Dinner Guests
This morning our men started on Luke 14. We had a good group considering the holidays, and we had a great discussion of how Jesus healed the man with dropsy on the Sabbath and the two parables that follow.
Jesus gave specific instructions about who not to invite to a dinner or luncheon. I warn you now, it is pretty radical. He said not to invite our friends, our brothers, our relatives, or our rich neighbors. They would just pay us back by having us over to eat with them sometime. Instead, Jesus instructs us to invite those who can't repay us, the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Of course, this is the opposite of how we usually think and what we usually do, isn't it? However, Jesus was making an important point.
In His way of thinking we are to reach out to help those who are unable to help themselves and unable to conribute anything to us. Then, He will bless us Himself. Isn't that what Jesus did by coming down to earth? He came to save us, but we could not save ourselves, or help Him in any way. He is simply asking us to show the same type of love and compassion that He showed us. Then, other people will know He is real, and His love is real. I believe we could reach our world for Christ, if all Christians would adopt this way of living.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Revelation 12-14.
Jesus gave specific instructions about who not to invite to a dinner or luncheon. I warn you now, it is pretty radical. He said not to invite our friends, our brothers, our relatives, or our rich neighbors. They would just pay us back by having us over to eat with them sometime. Instead, Jesus instructs us to invite those who can't repay us, the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Of course, this is the opposite of how we usually think and what we usually do, isn't it? However, Jesus was making an important point.
In His way of thinking we are to reach out to help those who are unable to help themselves and unable to conribute anything to us. Then, He will bless us Himself. Isn't that what Jesus did by coming down to earth? He came to save us, but we could not save ourselves, or help Him in any way. He is simply asking us to show the same type of love and compassion that He showed us. Then, other people will know He is real, and His love is real. I believe we could reach our world for Christ, if all Christians would adopt this way of living.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Revelation 12-14.