Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
TO PONDER:
It was one of the most bizarre weddings we had ever been to. It was a small affair...an older couple for whom it was the second marriage for both. Everything about the wedding was strange. We waited inside the old stone church for 40 minutes on a 40 degree day with no air conditioning after the bride's car had shown up. The photographer (an artiste - as he called himself) was trying to get the perfect shot. The couple's family sat at the back of the Church, and one of them sniggered right through the service. Then at the reception, the tables were set up in an horseshoe arrangement around the bridal table, and the dirty looks and snide remarks that crossed from side to side between the adult kids of this couple made the occasion a very long and uncomfortable day. This parable in Matthew 22:1-14 is equally bizarre, full of contradictions and inconsistencies that are hard to get our head around. It is about grace, and God's unexpected and surprising invitation to ordinary people on the street that shows us how God's kingdom banquet is extended to and embraced by those once considered outsiders. And just by showing up, they get to enjoy the incredible party. But then there is another twist.
One guest off the street, who does show up, is thrown out for not wearing the right clothes. Bizarre. But maybe, Jesus is saying to us...it's not just about showing up. When you come to God's party, where the kingdom music is playing, you can't just stay seated. You can't just sit in the corner, and fail to party. It's about getting up and moving to the dance floor, and being part of the whole experience of grace. God has put on this spread, this party for all people...so get into the spirit of what God has prepared and party. Those who show up but just sit in the corner, refusing to get up on the dance floor and enjoy themselves are no better than those who refuse to even come to the party in the first place. So I wonder...as people who have received the gift of salvation, how can you party today and immerse yourself fully in the experience of God's grace? How will that change the way you go about today? What party moves will you break out that bring delight to God and others?
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thanks for inviting me to your wedding feast. Help me today to be dressed in grace, and to party with you as I fully enjoy the blessings that you have prepared for me, and the people on the dance floor along with me. Amen.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”
PONDER THIS:
Hometown Advantage. We saw it again last night with Ash Barty's great win in the Australian Open. Familiar surroundings, Patriotic crowd. The cheers that went up when she won a point sounded so much louder than the 14,000 people that were there. In some sports, you definitely see the ability of the crowd to influence an umpire's call. But crowds can be fickle too. On the one hand, they can be quick to join the bandwagon when things are good, willing to get on board when there is a self-benefit but say something that the crowd don't agree with, say something that challenges the status quo, and the adoring crowd can turn in an instant. That's what is happening in these verses today, from Luke 4:14-30. Jesus begins his ministry with a hometown advantage, among people who know him, who have watched him grow up. Luke tells us that "all spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words coming from his mouth" Luke 4:22. But how quickly things turned. They liked what Jesus said, until they didn't, until they realised that there was no hometown privilege or advantage. Jesus' came to proclaim Good News to the poor. His presence is always good news that transforms the life of all who are willing to acknowledge their poverty in life without him. His Word confronts us at the deepest part of our lives to bring freedom and release and open up new possibilities. But I wonder...do we also like what Jesus says, until we don't? Until it challenges our status quo, our comfort, our lifestyle? Our perceived privilege? Does our familiarity with Jesus over the years (we've known him for years) actually stop us hearing his Word as Good News in our life, in our situation? Is Jesus today, calling you as his anointed one in baptism, to get up and go from where you are comfortable, to proclaim his Good News to people around you who need to know that the Lord's favour is on them...that Jesus is for them? I wonder...are you part of the cheering crowd or the jeering crowd today? Take some time to ponder these questions honestly today. For today, in Jesus, Scripture is fulfilled for you.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, open my heart to acknowledge my poverty and my need for your good news in my life today. May your Word to me be fulfilled, bringing the freedom and openness to truly live in your presence today. Amen.
Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
TO PONDER
Does 'why' sometimes matter more than 'what'?
Today’s verses address our ‘why’, our reasons behind our ‘what’, our motives behind our doing.
Sometimes doing good can have the wrong intentions. Are we doing good for what we can gain, maybe for the reward at the end of the deed? You’ll notice Paul doesn’t tell us to stop sowing but to examine the motives behind our sowing. We are always sowing, every day, everything we do plants seeds and will eventually culminate in a crop, a reaping and our motives do dictate whether we will reap a good or a bad crop.
Believe it or not, this is a great lesson in ‘grace’. See grace is not against doing good, it’s not against works but rather grace empowers us ‘to do good works’ (Eph 2:10). Grace is against earning not against doing.
Today’s reading ends by encouraging us not to become wearing in doing good, our good works will reap a harvest.
PRAYER
Loving God, I pray that I won’t grow weary in doing good and thank you for the harvest that will result from doing those good works you prepared in advance for me. Amen.
Today's devotion provided by Danny Brock, LifeWay Westside Church Planter.
David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”
TO PONDER
When was the last time you heard that statement, “You are not able!”? Whether it was from someone else or more likely yourself, you have probably heard that said to you and the thing is it was probably true, just as it was for David in today’s verses.
David was too young, he wasn’t a trained warrior, he smelt like sheep, he wasn’t dressed for battle, he was only there to deliver sandwiches to his brothers. In reality he was probably the least qualified person to go to battle with Goliath. Saul on the other hand was described as being ‘head and shoulders’ taller than everyone else, he was a seasoned warrior, trained in war, dressed for battle but he was frozen in fear like the other Israelites.
If you read the whole account the difference between David and King Saul becomes evident. Saul had the attitude of I can’t when he was offering rewards to someone else to do what he should have done himself, Saul found excuses why Goliath couldn’t be beaten, Saul’s trust was in human strength. David on the other hand responded to the challenge with I will when nobody else would, David found reasons why he should go, David trusted in God.
Just because you probably can’t doesn’t mean you shouldn’t when you have God on your side. Just like David, God prepares us for what he has called us to do.
Its got less to do with what we can’t do and more to do with what God can do!
PRAYER
Almighty Father, I pray that today you would strengthen me to step out in faith and respond with “I will” when I see where you are challenging me to go. Amen.
Today's devotion provided by Danny Brock, LifeWay Westside Church Planter
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
TO PONDER
What are your wildest dreams for the future?
This is one of my favourite verses from the Bible, I recommend you read it from the Amplified translation to read the words like ‘superabundantly more’, ‘infinitely beyond’, words that make me realize I often underestimate the immenseness of God and the amazing ways He is able to move in and through us. I instead tend to focus on words like; ‘I can’t’, ‘that’s impossible’, ‘not enough’, and ‘who am I?’ so I dream smaller, I imagine less, and I trust in myself.
The important part of today’s reading is ‘HIM WHO IS ABLE’, instead of where our dreams usually reside ‘I can’t because…’, both statements are equally true! The difference is where our trust is focused, whether in ourselves with limited capacity or in God with infinite capacity. And that’s exactly what today’s reading is saying, In Christ our emptiness becomes overflowing capacity, according to his power that is at work within us.
With Jesus our expectations can be larger, our hopes can grow, when our dreams become His dreams and our capacity becomes overflowing.
PRAYER
Loving God, I thank you that you are able to do immeasurably more than I expect in and through me when I hand my dreams over to you and allow your power to work. Amen.
Today's devotion provided by Danny Brock, LifeWay Westside Church Planter
“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”
TO PONDER
‘Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry’ that’s the dream, to be blessed so much that I can take it easy, relaxing in the fruit of all my hard labour is my reward after all, right?
Today’s reading is from a parable Jesus told about a rich man that has been titled ‘The Parable of the Rich Fool’ in the NIV translation where Jesus is addressing a question shouted from the crowd on rights and possessions/money. Jesus tells the story of a rich man who was the receiver of a rich harvest in which he planned to relax in the wealth from his good fortune. After all it was a result of his hard work and he had every right to benefit from it, right?
I really like the way the Message translates the way Jesus closed out the parable after the unanticipated death of the rich man; “That’s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God.”
The Bible is clear from Genesis to Revelation that God blesses His people so they can be a blessing to others, not so they can relax in the fruit of ‘THEIR’ labour. In the same chapter Jesus challenges us with this statement; “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Where do we put our trust?
PRAYER
Loving God, I thank you for all of your ongoing blessings towards me I ask you to continue to challenge me daily to remember I have been blessed to be a blessing to others. Amen.
Today's devotion provided by Danny Brock, LifeWay Westside Church Planter
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
TO PONDER
It still amazes me when I think about statements like the one from today’s reading because of who God is and who I am. Throughout the Bible the question has been asked and explored by many of its authors from King David to the Apostle Paul, they ask questions like ‘what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?’.
In Ephesians 1:3-6 we are told that even before time existed God chose us to be family, He chose us to be family since forever. We were on His mind before God even created time, before anything He had planned to lavish that great love on us.
I am tempted to stop here, to leave room for that truth to sink in, the truth that God calls us His children, His family. If we could grasp that truth even a little, I honestly believe we would be transformed, our everyday would be empowered by that amazing, all encompassing grace. He chose us to be family since forevever, He chose to lavish His great love on us since before time.
What does that mean for your today?
PRAYER
Almighty Father, I am amazed and awestruck by your love that you lavish on me a sinner and thank you that you have adopted me into your family, with the full rights of an heir. I pray that I will allow your grace to empower me to live a life marked and displaying that love. Amen.
Today's devotion provided by Danny Brock, LifeWay Westside Church Planter
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
TO PONDER
For some of us the illustration used in today’s reading may trigger memories of family dinners, work parties, or for the introverts among us any social gathering but it is about so much more than sitting down at a table with people who annoy us…
Psalm 23 is a favourite for a lot of people and perhaps even one of the most well-known passages in the Bible.
The images and poetry used paint a picture of comfort, peace and tranquillity for us usually right up to the point of one who actually has to walk through ‘the valley of the shadow of death’. The tranquillity and comfort can be lost quickly, our joy stripped away when we find ourselves surrounded by our enemies.
The Psalmist had faced the valleys, had stumbled, had fallen, he had been surrounded by countless enemies, had fled for his very life but as he contemplates all of these experiences and those to come he can say ‘my cup overflows’.
Just like King David had learned that God moved even during the times of plenty and the times of want we too need to trust that ‘In Christ emptiness becomes overflowing capacity.’
PRAYER
Almighty God, I thank you that you are always my good shepherd, you anoint my head with your oil of comfort and regardless of whatever I face my cup does overflow because you are faithful and true. Amen.
Today's devotion provided by Danny Brock, LifeWay Westside Church Planter
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”.
TO PONDER
Have you ever been told to do something that you instantly questioned ‘WHY?’, maybe even read something in the Bible and instantly questioned its validity? Maybe you thought it was a waste of time, or maybe that it was just a bad idea, or even that it was just crazy?
Today’s reading was one of those moments. We don’t know what if anything the servants knew about Jesus, we do know that they had never witnessed Jesus performing a miracle, so we can only imagine what was going through their heads when Jesus told them to fill up the ceremonial purification jars, to the brim, with plain everyday water and then told them to scoop some of that plain everyday water out to take to the master of ceremony.
Now most of us reading this would already know what was about to happen, that the plain everyday water was about to become really good wine but these servants were caught in the in-between time of a God story. See, Jesus had given the servants commands without explanations, a plan without clarification. It seems as if Jesus didn’t even publicly pray over the plain everyday water asking the Father to turn it into wine. The servants were caught in the in-between time of a move of God, stuck in the unknown, between a command and the witnessing of the fulfilment of God’s plan.
Maybe some of us find ourselves in the in-between time of what will become a God story, we are asking God ‘WHY?’, we are unsure about what is happening, we can’t see the fulfilment of God’s plan but it's at these times we should follow the example of the servants and in the midst of the in-between we should just obey what Jesus has told us to do until we see that we were participants in a move of God.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, I pray that even in the in-between times of life I will continue to follow you and trust in your goodness. Amen.
Today's devotion provided by Danny Brock, LifeWay Westside Church Planter