Luke 9:43-45
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 9:43-45 recalling Luke 9:42-43. Note the tone of Jesus’ words in today’s passage.
Following Peter’s declaration of Jesus’ identity and God the Father’s affirmation of Jesus on the mountain, the tone of Luke’s Gospel shifts. There is now an urgency that permeates Jesus’ interactions with his disciples beginning with his rebuke for their failure of faith in the healing of the demon-tortured boy.
Even the forces of evil appear to be agitated as we saw when Jesus called the boy to himself for healing. The crowds who witnessed this are now struck with awe at the power of God displayed by Jesus, but Jesus is intent on keeping his disciples focused on the most important thing: Jesus is destined to die.
One of the great paradoxes of our faith is that we have been given life in Jesus that is rich and meaningful, but we are still living in a world that is wrecked by rebellion against God’s good and perfect ways. It is all too easy to focus on one reality to the neglect of the other, but in truth these realities coexist. The greatest joys we experience in Jesus still contain an element of sadness about the condition of the world, and the pain of our deepest wounds is tempered by the eternal hope we have in Jesus.
Take some time to consider how you are holding these two realities in tension. Share your thoughts and feelings with Jesus.
Read Luke 9:43-45 again.
The disciples are confounded by Jesus’ urgent message – it is beyond their understanding - and Jesus, whom they have followed for some time now, has become foreign to them. They are afraid to voice their confusion to him, and their fear of the unknown eclipses their faith in Jesus’ love and goodness.
Following Jesus is a journey of continuous transformation in which our ideas about him and about life are constantly being refined and refocused. There will be times when we don’t understand where Jesus is leading and times when we are shaken by the realization that Jesus doesn’t fit in the intellectual box we have constructed for him. When we are discouraged, offended, or afraid, our first, best step is to run towards him remembering that he is good and he is God.
Get quiet for a moment and recognize the presence of Jesus around and in you. Let all your thoughts settle as you listen for his voice in your spirit.
What do you sense Jesus saying to you today?
How do you plan to act on 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.
