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Saturday
January 23, 2010
Embodying Hope and Celebrating our Unity in Christ Jesus
Introduction
Luke 18:15-30: Jesus blesses little children, saying that one must enter
God's kingdom like a child. Then he speaks with a rich man who asks what
he must do to receive eternal life. Jesus responds by telling him that he
must sell all he owns and give the money to the poor. The man goes away
dejected.
Today's Scripture: Luke 18:17Jesus said: "Remember this! Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God
like a child will never enter it."
How is this Scripture passage speaking to me today? Today's Reading
15Some people brought their babies to Jesus for
him to place his hands on them. The disciples saw them and scolded them
for doing so,
16but Jesus called the children to him and said,
Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the
Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
17Remember this! Whoever does not receive the
Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.
18A Jewish leader asked Jesus,
“Good Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal
life?”
19“Why do you call me
good?” Jesus asked him.
No one is good except God alone.
20You know the commandments:
“Do not commit adultery; do not commit murder; do not
steal; do not accuse anyone falsely; respect your father and your
mother.”
21The man replied,
“Ever since I was young, I have obeyed all these
commandments.”
22When Jesus heard this, he said to him,
“There is still one more thing you need to do. Sell all
you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in
heaven; then come and follow me.”
23But when the man heard this, he became very sad,
because he was very rich.
24Jesus saw that he was sad and said,
How hard it is for rich people to enter the Kingdom of God!
25It is much harder for a rich person to enter the
Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.
26The people who heard him asked,
“Who, then, can be saved?”
27Jesus answered,
“What is humanly impossible is possible for God.”
28Then Peter said,
“Look! We have left our homes to follow you.”
29“Yes,” Jesus said to
them,
and I assure you that anyone who leaves home or wife or brothers
or parents or children for the sake of the Kingdom of God
30will receive much more in this present age and
eternal life in the age to come.
Reflect
Today's story is one of Jesus' many statements about the accumulation of
wealth and possessions. Why do we find it so difficult to give away the
things we have? What is the relationship between wealth and power? Can the
power that comes with wealth be used to further God's kingdom? How?
Pray
Lord God, so often I feel like I don't have as much as I need or as much as
I want, yet you call me to share your resources freely. Help me to share
with others as an expression of my trust in you. Amen.
Prayer Concern
Those who are struggling financially
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