April 6 | Luke 18:31-19:10

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DAILY READING

Luke 18:31-42

Luke 19:1-10

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REFLECTION

Rich Man, Poor Man

By Elaine Pierce

These verses are filled with activity and deep meaning. In verses 31-34, Jesus plainly tells the disciples that he is going to die but he will rise again on the third day, and they don't understand any of this (v. 34). After this, they are travelling to Jericho and a blind man begging on the roadside calls out "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!" The disciples try to get him out of Jesus' way, but Jesus of course, heals him. And, finally, he calls out to Zacchaeus who has climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus and invites himself over to dinner. As we all know from the childhood song, Zacchaeus was a "wee little man, and a wee little man was he" and he was also, more importantly, a hated tax collector. The crowd was not happy that Jesus welcomes this 'sinner' into the kingdom:

"Today, salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (v. 9).

Again, Jesus is full of surprises. He heals a blind beggar - truly one of society's outcasts. And he welcomes a pawn of the Roman government - a turncoat tax collector - into the kingdom. And he tells his closest followers that he will soon be mocked, insulted, and killed. Does this sound like a victorious leader? Is this someone we want to follow?

A couple of Sundays ago, the scripture was Luke 15:1-10, where Jesus tells his audience two short parables: the lost sheep and the lost coin. In Luke 18 we see that he seeks out two lost, cast-aside people: a blind beggar and a hated tax collector. He offers hope to those who aren't successful by society's standards, but he also offers mercy to those who, by outward appearances, seem to have comfort and ease. Zacchaeus was wealthy, but his life was empty without Jesus. The blind man begged for mercy, and Jesus healed him despite the disciples' efforts to turn him away.

Who needs Jesus? Everyone! Let's be open to those God puts in our path this week, whether it's a poor blind man or a person of great wealth. God will use us if we let him.

PRAYER

Lord, take my blinders off and help me to be your hands and feet with whoever I come in contact with this week. Everyone needs you, and help me to be your instrument. Amen.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ELAINE PIERCE

It is a delight and joy to write Sunday's UALC Blog post. I have been a UALC member for 20+ years and I value our community of believers. I draw strength from God's Word, and it is my hope that you join me in seeking to grow closer to Him as we read, study, and pray together. I've been married to Gene for 47 years, and we have four grown children and nine grandchildren. It is an exciting time to be alive, and I count it all joy to serve him, even in the midst of challenges. To God be the glory, for the great things he is doing!

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APRIL 5 | LUKE 18:15-30

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DAILY READING

Luke 18:15-30

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REFLECTION

What are Your Nets?

by Carmel Elmer

In a world where all too often material wealth, prestige and power are the measure of success, it can be hard to hear Jesus say how difficult it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. I’ve never been wealthy by most people’s standards but like so many of us, I have been blessed with far more than I need. If asked by Jesus, would I give it all up and follow him? Would you?

There was a time when I read this passage to mean that the rich were being excluded from entering heaven. I have to confess that never seemed fair to me. But today as I reflect on this passage, I realize, that really isn’t what Jesus is saying. Maybe if we back up to verse 17, we get a better idea of what Jesus is really telling us:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

As I write this, I glance above my desk and see portraits of my children when they were about 3 months old. I remember those sweet little faces looking to me for everything. At the time I found myself exhausted and I looked forward to the day when they could tie their own shoes and even further ahead to a day when they could get dressed without help and pack their own lunches. Of course, now that they live on their own, I wish they needed me more.

The world would have us believe that our highest calling as parents is to raise our children to be independent, successful adults and it’s easy for us to find ourselves forgetting that our Father in Heaven wants just the opposite for us. God wants nothing more than for us to look to Him for everything and to never stop depending on Him for everything. I think Jesus, fully God and yet fully man has a unique perspective of the trappings of too much independence and a quest for wealth. He understands us because He became one of us. He knows that often the more we have, the more we value the things of this world and that can be a barrier to our walk with God.

Would I give up everything and follow Jesus? I would like to believe that like Simon and Andrew in  Matthew 4:18-20 if asked by Jesus I would drop my ‘net’ immediately and follow Him. The real question is, what are the nets that we need to drop to give our lives fully to Christ? What are the things that we cling to that prevent us from living in a kingdom way and looking to our Father in heaven for everything? Is it our material wealth, our homes, or maybe even the people in our lives who have become more important to us than God who gave us all these good gifts? 

During these final weeks of lent, I pray we can all allow our nets to drop and welcome the renewal of a heart that is focused on the giver and not the gift. I want to have that childlike trust in Christ. How about you?

PRAYER

Thank you, Jesus, for reminding us of the importance of having childlike faith and dependence on you for everything. Help us to never ‘grow up’ so much that we begin to believe we can go it alone and cling to material possessions so tightly that we are not willing to leave them behind to walk with You. Reveal the ‘nets’ in our lives that we need to drop so we are ready to follow when You call.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CARMEL ELMER

I have attended UALC for nearly 25 years, but faith has always been at the center of my life. My mom was an incredible role model, demonstrating a trust in God that surpassed any circumstance. I will always be grateful for her incredible example of faith, and I pray that one day, my children will say the same about me.   

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April 4 | Luke 18:1-14

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DAILY READING

Luke 18:1-14

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REFLECTION

Humility

by Ken Dillman

It’s been said that humility is one of those things you can't really brag about having.

Jesus had a deeply loving heart toward people, so much so that he often spoke in parables to make a point without directly shaming people.

Aren’t you grateful Jesus doesn’t give us what we deserve sometimes?

There were some people who were hanging around Jesus who were so self-righteous, that they totally missed the fact that they were treating others with contempt; frequently, it was the Jewish religious leaders, because they had the inability to assess their own pride.

In Jesus’ parable, a Pharisee and a tax collector go to the temple to pray; tax collectors were despised by most Jewish people at the time because they often extorted additional taxes that they kept for themselves.

The Pharisee, prays to God, saying that he’s thankful he’s not like other corrupt people, people like the tax collector standing in the same room with him. Then the Pharisee brags on himself.

Our human tendency makes it hard not to brag on ourselves; we want to be recognized for the good things we do, we want to be affirmed as being fine Christians, and we want to know that our efforts are just as admirable as anybody else’s.

There’s a valuable story found in Numbers chapter twelve; Miriam, who is the older sister of Moses, has contempt toward Moses for marrying an Ethiopian woman. Miriam seems to be upset for some reason and goes further, bitterly asking rhetorically, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses?” (Num. 12:2)

God afflicts Miriam with leprosy because she challenges Moses’ God-ordained leadership.

At first blush, the next sentence may seem confusing, it says, “Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.” (Num. 12:3) What may be confusing is that it’s generally accepted that Moses wrote the Book of Numbers. So, is Moses writing that he is the meekest person on earth? If so, that doesn’t sound very meek.

However, for a person who has a deep sense of their own sinfulness, which Moses had, true humility allows a person to speak of meekness, only because they have been through the refining fire that brings about meekness, as Moses had experienced.

The story teaches that meekness/humility occurs, when we have an acute awareness of our sin.

In Jesus’ parable, the tax collector stands in a remote part of the temple, ashamed, unable to lift his eyes to heaven, and asks God for mercy; he knew he was a sinner. Jesus acknowledged that the tax collector, not the Pharisee, left the temple justified.

We never know what’s going on in the heart and mind of those around us, do we?

True humility happens when we recognize that we are sinners, and that we can brag about nothing, except God’s amazing grace.

PRAYER

Father, thank you for your mercies and compassion that are new every day; your love allows us a fresh start each morning, leaving our failures and sin of yesterday behind. Help us by the power of your Spirit to be humble people; help us to recognize our own sin, before we recognize the sins of others. We need your mercy. Amen.

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My wife, Karen and I have been attending UALC for 6-7 years and enjoy God's presence in our gatherings. We live in Hilliard; our three adult children live in Central Ohio. I am a retired Chaplain and Pastor, and enjoy writing, walking, jogging, and listening to live music. I appreciate the opportunity to write for the church’s devotionals.