Title: Ears To Hear? / Topic: Listening For Today

Today’s Reading: Zechariah 10, 11, 12; Psalm 126; Luke 14

Scripture: Luke 14:35 ..."He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Observation: Jesus is speaking to the crowds with instruction peppered with parables. The topic is the cost of following Jesus. He says that to follow him will cost a person everything, even his family! And Jesus uses parables to encourage us to count the cost in advance. He likens following him to building a tower and to going to war, both intensive undertakings. He sums up in verse 33: "In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." Then, using salt as a picture of the true disciple he says this: "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out." I don't know of any way for salt to lose it saltiness except to be polluted or thinned by having other stuff mixed in. Lastly he gives the words which are the subject of today's post: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Application: As a person who has read through the Bible scores of times, I often come across familiar passages and say to myself, "yeah, yeah, I know what that means..." and the like. I can actually tune out because I have heard it all before. And I found myself doing this today, as I read Luke 14. "Yeah, yeah, hate your family, build a tower, go to war, be salt, zzzz..." Then I got a jolt: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." I realized that I don't have ears to hear. I had tuned it out. So I want to say,

Prayer: Lord, give me ears to hear -- ears that are wide open to always hear whatever you are saying to me today -- ears that never assume that I know what a passage means simply because I have read it before. It is so good to know you always have something fresh for me each day. Give us this day our daily bread.

This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Let The Children Play / Topic: God Shows Up

Today’s Reading: Zechariah 7; Zechariah 8; Zechariah 9; Luke 13

Scripture: Zechariah 8:3-5

This is what the LORD says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.”

This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age. The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.”

Observation: These words of the prophet speak of a future time of God's blessing upon Jerusalem. The Lord promises to return and dwell in Jerusalem. I love how the effect of God's physical presence in the city is described: safe streets. Men and women of "ripe old age" [you gotta love that phrase!] sit in the streets which are also "filled with boys and girls playing there."

Application: You don't see safe streets in most places in today's world. We have mean streets. Old people, particularly women, are not safe in our mean streets. And most parents wouldn't think of allowing their kids to be out in the streets playing. We can't let our kids out of our sight. But when God shows up, everything changes. God's presence results in people simply being able to live in a safe and fun place. The old folks hang out in the streets. Boys and girls at play fill the streets. I can't wait for the Lord to show up in Jerusalem. Let the children play.

Prayer: Lord, you are so amazing. You are holy and awesome and almighty and powerful. And yet when your presence comes into the realm of humans, it's recess for the kids! That's fantastic. Help me to be a person who walks in your power in the way that old folks and children feel free and at ease to just enjoy life.

This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: The Main Event / Topic: Focus

Today’s Reading: Haggai 1; Haggai 2; Psalm 129; Luke 10

Scripture: Luke 10:38-42

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Observation: Martha is busy and distracted with so many things: "all the preparations that had to be made." Mary prepared herself for the main event: sitting "at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said."

Application: "Only one thing is needed." That is what Jesus said. We need to remember these words of Jesus and the example of Mary. Stay focused on the main event. It is Jesus.

Prayer: Dear Father,

Thank you for this little story that always brings me back to my Savior's feet. Help me to stay put in that place.

This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Those Pernicious Jews / Topic: Israel Under Attack

Today’s Reading: Ezra 4; Psalm 113; Psalm 127; Luke 9

Scripture: Ezra 4:12-16

The king should know that the Jews who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations. Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid, and the royal revenues will suffer. Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king, so that a search may be made in the archives of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place of rebellion from ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed. We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.

Observation: A remnant of Jewish exiles have been allowed to return to Jerusalem. Their neighbors stand in strong opposition to any thought of the repatriation of the Jews in their homeland, or the reestablishment of the Jewish capital. Leaders of the anti-Jewish forces deliver a defamatory and accusatory letter to the emperor, an excerpt of which is the scripture above. The result was that the Jews were compelled by force to stop the rebuilding of the city.

Application: History is repeating itself. Just this past Friday, the President of the Palestinian Authority spoke before the UN General Assembly to ask for a permanent state of Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital. Much of his speech was an attack on the nation of Israel:

"...the occupying Power [Israel] continues to impose its blockade on the Gaza Strip and to target Palestinian civilians by assassinations, air strikes and artillery shelling, persisting with its war of aggression of three years ago on Gaza, which resulted in massive destruction of homes, schools, hospitals, and mosques, and the thousands of martyrs and wounded. The occupying Power also continues its incursions in areas of the Palestinian National Authority through raids, arrests and killings at the checkpoints. In recent years, the criminal actions of armed settler militias, who enjoy the special protection of the occupation army, has intensified with the perpetration of frequent attacks against our people, targeting their homes, schools, universities, mosques, fields, crops and trees."

These Jews sound really, really bad! (This strikes me in a similar way as the letter from Ezra 4. Hmmm...)

Also on Friday, the Prime Minister of Israel addressed the same body. He pointed out that the nation of Israel has been "singled out for condemnation more often than all the nations of the world combined. Twenty-one out of the 27 General Assembly resolutions [passed in the history of the UN] condemn Israel..." That is truly stunning.

What is going on here? Why is Israel under such vicious attack today and all throughout history? It must be those pernicious Jews, right? How ironic that the one true democratic government in the middle east is so vilified. I believe the true reason is that Israel is the only Jewish nation on the planet and the Jewish people have been selected by God as his unique people. So satan, who hates God, also hates his people, so he has been busy throughout history stirring up all kinds of hateful attacks against them.

Bottom line: Christians, God's "other" chosen people, must prayerfully and actively support Israel. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray for our world. Pray for God's truth and justice to prevail.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord, our world needs your help. And right now, there is a strong tide against the Nation of Israel. Father, I ask for your strong hand of protection to be over this nation. Encourage those people who are the scorn of much of the world. And I ask that you would begin to unmask the deceiver and neutralize the deception and lies that propagate hatred and undermine the prospects for true and just peace. Defeat the enemies of Israel I pray. May there be peace and security for Israel. I pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.