"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering." (Romans 12:1, MSG)

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

#LukeActs2014 - Luke chapter 18

The first two parables Luke relays to us in chapter 18 share a theme of faithfulness in prayer. The first parable, as we are told in verse 1, is about our "need to pray continuously and not to be discouraged." The second is about our need for sincerity and humility, with hearts inclined to God.

This quote from Walter Brueggemann has long been a favorite and is one that I believe captures well what Jesus was teaching in these parables:
“Where the cry is not voiced, heaven is not moved and history not initiated. And then the end is hopelessness. Where the cry is seriously voiced, heaven may answer and earth may have a new chance.”
Jesus assures us in verse 8 that God will respond quickly to those who "cry out to him day and night." But, He also ends the verse with a question for us to consider - "When the Human One comes, will he find faithfulness on earth?" While we who call ourselves Methodist believe in God's prevenient grace (grace that comes before), may we always remember that God awaits our response to such grace. God is indeed faithful, but we are called to be faithful in return. 

So, let us be faithful in prayer through our persistence ("Pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17) and purity of heart ("...pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." Timothy 2:22b).


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