Gathering to hear the good news of Jesus and scattering to share it
The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is one of the most searching stories Jesus ever told. In Gospel of Luke 18:9–14, two men go up to the temple to pray. Outwardly they are doing the same thing. In reality, their hearts could not be more different, and the outcome of their prayers could not be more different either.
Continue reading “Are you praying to yourself?”Everyone quits something at some point.
Sometimes it is a hobby or a discipline. Sometimes it is a relationship. But one of the hardest things to keep doing is praying when nothing seems to change.
In Luke 16:19–31, Jesus tells a story that exposes reality. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is not about wealth or poverty, but about whether we hear God who speaks.
Jesus tells the story in a tense moment.
Continue reading “Hearing God before it’s too late”Luke 16:1–15
Jesus’ parable of the shrewd manager is one of His most surprising teachings. In the story, a wealthy master discovers that his manager has been wasting his possessions. The manager knows he will soon lose his position, so he acts quickly. He calls in his master’s debtors and reduces what they owe, hoping they will welcome him when he loses his job.
At first, the story is unsettling. The manager appears dishonest, yet the master commends him.
Continue reading “Faithful Stewards and Eternal Treasure”
In Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables in response to a complaint. The religious leaders grumble because He welcomes sinners and eats with them. Jesus uses pictures of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son to make His point.
The first two parables tell of a God who rejoices when the lost are found. Then Jesus introduces the story we often call the Parable of the Prodigal Son. When we see who Jesus is talking to, we realise that the real focus is not on the younger brother’s recklessness, but the father’s heart, and the older brother’s self-righteous anger.
Continue reading “Joining the Father’s joy-filled feast”
In Gospel of Luke 13, Jesus does something unsettling with tragic news.
Some in the crowd report a horrific event. Galileans have been killed by Pontius Pilate, their blood mingled with their sacrifices. It is brutal. It is disturbing. It travels quickly through the grapevine, as bad news always does. We know how that feels. A taxi accident. A tower collapse. A local tragedy in our own town. Shock. Sadness. Sympathy.
We instinctively look outward. Jesus turns the lens inward.
Continue reading “The mercy of borrowed time”Imagine setting out a lavish picnic while sirens wail and bombs fall overhead. Fine china. Silver cutlery. Champagne poured carefully. It would be absurd — not because food is wrong, but because the context makes the feast foolish.
In Gospel of Luke 12, Jesus tells a story about a man who does something just as irrational.
There are few things more discouraging to a Christian than prayers that seem to go unanswered.
In Luke 11:5–13, Jesus tells an interesting parable. A man goes to his friend in the middle of the night to ask for bread because a traveller has arrived and he wants to show hospitality.
Through this parable, Jesus teaches persistence in prayer. He shows that God sometimes does not answer even legitimate requests from sincere hearts immediately.
Why would that be?
Here is a story that helps us wrestle with that difficult question.
Continue reading “The puzzle of unanswered prayer”A summary of Sunday’s sermon
The parable of the good Samaritan is one of Jesus’ best-known stories, yet its familiarity can blunt its edge. It is not a sentimental lesson about kindness, nor a simple call to help strangers. It is a sharp exposure of the human heart, a challenge to self-righteousness, and a powerful declaration of the love of God that alone makes true love possible.
The scene begins with a lawyer, an expert in the Law of Moses, standing up to test Jesus. His question is weighty: “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Beneath the theology lies a universal longing. We know we are dying, yet we sense we were made for more. We long for life as God intended it to be.
Continue reading “Perfect love, impossible law, unexpected grace”
All our groceries have sell-by-dates or expiry dates.
So much of our thinking comes from our consumerist way of seeing the world. This mindset can creep into our view of people as well. Even if it’s unintentional, we think of people as having a “best-before” date—a date after which people no longer play a useful role in our lives and in the church.
Continue reading “Our “veterans” are indispensable”