I was a little girl and we went for holidays to Marion Bay on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia we always brought our fishing reels. It was September, so rather chilly, but on most days, you would f ind at least one or more of the Gerhardys trying their best to catch a fish or squid. I enjoyed the fishing. It was peaceful, quiet and you could do nothing else but sit there with your thoughts and hopefully a fish or two. To be a professional fisherman would require a huge amount of patience and perseverance.
It seems that these disciples-to-be had a lot of both of these qualities. But after a whole night of fishing and nothing to show for it, they were done. They were obviously men who listened and learned for they knew that Jesus was preaching and teaching important things to all the people and that He spoke with authority, for Simon called Jesus, ‘Master’. I think I would have done a bit more arguing when Jesus told them all to go out again, but because Jesus said so – they went! What a miracle to then have their nets filled to the brim with fish, and overflowing. What does surprise me is Simon’s response, ‘Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man!’ Instead of joy, Simon was afraid and fearful for he felt he was sinful and unworthy when in the presence of one who can command nature. But Jesus assured Simon not to be afraid for he will now help Him in the Kingdom work for God. Note the fishermen’s next move – they immediately left everything and followed Jesus. Listen and be obedient to God’s leading and guiding!
Prayer: My loving Saviour, thank you for guiding, teaching and leading me with patience. Help me to be obedient to your calling and to listen for where you are leading me. Amen.