As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Luke 11:27-28 (ESV)

What was that woman saying? “I wish I had been lucky enough to have a Son like You! Your mom won the lottery of life.” Her cry mirrors what is so often inside me, the wish that better things had happened to me, the wish that something over which I had no control had dropped or would drop into my lap to make my life better. 

How many times have I wished I would get a big inheritance? How many times have I wished someone had educated me in certain issues when I was young? How many times have I wished I had been friends with someone who paved a path for me?

But what is Jesus’ response? “No, actually, blessing doesn’t come by something happening to you over which you have no control. Blessing comes by listening to God and doing what He says.” Of course, this is an ellipsis. That is, Jesus was not saying His mother was not blessed. The angel who announced the conception and birth of Jesus said to Mary, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28, ESV). Mary was blessed. Jesus’ point was not that Mary was not blessed at all but that there is a greater blessing reserved for those who hear His word and keep it.

Let’s quit wasting our time sitting on our backsides wishing for some blessing from the outside to fall into our laps. Instead, let’s start pursuing the blessing that God has promised us all if we will just open up His book, get into His Word and get His Word into us.

—————————————

Was anyone else struck by the irony of Jesus’ question in Luke 12:14, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” For some reason my first response when I read this verse today was, “Well, God did.” I’m sure there is a lesson in this ironic question. I’m just not sure what it is yet. Maybe you can fill me in.

What did you get out of today’s reading? Feel free to comment and let the world wide community know.

Keep the faith and keep reading.

ELC

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.–Luke 9:23

A brief thought struck me at this verse. We take up our cross daily. We don’t take it up weekly, monthly, yearly. We don’t even take it up for our whole lives. 

I so often live in the future, thinking I have to be sinless and pure for the rest of my life. When I start thinking that way, I begin to despair. I just don’t think I can do this for the rest of my life. I don’t think I can do this for a decade. I don’t think I can do this for a week. Sometimes I don’t even think I can do this tomorrow. But I don’t have to. All I have to do is pick up my cross today. Just one day at a time. By God’s grace, I can do this today.

Perhaps this is what Jesus was talking about when He said, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34, ESV).

Don’t worry about next year, next month or next week. Just take up your cross today. You can do that.

Have a happy 4th of July.

Keep the faith and keep reading.