ESOCS Devotional 16 August 2024 – One Step After Another
MEMORY VERSE: “All the people tried to touch him, for power was going out from him and healing them all.” Luke 6:19
TEXT: LUKE 6:27-49
“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. 29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
39 And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. 41 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
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Nobody destined to climb to a great height can achieve it by a single jump. You must determine to take one step after another till you get to the destined place. You have to exercise patience and steadfastness.
The first step is to realize what you are: a sinner. The Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Those who realize their field of specialization in sin must confess them, repent of them and be baptized by water and of the Holy Spirit (Luke 2:38; John 3:3, 5).
The point where you are sure that the Holy Spirit of God dwells in you and has renewed your life is the point to begin assimilation of heavenly or divine traditions. No one will agree with divine traditions except he is truly led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14).
In our text today, Jesus Christ has outlined the tradition and culture of those who are His true students. True believers learn and become such that will not do any evil with their hands or by their words. No circumstance will drive them to partake in evil; not even a situation where like an ordinary man he should retaliate (Luke 6:27-36). God’s people are to be good to all even to those who are bad to them.
We have no excuse to live otherwise. There is nothing that we know as humans that is beyond the knowledge of God. God is omniscient: the author of knowledge. We should therefore listen to what the scripture teaches about the life expected of us from the Lord.
It points to nothing else than a rejection of what Christ is if we decide to abandon what Christ teaches and follow the manner of life of the ungodly. We are to live and be the opposite of what the sinful people are (Luke 6:32-34).
Jesus Christ is the Lord of those who live by His words. The ability to live by the word of God is what distinguishes a believer from an unbeliever (Luke 6:46-49).
- Do you have the ability to receive the word of God and use it to change your bad habits?
- Father, give me the grace to live by your word, in Jesus name. Amen.
Further Reading: Joshua 8:10-23; Daniel 9:20-end; Acts 19:21-end
ESOCS Devotional 16 August 2024
