Today’s scripture: Luke 11:29-36 (NRSV) (KJV) (The Message) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Ben Lamb):
One Christmas morning in my childhood, I had opened up all of my presents that were under the tree. In retrospect, I have to admit there really were quite a few gifts that year. Yet after the last one was sitting unwrapped in plain view, and before I’d even played with the first toy or tried on any of the clothes, I let out a disappointed sigh of, “Is that all there is?”
It’s taken me years to be embarrassed about the comment, but now I’m glad I am. Is that a “Eureka!” moment for a bit of spiritual growth? I sure hope so. But, moving on…
I’m seeing a similar sort of scenario playing out with this crowd. It isn’t everybody who gets treated to the Son of God speaking to them face-to-face and performing miracles, imparting words of eternal wisdom, and transforming ancient law into spirit-filled guidelines.
Yet, that isn’t enough for the crowd. They want more. They ask “for a miraculous sign.” When are they going to be satisfied?!
Ouch! I just stepped on my own toes. I’ve sometimes wanted God to present me with a celestial marquee of stars stating, “Ben, here’s what I want you to do with the rest of your life…” arranged in a tidy PowerPoint presentation with convenient bullet points for every month. Thanks for your patience, Holy Spirit, in guiding me. I’ve surely exasperated you sometimes.
I believe Jesus must have had confidence that the people to whom he was speaking (or perhaps others later to come) would eventually grasp what his ministry was about, and would need to understand the importance of sharing it with others. His parable about the light is another great one.
Jesus was an expert at using a down-to-earth every-day tangible slice-of-life to exemplify a spiritual truth; yet the example works today, too. Sure, a light source doesn’t do much good if it’s stashed away where nobody can see it. BTW: Jesus is aka “Light of the World” (John 8:12). What better gift to give to someone than the good news of Jesus?
Thought for the day: “Being Jesus” is a gift you can give to others at any time of the year.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.