Scripture
“To love him with all your heart, with al your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Observation
A teacher of the Law hears Jesus debating with various religious leaders. He asks Jesus which commandment is the most important.

Jesus replies that there are two: to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself.

The teacher recognises that this is a good answer- to love God and neighbour is more important than all sacrifices. Jesus sees his heart and tells him he is not far from God’s kingdom.

Application
A teacher of the Law comes to Jesus to ask questions, but unlike other leaders, he is not looking to trick Jesus or to justify himself- he just wants to please God the best way he can.

There is a profound difference in heart attitudes between those looking for religious knowledge or brownie points to assuage feelings of guilt, and those who genuinely love the Lord and desire to please Him.

This is the fundamental key to walking in the ways of God.

Prayer
Lord you have shown us that love for you and love for people are at the heart of your kingdom. Help me to walk in the way of love today. Amen.

Scripture
“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Observation
Jesus an His disciples pass through Jericho on their way to Jerusalem. On the outskirts of the town, a blind man named Bartimaeus is sitting begging. When he hears that Jesus is passing by, he calls out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

The crowds try to hush Bartimaeus, but Jesus stops and calls him over. Jesus asks him what he wants. “I want to see” is the reply. Jesus tells Bartimaeus that his faith has healed him. Bartimaeus receives his sight and follows Jesus.

Application
We instinctively feel that god’s grace is in short supply and must be rationed out. The crowd thinks Jesus doesn’t have time, power or the desire to heal a mere beggar. We often put restrictions on grace in the same way, expecting that only certain people will be healed (and then only by the mighty anointed man of God) or that salvation is only available to some classes of people.

The grace of Jesus is bigger than our puny limitations. Jesus heals believers and atheists, thieves and kings.

Bartimaeus had faith in Jesus. Jesus had ample grace for this man’s needs. With Him there is always enough.

Jesus said, “Your faith has healed you,” but here the verb also means “saved.” Bartimaeus was healed by Jesus and also saved by Him, and he went on to follow Jesus along the road.

Saving faith, healing faith. Both require a trust in the power and the goodness of God.

Prayer
Lord you are the God who saves and the God who heals. May every part of my life be transformed by your touch. Amen.

Scripture

“Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.”

Observation

James and John come to Jesus and ask if they can sit on either side of Him- that is have the places of power- when Jesus comes into His glory. Jesus responds that there is a cup to drink and a baptism to receive. But it is not up to Him to grant this request.

The other apostles are indignant at James and John. Jesus tells them that to rule over the others they must become a slave of all. Jesus Himself did not come to rule but to serve and lay down His life.

Application

For many people, it is natural to seek promotion. We are told from an early age that we need to put ourselves forward.

Jesus’ kingdom is different from the world. For Jesus, influence and promotion come through serving others, not through self-centred methods.

Actually this is the way it works, even in the world. Career advancement comes through serving the needs of the employer. Even political leadership rests ultimately in serving the needs of the voters.

Serving others does not come naturally to most people, even christians. We must learn to look to what the Holy Spirit is asking us to do, regardless of the inconvenience, and to the needs of the people around us.

Prayer

Lord help me to absorb the truth that the way up is down, the way to influence is service. Please show me today who I am to serve and what tasks I need to do. Amen.

Scripture
“It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for someone rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Observation
A rich man comes to Jesus to ask Him what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus tells him he must sell all he owns to give to the poor and then come and follow Jesus.

The man goes away grieving because he has many possessions. Jesus tells the disciples that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter God’s kingdom.

Jesus tells them that anyone who leaves all he has to follow Him will receive much more- including persecution- and will obtain eternal life.

Application
Following Jesus means a daily choice between God’s kingdom and our own kingdom. We have a plethora of idols, but for most of us the greatest of these is what we own.

Our possessions, including money, give us security, identity and status. Jesus requires us to find these things in Him alone.

Faith means that I choose to find myself in Christ not in the things that I see, own and control.

For many people that is a choice that is too hard.

Prayer
Thank you Lord Jesus that in you I have everything that is important. Help me to stand firm against the false promises made by material possessions. Amen.

Scripture
“Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.”

Observation
John tells Jesus that they saw someone who was not of their group casting out demons in Jesus’ name. Jesus tells them that anyone doing a deed of power in His name will not be able to then speak evil about Him.

Jesus goes on to tell the disciples that they must not cause a “little one” to stumble in their faith. It is better to cut off parts of our body that cause us to sin than to be whole and cast into hell.

Everyone will be salted with fire. Jesus’ followers must allow the salt of the Holy Spirit to be always present.

Application
Jesus is very liberal in His grace- far more so than we are. He doesn’t require us to be on His team to minister His power. Sometimes we hear of evangelists who aren’t themselves born again yet they effectively preach the gospel. People who aren’t believers find themselves praying for healing for others, and God responds.

God delights for His grace to be manifest in the world so that as many as possible can be saved.

This does not mean that judgement will not come. Everyone will be salted with fire, and it is better to enter life maimed than to be whole in hell.

The eternal question is not “What did you do for Christ?” but “Is Christ in your heart?”

Prayer
Lord you are good in all of your ways. Thank you for setting me free from sin in the death of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture
“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

Observation
Jesus and His disciples walk through Galilee. Jesus teaches them along the way. He tells them He will be betrayed and killed but will rise in three days. They do not understand this.

In Capernaum Jesus asks the disciples what they were arguing about on the road. They don’t want to tell Him because the argument was about who was the greatest. Jesus tells them that to be first they must be servants of all. He tells them whoever welcomes a little child welcomes both Him and the Father.

Application
Everyone wants to be the greatest, most important, best… The church is not exempt from this. It is called pride or the need for significance.

Our real significance comes not from our own importance but from the fact that Jesus counts us worth dying for. When we really understand in our hearts that our Father loves us so much, then all unhealthy forms of pride just melt away.

We have to see this in the way we treat other people. If you want to meet Jesus and the Father then show hospitality to the least important people- children, people with disabilities, refugees, the uneducated. They are the people who in some way carry the presence of Jesus. When we serve them we serve Jesus.

Prayer
Lord Jesus you came to serve, not to be served. Please help me to have the same ambition. Amen