Reading the Bible Everyday – Luke 17

Joy: You’re listening to the Lifting Her Voice podcast, Episode #61.  Today we’ll read the 17th chapter of Luke together:  Jesus tells us how many times to forgive; gives us the yield for faith the size of a mustard seed; and he questions why only one man came back.

Welcome to the Lifting Her Voice podcast.  I’m your host, Joy Miller, and I invite you to grab your Bible and join me as we simply read God’s word together.  Some things require discipline and sometimes that’s just not easy to muster by yourself, no matter how badly you want to do it or how much you know you should.  It’s just easier to do it with a friend.  So refill your coffee or tea, get comfortable in your favorite chair and follow along as I read aloud.  I’m so glad you’re here!

Would you do something for me if you have a minute or two?  I’m curious to know if reading the Bible everyday helps your hope quotient.  Do you know what I mean by that?  Let me explain.  It seems like the condition of our world – especially in the last couple of months – weighs heavy on a person and could cause him or her to have hopeless thoughts.  What I want to know is this:  Do you think reading the Bible, getting to know Christ, knowing there is life beyond this one, and developing a mindset that is not like that of this world, gives you hope?  Go to www.liftinghervoice.com and click the Contact tab.  Tell me your comments so that I can share them here.  I can’t wait to hear what you have to say!

Luke Chapter 17: 1 He said to His disciples, “Offenses will certainly come, but woe to the one they come through! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Be on your guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and comes back to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” 6 “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,” the Lord said, “you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. 7 “Which one of you having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he comes in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? 8 Instead, will he not tell him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, get ready, and serve me while I eat and drink; later you can eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that slave because he did what was commanded? 10 In the same way, when you have done all that you were commanded, you should say, ‘We are good-for-nothing slaves; we’ve only done our duty.’ “11 While traveling to Jerusalem, He passed between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As He entered a village, 10 men with serious skin diseases met Him. They stood at a distance 13 and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When He saw them, He told them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And while they were going, they were healed. 15 But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. 16 He fell facedown at His feet, thanking Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus said, “Were not 10 cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Didn’t any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He told him, “Get up and go on your way. Your faith has made you well.” 20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God will come, He answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with something observable; 21 no one will say, ‘Look here!’ or ‘There!’ For you see, the kingdom of God is among you.” 22 Then He told the disciples: “The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you won’t see it. 23 They will say to you, ‘Look there!’ or ‘Look here!’ Don’t follow or run after them. 24 For as the lightning flashes from horizon to horizon and lights up the sky, so the Son of Man will be in His day. 25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man: 27 people went on eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noah boarded the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 It will be the same as it was in the days of Lot: people went on eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building. 29 But on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 It will be like that on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, a man on the housetop, whose belongings are in the house, must not come down to get them. Likewise the man who is in the field must not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to make his life secure will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, on that night two will be in one bed: one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together: one will be taken and the other left. [ 36 Two will be in a field: one will be taken, and the other will be left.”] 37 “Where, Lord?” they asked Him. He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there also the vultures will be gathered.”

Do you remember the book, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten?  This chapter reminds me of that book – if not the book, then the title.  Jesus goes over what we already know we should be doing.  We should forgive without tiring or becoming resentful.  Over and over, Jesus has forgiven me, many times for the same transgression.  I wonder why I think that my forgiveness for others should only go so far.  Why do I think that forgiveness – especially repeated forgiveness – should come along with a sermonette or admonishment?  Why am I so easily offended by someone else’s sin and yet so easily justify my own?  And next:  why is it so difficult for me to think of myself as a servant?  Is that demeaning?  I mean, I am indeed a servant of the Most High God and  should be clothed in the humility that goes with that.  Even Jesus said that He came to serve and not be served…we can learn from that.  And finally, gratitude is certainly something we already know we should show, especially to Jesus for the sacrifice He made for us.  Jesus is not a genie a bottle.  We don’t just give him a rub when we need something, and expect him to grant our every wish.  He is the God of the universe and we should be grateful every day, regardless of what comes from His hand, because we can trust that what comes from His hand is good.  Let’s pray.  Father, we humble our hearts before You right now.  We can be so self-serving and so self-absorbed.  We withhold forgiveness, making ourselves judges and juries, deciding whether someone is deserving of it.  We fancy ourselves equal to You in some way and we neglect giving You proper respect and gratitude.  How foolish we can be!  We come before You with the utmost Godly sorrow and ask Your forgiveness.  Help us, Lord, to be more like Jesus.  Amen.

Thank you for joining me here today.  I pray God will grow in you what has been planted and watered here.  In this time of unprecedented struggle worldwide, we can look to God for guidance and comfort.  Be sensitive to those in your circle of influence who need a word of encouragement and invite them to join us.  If you like this show, it would be great if you give it a five-star review.  Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  See you right here tomorrow.  Be well!