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Hello and welcome to giveattentiontoreading.com where you can get your daily dose of the Great Physician’s medicine. Today’s reading is Luke chapters 17 and 18. I’d like to give attention to Luke 18:9-14, where Jesus tells us the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Phariess and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his hosue justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

I get one amazing lesson from this parable. How on earth could I ever think that I could impress God with my power and my righteousness? But that’s exactly what the Pharisee was trying to do. It’s as if he was saying, “Look at me, God. Look at how wonderful I am. Look at how awesome I am. Look at how righteous and holy I am.” How could he possibly think that he could impress God with his holiness and his righteousness? The God who created light from nothing. The God in whom is light and there is no darkness. How could he impress Him with his holiness and power?

Could you imagine me saying, “Hey, God, look at me. I did 5 giveattentiontoreading posts in just one week”?

“Really? I created the universe in just one week. Come back when you can beat that.”

And yet, that’s exactly what I try to do sometimes. I try to impress God with my righteousness. I do that because sometimes I convince myself that the only way I can get to heaven is if I impress God with how good I am.

But then I remember the tax collector. He didn’t try to impress God. In fact, he understood completely and utterly that he couldn’t impress God. And so he simply threw himself on God’s mercy. “God be merciful to me, a sinner.”

I’m going to quit trying to impress God. I’m just going to put myself into His merciful hands, surrendering myself to Him. I’m going to do what He says because I love His mercy. I’m going to go where He sends because God’s Way Works. (“You know that’s right!”)

So, I’m not going to impress God today. I’m just going to surrender myself to His mercy. How about you?

Thanks again for checking in at giveattentiontoreading.com today. I’d love to hear what you think about today’s post and what you thought about today’s reading. So, feel free to drop down to the comments section and join the discussion. And make sure you come back tomorrow for another dose of the Great Physician’s medicine.

For my e-mail subscribers who can’t see the video, click here.

Hello and welcome to giveattentiontoreading.com where you can check in for your daily dose of the Great Physician’s medicine. Today’s reading is Luke chapters 13 and 14. I’d like to give attention to Luke 14:12-14:

He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But 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.”

First, we need to understand that Jesus is using a figure of speech. It’s called “ellipsis.” We’ve heard of ellipsis and usually it refers to those three dots on the written page that mean someone has left words out of a quote. When we talk about the figure of speech ellipsis, we mean that somebody has made a statement in which they’ve left out understood words. Often when an ellipsis is used it also creates another figure of speech called hyperbole, which is an exaggeration to drive home a point and demonstrate how important a principle is. When Jesus uses these figures of speech He’s not saying, “I don’t really mean what I say.” What He’s trying to do is produce a visual speed bump, something that will attract our attention and cause us to stop and think. We’re supposed to read this and when we get done with this passage be thinking, “Wait! What? Did Jesus say that? What did He mean by that?”

You see, Jesus did not mean that we are not allowed to show hospitality to people we know. After all, I Peter 4:9 clearly commands us to show hospitality to one another. So what did Jesus mean? Jesus left out the understood words “merely” or “only” and “more importantly.” If we add those words back in to get the true sense of Jesus’ statement, it would sound something like this: “When you give a banquet do not merely invite the people who can pay you back, but more importantly invite the people that can’t.”

The question that I have to ask, understanding this, is who do I invite?  Who do I have in to my home? For whom do I do favors? Who do I give things to? Who do I serve? Do I only serve those who can serve me back? Do I only give favors to those who can give me favors or even bigger favors?

What Jesus is pointing out is that I need to serve those who can’t serve me back. I need to serve those and demonstrate that I have absolutely no ulterior motives in serving them. And so, this week we need to make sure we are serving people who cannot serve us back. And when we do, then we will be truly blessed. Because our repayment won’t come from men, but from God. Let’s face it. Even the wealthiest among us, their repayment would not even compare to what God can give us.

So we need to ask, who am I going to serve today? Who are you going to serve today?

Thanks again for checking out giveattentiontoreading.com. I’d like for you to be involved in the conversation here. Drop down to the comments section. Let us know what you thought of this post or what you thought of the chapters we read today. Make sure you come back tomorrow so you can get another dose of the great physician’s medicine.

Matthew 17-18 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Matthew 17:1-18:35.

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:1-4).

That’s the same question I keep asking today. “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Oo, Oo, is it me? Is it me?” How do I get to be the greatest in the kingdom? Do I need to write the best blog? Preach the best sermon? Give the most money? Sacrifice the most fun? Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.

Wait! What?

Be humble? Like a child? What’s the point of that. I don’t want to be humble. I want to be great. I want everyone to know how great I am. I want everyone to see that I’m the smartest, I’m the holiest, I’m the brightest, I’m the best, I’m the greatest.

The amazing thing is the greatest among us will have no knowledge of being the greatest. In fact, the greatest among us won’t even care about being the greatest. The greatest among us simply aren’t concerned about being the greatest among us.

I guess today I need to quit being so focused on being the greatest among us.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Post a comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

2 Corinthians 10-11 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 10:1-11:33.

“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends” (2 Corinthians 10:17-18).

I need to read this every day. How easily I want to boast in me. I preached a sermon. I wrote a post. I put together some class material. I led a study. I baptized someone. I, I, I, I, I. Me, me, me, me, me. Someone complimented a sermon or class. Someone told me a blog post meant something to them. My head begins to swell, I start checking my stats. I start thinking I’m something.

God? Who is God?

Of course, I would never say that out loud. I would never even consciously think that. Instead, I would just not consciously think about God and His involvement. I just sometimes tacitly forget about God in my fervor to make sure you’ve heard about me. Have I told you about me yet? I’m pretty cool.

But then I remember that I am nothing. I think about where I’ve actually ended up when I was doing things my way and on my own. It wasn’t pretty. Anything I may accomplish for good is totally and completely by the grace of God. If I preach a sermon, it is because God gave the opportunity. If I actually say something meaningful and helpful, it is because God granted the words. If I get to baptize someone, it is because God caused the growth. I’m just a servant. I just go where I’m told and do what God says. Have I told you about God yet? He’s pretty cool.

Keep the faith and keep reading.

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Add your input by clicking the following link: Post a Comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

2 Corinthians 4-5 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 4:1-5:21.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

The Wordle above really says it all. Who is important in 2 Corinthians 4-5? Not me. Not you. God. Look at how small “self” is in that picture. Can you even find it? But look at how large “God” is. Look at how large “Christ” is. Look at how large “Jesus” is.

God has granted us exceeding great treasures through His ministry of reconciliation. We are growing from glory to glory. We can be ministers of reconciliation. We can accomplish amazing things in God’s kingdom and plan. How easy it is to get puffed up. I study with someone and think I’m special. I convince someone of the truth and I really think it was me. I baptize someone and I begin to think I saved them.

And yet, here we are still stuck in these earthly jars of clay. We still struggle and stumble. We still have troubles. We still lose jobs. Our bodies still get old and frail. Why? This is our ever-deepening reminder that the real power behind this ministry of reconciliation is God. Not us. God’s gospel is the power of God for salvation, not me. The surpassing power belongs to God, not me. I need to remember that.

Whenever I begin to think I’m starting to be pretty important in God’s eyes and plan. I need to come back to today’s Wordle and remember this is about God, not me. I can’t do anything apart from Him. He is the real power.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Add your input by clicking here.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Luke 19-20 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Luke 19:1-20:47.

“Beware the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts…” (Luke 20:46).

I needed to read this today. I understand that a scribe in this context was a copyer and student of the Law. But I can’t help also think about writers today. Namely, me.

Really it was a great thing to be a scribe. They were preserving and passing on God’s law for the present and coming generations. Scribes were needed. However, apparently many of the scribes lost sight of their purpose. Instead of glorifying God, they just wanted glory. They wanted to be noticed, so they wore special clothes. They wanted to be known, so they loved greetings. They wanted to be honored, so they longed for the best seats at the feasts. Being a scribe had ceased to be about God and begun to be about them.

I love to write. I love doing this blog, my other blog, and posting sermons on my congregation’s page. I love writing books. But there is a danger (and I’m sure it can be present in any profession). Why are we blogging? Why are we writing? Why are we preaching? Do we do it to be well-known? To receive credit for our own greatness, cleverness, wit, ability? Do we long to receive the greetings when we walk into a congregation’s assembly? Do we hope to be the one asked to lead the prayer? Do we seek the places of honor?

Writers, beware the danger. Readers, beware the writers whose writing is about them and not about God.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? You can give your input by clicking here.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Luke 9-10 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Luke 9:1-10:42.

“And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head’” (Luke 9:58).

How easy it is to judge a man by his clothes, his car, his house. How easy it is to dismiss someone as less than because he doesn’t measure up to my idea of success. How easy it is to elevate myself as better than because I think I’ve got something someone else doesn’t. How easy it is to think some people cannot add value to me because they live on the fringes, in a different world from me.

Yet here was Jesus. Homeless. A lazy bum? A pathetic loser? Riff raff? Pitiful? Should we just toss Him a dime and thank God we are better than Him? Or, better yet, should we sniff our noses at Him and mutter, “Get a job”?

What can I learn from a homeless person? I don’t fully know. But perhaps what I should learn from this Homeless Person is that I can learn from even the homeless.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Today’s reading is Matthew 23:1-24:51.

“And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:9-12).

I understand these are not absolutes. As a description of a role in the family or in learning, being called a father, an instructor, or a teacher is not wrong. Jesus isn’t talking about using these terms as descriptives of roles, but in the since of greatness. Don’t set anyone on a pedestal. We are all brethren. None of us is a Father. Only God is the Father. None of us is the teacher, only Christ is the teacher.

But this struck me differently today and I needed to hear it. Too often, I want to be seen as “THE TEACHER.” I want folks to praise me for my skills and abilities. I want others to set me apart as if I’m special because of my gifts and abilities. Not only must I not call others Father, Instructor, Teacher, I should not seek that kind of honor. This isn’t about me. It is about Jesus. It isn’t about me. It is about the Father. The more I strive to be exalted, the more I will be humbled.

Today, I need to exalt God. May He be praised. Look to Him for guidance, not me.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Matthew 19:1-20:34.

“He said to them, ‘You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father’” (Matthew 20:23).

I once heard someone share, and have often repeated since, the two greatest lessons I’ve ever learned is 1) There is a God and 2) I’m not Him. What that means for me is I need to let God do His job while I focus on mine instead of trying to do God’s job. Jesus sets the perfect example for me. He understood that even though He is God, He is not the Father. The Father has His job; Jesus has his. Jesus wasn’t about to try to do the Father’s job. He was only going to focus on what the Father had given Him to do.

My life goes so much easier when I don’t try to do God’s job. When I quit trying to make sure the world runs according to my plans and instead simply work on doing the next right thing, I have so much more peace.

Today, I’m just going to do my job, the next right thing, I’ll let God do His job of handling the outcomes.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?