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Sunday 7-27
Jesus teaches his disciples about prayer
You men who are fathers—if your boy asks for bread, do you give him a stone? If he asks for fish, do you give him a snake? If he asks for an egg, do you give him a scorpion? Of course not!
“And if even sinful persons like yourselves give children what they need, don’t you realize that your heavenly Father will do at least as much, and give the Holy Spirit to those who ask for him?”
God is the perfect Father. Although some people’s fathers may not have been very good examples, God can be depended on to always do what is best for his children.
God’s Gift
Even though good fathers make mistakes, they treat their children well. How much better our perfect heavenly Father treats his children! The most important gift he could ever give us is the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4), whom he promised to give all believers after his death, resurrection, and return to heaven (John 15:26). At Pentecost (Acts 2:4), the Holy Spirit was made available to all who believe in Jesus. We receive the Holy Spirit when we receive Jesus Christ. Pray with an attitude of positive expectancy. Your heavenly Father wants the very best for you.
Monday 7-21
The seventy messengers return
Then he was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the intellectuals and worldly wise and for revealing them to those who are as trusting as little children. Yes, thank you, Father, for that is the way you wanted it. I am the Agent of my Father in everything; and no one really knows the Son except the Father, and no one really knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Then, turning to the twelve disciples, he said quietly, “How privileged you are to see what you have seen. Many a prophet and king of old has longed for these days, to see and hear what you have seen and heard!”
Old Testament men of God such as David and the prophet Isaiah made many God-inspired predictions that Jesus fulfilled. As Peter later wrote, these prophets wondered what their words meant and when they would be fulfilled (1 Peter 1:10-13). In Jesus’ words, they wanted “to see and hear what you have seen and heard”—the coming of God’s Kingdom.
Equally Available
Jesus thanked God that spiritual truth was for everyone, and not just for the elite. Many of life’s rewards seem to go to the intelligent, the rich, the good-looking, or the powerful, but the Kingdom of God is equally available to all, regardless of position or abilities. We come to Jesus not through strength or brains, but through childlike trust. Jesus is not opposed to engaging in scholarly pursuits; he is opposed to spiritual pride (being wise in one’s own eyes). Christ’s mission was to reveal God the Father to people. His words brought difficult ideas down to earth. He explained God’s love through parables, teachings, and, most of all, his life. By examining Jesus’ actions, principles, and attitudes, we can understand God more clearly. Join Jesus in thanking God that we all have equal access to him. Trust in God’s grace, not in your personal qualifications, for your citizenship in the Kingdom.
Tuesday 7-22
Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan
One day an expert on Moses’ laws came to test Jesus’ orthodoxy by asking him this question: “Teacher, what does a man need to do to live forever in heaven?”
Jesus replied, “What does Moses’ law say about it?”
“It says,” he replied, “that you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind. And you must love your neighbor just as much as you love yourself.”
This lawyer was quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. He correctly understood that the Law demanded total devotion to God and love for one’s neighbor.
Not so Different
Jesus would answer the lawyer’s question by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan. There was deep hatred between Jews and Samaritans. The Jews saw themselves as pure descendants of Abraham, while the Samaritans were a mixed race produced when Jews from the Northern Kingdom intermarried with other peoples after Israel’s exile. To this lawyer, the person least likely to act correctly would be the Samaritan. In fact, he could not bear to say “Samaritan” in answer to Jesus’ question. The lawyer’s attitude betrayed his lack of the very thing that he had earlier said the Law commanded—love. In our churches today, it’s our natural inclination to feel uncomfortable around people who are different from us and to gravitate toward those who are similar to us. But when we allow our differences to separate us from our fellow believers, we are disregarding clear biblical teaching. Make a point to seek out and appreciate people who are not just like you and your friends. You may find that you have a lot in common with them.
Wednesday 7-23
Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan
“Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you shall live!”
The man wanted to justify his lack of love for some kinds of people, so he asked, “Which neighbors?”
Jesus replied with an illustration: “A Jew going on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes and money, and beat him up and left him lying half dead beside the road.
“By chance a Jewish priest came along; and when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Jewish Temple-assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but then went on.
“But a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw him, he felt deep pity. Kneeling beside him the Samaritan soothed his wounds with medicine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his donkey and walked along beside him till they came to an inn, where he nursed him through the night. The next day he handed the innkeeper two twenty-dollar bills and told him to take care of the man. ‘If his bill runs higher than that,’ he said, ‘I’ll pay the difference the next time I am here.’
“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the bandits’ victim?”
The man replied, “The one who showed him some pity.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
That Jesus would use an example of the road between Jerusalem and Jericho for the man to be attacked would have rung true to his audience. The road was rocky, surrounded with crags to hide bandits, and had a reputation for being dangerous to lone travelers.
Good Neighbor
The lawyer treated the wounded man as a topic for discussion; the thieves, as an object to exploit; the priest, as a problem to avoid; and the Levite, as an object of curiosity. Only the Samaritan treated him as a person to love. From the parable we learn three principles about loving our neighbor: (1) Lack of love is often easy to justify, even though it is never right; (2) our neighbor is anyone of any race, creed, or social background who is in need; and (3) love means acting to meet the person’s need. Wherever you live, there are needy people close by. There is no good reason for refusing to help.
Thursday 7-24
Jesus visits Mary and Martha
As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem they came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home. Her sister Mary sat on the floor, listening to Jesus as he talked.
But Martha was the jittery type and was worrying over the big dinner she was preparing.
She came to Jesus and said, “Sir, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
But the Lord said to her, “Martha, dear friend, you are so upset over all these details! There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it—and I won’t take it away from her!”
Jesus, after returning to Jerusalem for the Tabernacle Ceremonies (John 7:2), visited his friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, who lived in the tiny village of Bethany, just outside Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives.
Serving Whom?
Mary and Martha both loved Jesus. On this occasion they were both serving him. But Martha thought Mary’s style of serving was inferior to hers. She didn’t realize that in her desire to serve, she was actually neglecting her guest. Jesus did not blame Martha for being concerned about household chores. He was only asking her to set priorities. It is possible for service to Christ to degenerate into mere busywork that is no longer full of devotion to God. Are you so busy doing things for Jesus that you’re not spending any time with him? Don’t let your service become self-serving.
Friday 7-25
Jesus teaches his disciples about prayer
Once when Jesus had been out praying, one of his disciples came to him as he finished and said, “Lord, teach us a prayer to recite just as John taught one to his disciples.”
And this is the prayer he taught them: “Father, may your name be honored for its holiness; send your Kingdom soon. Give us our food day by day. And forgive our sins—for we have forgiven those who sinned against us. And don’t allow us to be tempted.”
God’s provision is daily, not all at once. We cannot store it up and then cut off communication with God. And we dare not be self-satisfied. If you are running low on strength, consider how long you have been away from the Source.
Praising, Forgiving
Notice the order in this prayer. First Jesus praised God; then he made his requests. Praising God first puts us in the right frame of mind to tell him about our needs. Too often our prayers are more like shopping lists than conversations. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he made forgiveness the cornerstone of their relationship with God. God has forgiven our sins; we must now forgive those who have wronged us. To remain unforgiving shows we have not understood that we ourselves deeply need to be forgiven. Think of some people who have wronged you. Have you forgiven them? How will God deal with you if he treats you as you treat others?
Saturday 7-26
Jesus teaches his disciples about prayer
Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this illustration: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You would shout up to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit and I’ve nothing to give him to eat.’ He would call down from his bedroom, ‘Please don’t ask me to get up. The door is locked for the night and we are all in bed. I just can’t help you this time.’
“But I’ll tell you this—though he won’t do it as a friend, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you everything you want—just because of your persistence. And so it is with prayer—keep on asking and you will keep on getting; keep on looking and you will keep on finding; knock and the door will be opened. Everyone who asks, receives; all who seek, find; and the door is opened to everyone who knocks.”
Everyone who asks, receives, if their requests are made in faith. To ask in faith is to ask with confidence that God will align our desires with his purposes.
Persistence
Have you ever grown tired of praying for something or someone? Our vigilance is an expression of our faith that God answers our prayers. Faith shouldn’t die if the answers come slowly, for the delay may be God’s way of working his will in our lives. When you feel tired of praying, know that God is present, always listening, always answering—maybe not in ways you had hoped, but in ways that he knows are best. Persistence, or boldness, in prayer overcomes our insensitivity, not God’s. To practice persistence does more to change our hearts and minds than his, and it helps us understand and express the intensity of our need. Persistence in prayer helps us recognize God’s work. Are you waiting for God’s timing? Trust his judgment for your best interests.