Friday, February 23, 2018

Lenten Readings: Luke 9

Lenten Readings: The two-year Bible reading plan puts the Gospel accounts of Luke and John right between Ash Wednesday and Easter. Whether you're doing the reading plan or not, you can follow along on the blog and read daily meditations based on the accounts of Jesus, whose life and death we remember and cherish during this season of Lent. Check back every day starting on February 14 and until Easter Saturday.

Friday, February 23, 2018
READ Luke 9
MEDITATE on Luke 9:35, "And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!'" How do you listen to Jesus today?

REFLECT
This chapter includes Jesus' commissioning the disciples to go preach and heal people while also demonstrating that he alone is the one Messiah. He continues to do things only he can do: feeding 5,000+, casting a demon out of a boy, and setting "his face toward Jerusalem" as he makes his final journey toward the cross. Herod and others debate his identity, but God affirms Jesus as His Son. There is no one like Jesus.

But following has a cost. Luke 9 includes famous words like, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (23). And, "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" (23-25). And the challenging words to those making excuses or qualifications to their commitment to following Christ. To listen to Jesus and to obey his words has a cost.

So the question for today is, how are you paying that cost? What is your Christianity costing you? Does following Christ mean loving those you don't like? Forgiving those who've hurt you? Getting outside your comfort zone? Serving at church? Risking your security for eternal rewards? Dying to yourself? This isn't to make things unnecessarily difficult, but following Christ really means dying to self.

PRAY
Pray for awareness of how Christ is leading you at cost to yourself and your comfort. Are there things you've been ignoring that God would want you to do? Are you dying to self? Pray for a deeper love from Christ and for Christ to help you walk the walk with Christ.

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