Note: The devotionals for Feb. 2-6 are based on the Parable of the Good Samaritan; read the entire parable today.
Lk. 10:30-6 (ESV): Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. [31] Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. [32] So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. [33] But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. [34] He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. [35] And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ [36] Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”
Devotional Thoughts for Today
Lk. 10:25 (NIV): “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,” he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’”
Matt. 11:28 (NASB): “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”
While some teenagers may come to church to meet cute boys or girls, and some grownups for business opportunities, this lawyer came to Jesus for an entirely different reason. Here, the lawyer came “to test” Jesus, which the Greek word ekpeirazō is used; but the same Greek word is used when Jesus tells the devil, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matt. 4:7 KJV). While testing measures a student’s progress, tempting is to seek his downfall; this lawyer “tempted Jesus” (KJV). He probably belonged to a group of “Pharisees and Herodians” who tried “to catch [Jesus] in his words” (Mk. 12:13) to accuse him.
So, is there any unacceptable motive for going to church or reading the Bible? Absolutely none. Simon Greenleaf, Professor of Law at Harvard in the middle of 19th century, believed the resurrection of Christ to be a hoax. Ironically, after setting out to expose its “myth,” his research led to the exact opposite conclusion. Greenleaf, then, wrote a book, Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evangelists by the Rules of Evidence Administered in the Courts of Justice, in which he said, “It was impossible that they could have persisted in affirming the truths they have narrated, had not Jesus actually risen from the dead.”
The first film to win 11 Oscars is “Ben-Hur,” based on the bestselling novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, by Lew Wallace in 1880. He began that project with “no convictions about God or Christ”; writing was only an outlet for his creativity. But, an unexpected thing happened. Wallace said, “I need to do the research; I need to learn the Bible. . . . Long before I was through with my book, I became a believer in God and Christ.”
This lawyer in the parable came with the worst motive possible, but Christ would soon place him where he would be a step away from salvation. So, what is keeping you from going to church or reading the Bible? For whatever reason, go to church and read the Bible; and if you’re intellectually honest, you will find that Christ makes sense—you will find rest in him.
Prayer
No motive is hidden before you, Lord; for You know what is in a man. Regardless, You do not reject any person for coming to you, even one with the worst motive, like Judas and like this lawyer. Your love is so unfathomable; so unlike anything this world has to offer. I love and worship You! Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 37
Lunch Break Study
Read Is. 55:1-3 (ESV): “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. [2] Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.[3] Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live . . .”
Jn. 6:35 (ESV): “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’”
Question to Consider
- What is the irony of this contrast? Give an example of what some people “buy” to be happy.
- Is God talking about a balanced diet of meat and vegetables, or is it something else?
- How is your spiritual diet? Are you eating healthy spiritually? What is lacking in your present eating habit?
Notes
- People don’t take advantage of the free things which are so good for them; rather, they pay for things of the world which are harmful for them. A good example is plastic surgery: it may improve the outside but without the change inside, nothing really changes.
- Bread refers to Jesus as well as the Word of God. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matt. 4:4). Without eating for a long time, people die of hunger; without consuming spiritual food for a long, people die spiritually being alienated from God, others, and even self.
- Some people fill their spiritual diet with Christian music or books; those are good fillers but not the main staple—a biblical spiritual diet, consisting of a solid understanding of God’s Word (to be applied immediately) and a consistent prayer life that has depth and length.
Evening Reflection
Did anything you did today make you feel distant from God? Did you entertain some wrong motives in what you did or say? We learned today that nothing should keep us from coming to Him. Come to the Lord right now; buy from Him that which we can never buy from app stores or Amazon.
There was a girl I knew very well when growing up. Though she was not a believer, she was curious about what we believed and sometimes attended my local youth group. However, during a one-on-one conversation, a member of my church told her without further explanation, “You are going to hell!” Deeply offended, she stopped speaking to us and stopped showing any interest in coming out again. Nobody knew how to explain the Gospel with great sensitivity, and though we tried to mend some bridges and attempted to explain more fully each person’s true need for Christ, it seemed too much damage had been done.
In this recounting, Jesus drives demons out of two demon-possessed men who had been living among the tombs. Either by the demons’ choice or their own, these men were isolated from society due to their condition. Upon meeting them, Jesus frees them by sending the demons into a nearby herd of pigs (which promptly drowns), much to the shock of those tending the pigs.
Lk. 7:37-50 (ESV): And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, [38] and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. [39] Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” [40] And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” [41] “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. [42] When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” [43] Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” [44] Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. [45] You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. [46] You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. [47] Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” [48] And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” [49] Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” [50] And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
For a long time, the judge shows zero interest in addressing the widow’s grievance; her lack of stature only adds to his indifference. But the judge’s mind wavers as she keeps shouting and even banging on the door; he is clearly overwhelmed by it. As the days turn into weeks, the judge, out of sheer exhaustion, relents; she gets what she came for: justice.
Read Lk. 2:46-55 (NIV): “And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord [47] and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, [48] for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, [49] for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. [50] His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. [51] He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. [52] He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. [53] He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. [54] He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful [55] to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.’”
“How much?” asks the merchant, to which the owner responds, “It’ll cost you everything you have.” Although the buyer offers all his cash and property, the seller demands even more. Upon being told, “I’ve nothing else except my wife and children,” the owner says, “They become mine too.” Though the merchant is troubled by what this is costing him, he reluctantly gives them up, but the seller isn’t done, saying, “There is one more thing I want.” Feeling indignant, the buyer shouts, “I don’t have anything else!” But the seller retorts, “You become mine, too.” Does the merchant want the pearl that desperately? He must have, since the phrase “sold everything he had” could extend to selling himself as a slave, especially in the antiquity when this was practiced (Gn. 44:16). But as the pearl is being handed over to the buyer, the seller says, “You can take back everything—cash, property, you and your family –I’m lending them to you; when I need it, I’ll take it back.”
This parable tells us not to “offer sacrifice to the LORD . . . that cost [us] nothing” (2 Sam. 24:24). Since everything we own belongs to Christ who paid for them with His life, when He calls for them, whether it be our availability, money, career, kids or spouse, we “give . . . to God what is God’s” (Matt. 22:21). What is He asking you for right now?
A famous author on leadership (a former pastor) was impressed by how Enron got so huge, very fast (“A decade later . . . the revenues were $101 billion . . . its assets . . . $53 billion”). No one knew then that the heads of this energy company hid, using deceptive accounting methods, enormous debts from bad deals. The oversight made by this author is the kind that some pastors and businessmen make: being mesmerized by anything that grows very fast, and then copying what appear to be impressive methods.
A while back, I met a Vietnamese pastor who suffered for 3 years in prison for his faith. But his church, instead of dwindling during his absence, grew; and some 30 years later, it had 423,213 members in 2,388 churches. In China, after the communists drove out all western missionaries following the Cultural Revolution in 1949, many in the West worried that the church would die out under communist persecution; instead, it flourished throughout China: from 840,000 to 100 million believers by 2007.
During my morning jog in Villahermosa, Mexico, I slowed down to share the gospel with a young man coming my way. After a few minutes into the conversation, he said he’ll return to his former church—“Kingdom Hall.” Then I realized that he was a backslidden Jehovah’s Witness, but knew very little of its teaching (See Lunch Break Study 1/23). So, I was in an awkward position of having to inform him of their beliefs, and then to refute them afterwards.
It seems that many who “love” theology (e.g., “I’m a 5-point Calvinist”) lack love, while others who promote love find doctrine not as essential; yet instead of an “either/or” attitude, we should be balanced and have both doctrine and love: “Speak[] the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15). So, in love, I shared with the young Mexican some guidelines to find a church that preaches the true gospel.
The Samaritan woman mentioned in the verses above has often been described as one of Jesus’ first evangelists. After meeting Jesus, she enthusiastically praised Him and shared about His impact in her life with others; and as a result, many became believers. As people who have encountered Jesus in our lives, we too should praise Him and share about His life-changing effect with others. No doubt we may face barriers, but keep in mind that the Samaritan woman had her own obstacles as well. Her inferior status as a woman in Middle Eastern society and her reputation as an adulterer did not prevent her from sharing about Jesus in wise ways (i.e. using a rhetorical question instead of the declaration “He is the Messiah”, which others might have scoffed at or ignored).
Indeed, one of the many beautiful things about the Gospel is that it is profound enough to study for one’s lifetime but simple enough for a child to understand. And this fact is important as in this passage, Jesus instructs His disciples to become like little children, lest they find themselves outside the kingdom of heaven. When we think of children, many character traits might come to mind (especially for parents or babysitters!) but one appropriate trait is this: vulnerability. Children are vulnerable because they are weaker (physically, spiritually, mentally, etc.) than they will be in the future. They are vulnerable because most of them are dependent on their parents for their sustenance and survival. And they are vulnerable because of their innocent faith; rarely do children refrain from trusting others, even those whom they have just met.