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They Could Not Answer
Andrea Lende • May 2, 2020
Luke 14:5-6
They Could Not Answer
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/They-Could-Not-Answer-edhoac
Daily Word:
Luke 14:5-6
“And He said to them, which of you, having a son or a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a well, will not at once pull him out on the Sabbath day?
“And they were unable to reply to this.”
Jesus could not help but heal whoever needed healing.
The sick people were part of His flock.
Part of His family.
They were His sons and daughters.
He simply had to help all people no matter what the day or custom was.
He happened to be eating at one of the Pharisees homes on a Sunday.
There were both Pharisees and lawyers present.
Surely there were people who had prepared the meal.
Surely there were people who were serving the meal.
And, yet the Pharisees and lawyer’s eyes were shut to real truth.
They were so ingrained and indebted to the law.
They could do nothing apart from the law.
So, their hearts remained hard.
Their tasks and service in the church weren’t really helping anyone.
Their laws were difficult to maintain.
They were being told what to do and how to do it.
But there is no worship in this rule bearing structure.
No hearts were being lifted up.
Just heavy burdens that had to be carried.
Jesus couldn’t truly minister to these rigid religious people of the day.
They remained untouched.
However, Jesus did touch the sick and the simple minded.
He healed them.
He gave them grace.
He showed them the kingdom of God.
And they received it.
They were greatly blessed and told others how the Lord had come to their aid.
Today I choose to accept Jesus’ teaching and help those in need no matter the day of the week or whatever rules would prohibit me from doing so.
May you find that as you bless others, that you are doubly blessed.
Daily Word:
O Lord, my God, thank You for teaching me about true grace. Thank You for showing me that Your Son continually blessed others through healing and teaching and covering them in grace. Thank You for loving me as You have loved all Your children through the ages. Help me accept Your love, Father. Even when I don’t feel I deserve the depth of the kind of love You offer, help me receive it. Help me love others as You do. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I can be more like You. Lead and guide me this day, Father. May You be the light that I follow today and every day. Help me hear Your whispers, Lord, and obey You immediately. Help me serve those that You put in my path and give me joy as I serve. Let the burdens that I feel dissipate as I give them to You. Lighten the load I carry so that I do not resent any part of my day. Put Your wisdom in my heart and soul so that I am clear about my path. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you, My child, and will fill you with My Holy Spirit so that you are able to do as I ask.
Response: Thank You, my Lord and my God.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.