May 7th, 2021
Scripture: Luke 16:15
So he said to them, ‘You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of others; but God knows your hearts; for what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God. (NRSV)
In Jesus’ day, it was thought that a sign of God’s pleasure with an individual was shown in their prosperity. It was shocking to the disciples, the crowds, and probably most especially to the Pharisees that Jesus continually insisted that having many possessions or stored up wealth made it all but impossible to enter into God’s Kingdom.
He uttered sayings comparing the rich getting into the Kingdom with camels going through the eye of a sewing needle. He told a young rich man who had kept the entire law since he was a child, that the only thing he was lacking in order to be in God’s Kingdom was to sell all of his possessions and give the money to the poor and follow him. The disciples exclaimed, “Then who can be saved?”, when Jesus talked about needles and camels, and the rich young man went away sad. (see Matthew 19:16 & ff)
Jesus has always expressed the fact that there is a huge disconnect between what God prioritizes as important and what human beings see as being of greatest value, but never more explicitly than in the text for today. Here Jesus does not use imagery that could be twisted and eased of its power. Jesus plainly says, “for what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God.”
How is it with your soul today? Is there a disconnect between God’s priorities and your own? When God looks into your heart, what does he see? Do your desires line up with what Jesus claims is most important? Is your agenda focused on the things of heaven?
Pray with me:
God of love and God of Kingdom life speak into my heart what is prized by you. Give me the strength and courage to live my life in a way that accomplishes your goals and not my own. Help me to live out my faith in your Son, that I might bring honor and glory to your name in all that I do. AMEN.
So he said to them, ‘You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of others; but God knows your hearts; for what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God. (NRSV)
In Jesus’ day, it was thought that a sign of God’s pleasure with an individual was shown in their prosperity. It was shocking to the disciples, the crowds, and probably most especially to the Pharisees that Jesus continually insisted that having many possessions or stored up wealth made it all but impossible to enter into God’s Kingdom.
He uttered sayings comparing the rich getting into the Kingdom with camels going through the eye of a sewing needle. He told a young rich man who had kept the entire law since he was a child, that the only thing he was lacking in order to be in God’s Kingdom was to sell all of his possessions and give the money to the poor and follow him. The disciples exclaimed, “Then who can be saved?”, when Jesus talked about needles and camels, and the rich young man went away sad. (see Matthew 19:16 & ff)
Jesus has always expressed the fact that there is a huge disconnect between what God prioritizes as important and what human beings see as being of greatest value, but never more explicitly than in the text for today. Here Jesus does not use imagery that could be twisted and eased of its power. Jesus plainly says, “for what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God.”
How is it with your soul today? Is there a disconnect between God’s priorities and your own? When God looks into your heart, what does he see? Do your desires line up with what Jesus claims is most important? Is your agenda focused on the things of heaven?
Pray with me:
God of love and God of Kingdom life speak into my heart what is prized by you. Give me the strength and courage to live my life in a way that accomplishes your goals and not my own. Help me to live out my faith in your Son, that I might bring honor and glory to your name in all that I do. AMEN.
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