Random

In Luke's account of Jesus today, there are some unusual and noteworthy data.

First, Jesus talked about two different instances where people died. The people of the first group were murdered and those of the second group were victims of an accident. Jesus asked His listeners if these dead people had been worse offenders of God than everyone else (it would seem this may have been the widespread belief). He went on to answer His own question with the reply, "No, they were not worse sinners." Jesus more than suggested then that everyone, according to their lives, deserves the same fate. No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too. [Luke 13.5]

Is Jesus indicating then that those who repent will have nothing bad happen to them?

Next, Jesus told the story of the guy and his fig tree. Who is the man? Who is the gardener? What does the fig tree represent? (Perhaps the man is God. Perhaps the gardener is Jesus. And perhaps the fig tree is us and the figs are the fruit we [are to] bear. Hmmm.)

The subject matter of Luke's Gospel then changes again as he records the events of a particular Sabbath day when Jesus healed a crippled woman through no faith of her own. Note: Jesus called this woman to Him - she did not come asking. The outcome was the same however - she was healed and she praised God. Likewise the response of the religious leadership is predictable in scolding Jesus for "working" on the Sabbath. Dummy.

However, it is the last little subject of today's NT reading in Luke (a question) that caught my greatest attention, "What is the kingdom of God like?" A tiny mustard seed. This gives me great hope that the least of our efforts has great potential in God's sight. A kind word, a simple prayer, a gentle reference... all in Jesus' name have the potential to grow from a tiny seed (barely even detectable) to an overwhelmingly obvious presence in the lives of others.

Likewise there is great hope for the work of God in our own lives -albeit nearly undetectable - that God could do great things.

Father, let it be that Your Word would be that tiny seed in my life. Let it be that Your Word is that tiny seed that I share with others. Let it be that that tiny seed grows into an undeniably obvious "large thing" in my life!