March 23, 2023 – Luke 17:20-37
As we read through the Whole Holy Bible in a Year, I can’t help but wonder what it would have been like to live in the time Jesus did….to actually have the opportunity to be in his presence. It seems there were so many people who didn’t believe who he was or what he represented. Although his followers were growing in numbers, there was still so much disbelief. There was doubt, fear, and challenges to his holy authority. So many people wanted a savior and yet, they didn’t believe they were standing in his presence.
It seems that the human race always needs some clearly defined proof- a checklist of things that must match exactly in order for the Messiah to be who he said he is or to prove that the Kingdom of God is real and near. Yet we pray “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” We demand that God be the one to prove these things to us.
What if we flip the script? What if we believe? I mean just have faith and believe. Believe that God is real. Believe that Christ was the Messiah. Believe that the Holy Spirit lives within us. Believe that we don’t have to cling to this world to find life, but instead use our life to follow Jesus. When we have faith, that means that we trust the Lord. We will follow what we put our faith and trust in. We don’t really need to know the exact day of the coming of the Kingdom. What we need to know is that it will come.
What if we keep our heart, mind, and soul focused on Jesus? What if we put him first where he belongs? No doubting. No trying to get all we can out of this world but instead, putting all we can into this world. Keeping our minds and hearts fixed on the truth of Jesus’ love and sharing that with all who we come in contact with. We can live in full-on faith and show the world what that looks like by the way we act, live and love. That just might be all the proof someone else might need.
Questions for reflection:
- When was a time you felt like you questioned your faith in the Lord?
- When was a time you wanted answers, in detail, from the Lord? How did you respond when you got the answer or didn’t get the answer?
- What does the verse “ Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it” mean to you?