September 24th, 2012
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Sighted Ears

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

Mighty and Eternal God, may I couple love with justice and glorify the Lord Jesus in my life today.

Read Luke 8:16-21

[16] “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. [17] For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. [18] Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.” [19] Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. [20] Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” [21] He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

Meditate

“God’s well-timed words have redirected my path, rescued me from temptation and re-energized me during some of my deepest moments of despair” (Bill Hybels).

Think Further

Jesus’ second and third teachings on his parable of the seeds (16-18,21; c.f. vs. 5-7; 17:21) introduce our themes for this week: God’s ceaseless missional activity in his kingdom and Jesus’ invitation to find our own place and role in his kingdom work. Stepping into the light of God’s Word as we follow Christ is necessarily transforming; hence Jesus’ exhortation and warning as he expounds the secret of hearing “carefully,” to apprehend God’s doings (18; c.f. v. 10). Just as Samuel learned to hear God’s voice while at home at Shiloh, and then received a message of pruning for the whole of his nation (1 Sam. 3:10-14), we need to hear and act with guileless obedience when God speaks, if we are to become messengers, prepared for Christ’s commission (9:1,2; c.f. 8:21). Jesus challenges us to let God’s word cast every detail of our domestic and personal stories into his light (17; c.f. v. 16a). We have been invited into Jesus’ household of watchful and obedient listeners, to a radical trust that God will give or take away just what is necessary to reorder our priorities for his purposes and the common good (18; c.f. 10:42). To manipulate, hide or ignore God’s message for us can lead only to darkness or destruction.

God’s redirection of our lives begins in our families, as Jesus’ well-meaning mother and brothers discovered. They arrived on the scene with a sense of their own importance and of Jesus’ obligation to them, only to find Jesus engaged in the different commitments of his true home with its countercultural priorities  (20,21; c.f. 2:49; 8:1b-3). Mary and her sons are forced to adjust their self-concepts as they discover more about who Jesus truly is.

Apply

Will you be open to the Holy Spirit today, as he mentors you to be re-oriented into Jesus’ kingdom community? How might such re-orientation look?

Closing prayer

Holy Spirit of God, enable me to cut through the competing voices that assail me every day. May I discern Your voice and obey Your direction.

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