Give - I

What to do with God’s stuff?

MEMORY VERSE

“In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” Luke 14:33

REFLECTION

This is one of Jesus' most shocking statements. It is also a teaching that is rarely preached on. If you've never given much thought to this command or you're confused by what Jesus meant, try to read The Invitation-the Not So Simple Truth about Following Jesus by Greg Sidders.  In this book, he makes Jesus’ clear statement even more clear for those who truly desire to obey.  He writes, 

So we have to be willing to give up our possessions if Jesus tells us to? No, we have to actually do it, because he already told us to; “Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”  The word “willing” is not there, not even in the Greek. (p.74-75)

Does giving up mean giving away? Do we have to actually become penniless and possessionless in order to follow Jesus? . . .Your money and possessions are now “someone else’s property” (Luke 16:12). Whose? His. You gave it all to him when you became a Christian. And what did he do with it? He handed it back to you – not to spend on yourself, but to invest for him. You no longer have the right to do with it whatever you please; you have the responsibility to do with it whatever pleases him. Your job is to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do with all this stuff:” and then do it. . . That means so much more than holding everything with a loose grip. It means leveraging money and possessions to expand the kingdom of God.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

Why do you think so few people take this command of Christ seriously?

Which of your possessions are you reluctant to relinquish? Why?

When it comes to the money and possessions that Jesus has handed back to you, what is He asking you to do differently?

ACTION STEPS FOR THE WEEK

Get the book The Invitation by Greg Sidders and prayerfully read through chapter 7 and/or click here to listen to a radio interview in which he discusses this verse and many other challenging teachings in his book. 

Obey - III

Master or Employer?

MEMORY VERSE

“Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’?  Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’?  Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” Luke 17:7-10

REFLECTION

Do you relate to Jesus as your master or as your employer? Here’s the test:  Are there limits to what you consider reasonable demands? Do you expect breaks, time off and ‘comp time’ when you work overtime? Do you consider some of your time “my time” and some “His time”?  If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, you just might need to take a closer look at Luke 17:7-10.

This passage talks of a servant who has worked all day in the field - hard back-breaking work in the heat and the dirt. When he's done with his day's work he is still expected to make dinner for his master and wait on him while he eats. Only then can the servant take care of his own needs. This is the life of a servant, constantly in the service of his master, not having rights or expectations for his own time.  The master commands, the servant obeys.

Also surprising is that servants should not expect thanks from the master.  There seems to be a sense of peace and contentment when after obeying every instruction, the servant says, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
Have you drawn a line separating 'your time' from ‘His time’? Where is the line?
How has this scripture changed your understanding of what it means to be a servant of Jesus?

In what areas is Jesus calling you to give up, open up and more fully obey?

ACTION STEPS FOR THE WEEK
Read this passage every day this week.

Enjoy the peace and contentment that comes when you do hard things in obedience to Christ.