Luke 11:29-32
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Take a moment to settle into your surroundings and then begin to recognize your breath. As you breathe in, call on the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
Today’s passage comes midway in Jesus’ response to the disbelieving crowd. If you haven’t already, read Luke 11:14-28, and then read today’s passage, Luke 11:29-32 noting any questions that arise as you read.
Jonah was, of course, the reluctant Older Testament prophet who ended up spending three days in the belly of very large fish after attempting to ignore God. Jonah’s miraculous survival and consequent obedience to God was a sign to the Ninevites who, upon hearing God’s warning, listened, and immediately turned from their thoroughly evil ways to seek the forgiveness and mercy of God.
A short time after Jesus’ encounter with this crowd, his crucified body will be interred in the belly of the earth for three days before he takes back his life and defeats the ultimate consequence of human rebellion – namely death. This will be a sign to both the generation represented by the crowd and to all of humanity.
But not everyone who hears of this sign will listen, and not everyone who listens will respond.
Becoming a disciple of Jesus is not a passive pursuit. Discipleship involves asking, seeking, and knocking. To become like Jesus – the goal of discipleship – we must purposefully put ourselves into a posture and place where we can listen actively to Jesus and respond to anything he says to us or asks us to do.
Stop to consider how you are arranging your life so you are regularly in a position to listen and respond to Jesus. Think about the practices you have in place and the spontaneous ways you are seeking to be aware of Jesus’ presence. Talk openly with Jesus about this taking time to listen to anything he might want to say to you.
Read Luke 11:29-32 again.
The Queen of Sheba, having heard of King Solomon’s wisdom, embarked on a long, difficult journey in order to learn from him. She was not passive in her admiration – she asked, sought and knocked on Solomon’s door. And the people of Nineveh, upon listening to Jonah’s divinely appointed message, did a complete U-turn and repented of their corrupt ways.
This cycle of actively seeking Jesus, listening to him, and repenting when we have strayed is a rhythm worth developing. For the rest of your time in meditation today, talk to Jesus about how you could better live out this cycle in your daily life. If you lack the desire to develop a better rhythm of seeking, listening and repenting, start there, and ask Jesus to increase your desire. Take note of anything you perceive that Jesus is saying to you about this.
What might Jesus be inviting you to do today?
What will you do about that?
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The Everyday Jesus Follower’s Guide ebook can help you learn how to recognize God's voice, how to read and understand the Bible, how to develop deep spiritual friendships, and how to become the person you were meant to be. Use it alone, with a friend or in a small group.
