Archive for March 2022

DAILY READING Luke 15:1-3; 11-32b What we love about the parable of the Lost Sheep (and most of Jesus’ parables for that matter) is how it gleefully rejects the modern rules of our society.  “Doesn’t the shepherd leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?”  “Uh, No, Jesus. I’d say 99 out of 100…

DAILY READING Luke 15:1-3; 11-32b Put yourself in the shoes of the father from the third parable: your beloved child has left home with their inheritance and moved to another state. No one has seen or heard from them for some time. Until one day, they show up in the driveway with nothing but the…

DAILY READING Luke 15:1-3; 11-32b Jesus frequently employed the use of parables when he was teaching. By teaching through parables, Jesus invites us to use our imagination, placing ourselves in the story, so that we might better understand the challenging lesson he is teaching us.   Though they are very different stories, the parables of the…

DAILY READING Luke 15:1-3; 11-32b I sat and thought, ran and processed, opened Google and real books trying to find something unique or awe inspiring about the story of the prodigal son as it relates to prayer. How does prayer fit in these verses? How does it apply? What can I offer of interest that goes…

DAILY READING Luke 13:1-9  What Jesus reminds us of time and time again in the scriptures is that we must care and tend to our souls. Just as gardens need to be tilled, soiled, and cared for, so do we as human beings. Just as our bodies were made to eat, drink, exercise, and play… they were also made for rest. In…

DAILY READING Luke 13:1-9  I resonate with the man that wants to cut down the tree and avoid the wasted space in the ground. We likely all can in moments, but I think for me it is because I often feel like I am the tree. I have opportunity after opportunity to produce fruit, yet I become frustrated with my own lack of…

DAILY READING Luke 13:1-9  With this specific text, it is easier to connect to it when you read it through a giving-of-time lens. In the text, there is a parable about the fig tree. As I read, I put myself in the place and shoes of the fig tree. The fig tree gets cleared around…

DAILY READING Luke 13:1-9  I recently purchased a Santa Rosa Plum tree. I got such a thrill imagining the beautiful white blossoms that would soon fill my yard in the spring, even more so for the luscious late-summer fruit. I could just imagine the rich taste of a sun-ripened plum plucked from my own tree.…

DAILY READING Luke 13:1-9  Jesus often taught in parables and stories, using topics that his audience would understand. In this week’s scripture, Jesus is in conversation with a large group of people. Someone in the group asks Jesus about a specific incident involving some Galileans whom Pilate killed while they were offering sacrifices. Jesus’ answer implies that the…