Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

Read Luke 11:37-54.
TEXT: The Pharisee was astonished to see that
He did not first wash before
dinner (Luke 11:38).

Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem for the last time.
One Sabbath He stops to teach in a synagogue.
After the service a Pharisee invites Him to share His
morning meal. Before they eat, the Pharisee and his
other guests carefully wash their hands, according to
Jewish traditions. They believe eating with unwashed
hands would contaminate the food which, in turn,
made the body unclean in God's eyes.

It was time for Jesus to confront that error. Knowing
all humans are contaminated by the sinful nature they
receive from their parents and not from eating unclean
food, Jesus refuses to wash His hands. His host is
astonished, but Jesus refuses to back down.

He then starts blasting the traditions they trust to earn
their way to heaven. It may seem unwise for Jesus to
turn up the heat, but it is the greatest act of kindness
anyone could do for them. If they keep straining to wash
a little uncleanness from their hands, they will never let
God remove the uncleanness and sin from their hearts,
minds and souls.

This brings a complaint from the scribes. When He
attacks the Pharisees Jesus is really attacking the
scribes, whose traditions the
Pharisees are following. Jesus turns
the heat up again. He accuses the scribes of
burying God's gracious Old Testament
promises beneath their traditions, which deceive
people into relying on their own
works rather than God's free forgiveness, as given
through His Son, the Messiah.

The Pharisees and scribes strenuously object. They
pressure Him to speak on more
things, lying in ambush hoping He will blurt out
something carelessly.

THE PRAYER:

Almighty God, Your Son Jesus made clear there is
only one way into Your presence, through faith in Him.
Drive from my heart and mind the lie that
there are many ways. I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

We see the devastating effects of poverty in our
church congregations and community: parents who
work hard but whose children go to bed hungry;
young men and women who feel they have no future.
Our heart breaks along with God’s as we remember
to care for the poor — a biblical call that is
increasingly ignored by society.

Political maneuvers are once again threatening the
most vulnerable. We must continue to form a Circle
of Protection around programs that serve the “least
of these.”

This week, Congress will allow huge, arbitrary cuts
to programs addressing poverty, as if they were
powerless to stop them or ignorant of their
consequences. Sequestration represents the triumph
of political self-interest over the common good. Given
the current dysfunction in Washington, we must
remind our nation’s leaders of the serious moral
issues at stake and its negative consequences for
millions of people across the country.

Together, we can show the world that we will not sit
by while those in power ignore the cost of their games.
Christians remember what politicians have forgotten:
THE POOR MATTER!!!!.

Please send a letter, or email, or call the decision-
makers in Washington imploring them to end the
economic brinksmanship and refocus on the common
good.  For this call to be heeded, We must speak out.
Will you send a message to your own representatives
in Congress?

PLEASE THIS IS SOMETHING YOU NEED TO DO
NOW!!

GOD BLESS YOU

Scripture:

Read Luke 9:37-45.
TEXT: (Jesus said) "Let these words sink into your
ears: the Son of Man is about to be delivered into
the hands of men" (Luke 9:44).

Coming down with His three disciples from the
Mountain of Transfiguration, Jesus encounters a
demon His other disciples are unable to cast out.
With divine might and majesty, Jesus overpowers
the demon and sends him away. The crowd is
completely amazed and stands marveling at what
God has done. Jesus knows His disciples are still
clinging to hopes of an earthly kingdom, and He
doesn't want them to get swept away by the
excitement of the crowds. So He turned to talk
directly to them. To get their attention He could
have easily said, "Listen carefully." Instead, He
says something even more striking: "Let these
words sink into your ears."

And what are the extremely important words
Jesus has to tell them? They are these: "The
Son of Man is about to be delivered into the
hands of men." Despite their dreams, and the
hope of the crowd following them, Jesus' suffering
is close at hand. He is "about to be delivered into
the hands of men."
But Jesus reveals one more painful fact about His
coming suffering He did not reveal the first time:
it will come about through an act of betrayal. Of
course, Jesus knows the identity of His betrayer,
but He withholds that information for now. Not only
will He be rejected and, consequently, subjected
to violent brutalities and death, but treachery will be
connected with these events as well.

The disciples fail to understand and are afraid to
ask Jesus anything about it. The suspense is
building as Jesus' destiny and our salvation draw
near.

THE PRAYER:

Almighty God, Your Son single-mindedly set His
steps to fulfill Your plan to save the world. Give me
an unwavering faith to follow Him all my days. In
Jesus' Name. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)