July 22 / Luke 14:25-35

Luke 14:25-35 Let’s continue to remember to pray for Jim and Marty – Debbie and Julie also! “Notice what you notice.” So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (v. 33) So, what does it mean to “renounce all that we have”? I can mostly …

July 21 / Luke 14:15-24

Luke 14:15-24 Let’s continue to remember to pray for Jim and Marty – Debbie and Julie also! “Notice what you notice.” I’m sure that when most of us read these words that Jesus speaks, we expect that He is speaking to the lawyers and Pharisees without naming them by name. That is, in today’s Parable …

July 20 / Luke 14:7-14

Luke 14:7-14 Let’s continue to remember to pray for Jim and Marty – Debbie and Julie also! “Notice what you notice.” OK, I have to be careful here not to exalt myself in telling a story. For many years I have loved this incident in today’s reading – since Carol and I lived something of …

July 19 / Luke 14:1-6

Luke 14:1-6 Let’s continue to remember to pray for Jim and Marty. We had a phone and Internet disconnect this past Monday, with only spotty Personal HotSpot connections for the entire week. So my Internet posts and e-mail notes have been challenged and have been, at worst, only delayed. We are now again hooked up …

July 18 / Luke 13:22-35

Luke 13:22-35 Let’s continue to remember to pray for Jim and Marty. “Notice what you notice.” Just two days ago I commented on Jesus saying the exact same words twice in one setting. Today He has done it again, with a scary thought for many Christians: I do not know where you come from. (v. …

July 17 / Luke 13:10-17

Luke 13:10-17 Let’s continue to remember to pray for Jim and Marty. “Notice what you notice.” …all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced… (v. 17) It would be nice sometime to go through all the Gospels and find each occasion where Jesus “violated” the Sabbath. It’s clear that on each …

July 16 / Luke 13:1-9

Luke 13:1-9 “Notice what you notice.” Intriguing to me – Jesus says the same exact words twice: No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. (vv. 3, 5) Offhand I cannot recall any other section where Jesus repeats Himself, word for word, one sentence closely following another, in the same …

July 15 / Luke 12:54-59

Luke 12:54-59 “Notice what you notice.” Today, judging and judgment… A number of translations (NKJV, NASB) use the word “judge” in today’s first paragraph. Others (ESV, NIV) use the word “interpret”. I’m guessing that the Hebrew or Aramaic or Greek had only one word for both meanings. Here, however, I think “interpret” is a better …

July 14 / Luke 12:49-53

Luke 12:49-53 “Notice what you notice.” I tend to like symmetry and balance. So today’s last verse threw me a bit. Jesus is talking about creating division and he mentions three within a family: father and son, mother and daughter, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. So immediately I’m wondering, what about father-in-law and son-in-law. Then I remember …

July 13 / Luke 12:35-48

Luke 12:35-48 “Notice what you notice.” Two items of note today… First, …he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. (v. 37b) I found it strange that the master would be waiting on the slaves, especially since the master was just returning …