Luke 8:16-18
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.
Read Luke 8:16-18 remembering what you took away from the previous parable of the seeds and the soils.
In this parable, Jesus uses two of the five human senses to make a profound point about the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. If the insight and knowledge we have been given through our faith remains hidden in darkness, it cannot be seen or experienced by anyone else. The nature of God’s logos (message, essence) is light. Light makes vision possible. And if we attempt to hide the wonderful mysteries of God’s shalom Kingdom, we will not only keep others from seeing, we will inhibit our own sight as well.
Take a moment to meditate on the nature of darkness - the difficulty you have navigating space in the dark, the absence of color, and so on.
Now picture a clear, sunlit day and take a moment to imagine yourself walking around noticing all of the illuminated things you normally take for granted.
Is there something God might want you to see through these images?
Read Luke 8:16-18 again.
In the second half of the parable, Jesus switches from sight to hearing, but the message is the same. If we aren’t paying attention to Jesus – whether that be through our time with him in the Bible and prayer or through the whispers and nudges of his Holy Spirit – it will be as if we were walking around in the dark wearing noise cancelling headphones. We won’t hear more from him. And eventually we’ll even forget what we heard before.
Take a few moments to consider how you are arranging your days so that you see and hear Jesus more and more.
Then consider how you are arranging your days so that you spread shalom to others.
Now get quiet and listen to Jesus for a while.
What do you sense Jesus saying to you today?
What will you do in response?
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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.
