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…

DAILY READING Luke 13:1-9  I am one of those with no green thumb whatsoever. I’ve killed more plants than I can count.  That said, I’ve always found it fascinating… the whole pruning process. I, in my horticultural ignorance, thought when you prune a bush or tree, you remove only the dead parts. But, because I am a lover of…

DAILY READING Luke 13:31-35 The scripture illustrates God as a hen that wants to gather His brood, or His children. God wants to bring us peaceful rest, but instead we turn away. It can be easy to let other things in our lives distract us from God. We are just like baby chicks, always scurrying around…

DAILY READING Luke 13:31-35 I love the way The Message translates this passage. “Tell that fox that I’ve no time for him right now. Today and tomorrow I’m busy clearing out the demons and healing the sick…” Jesus straightforward without shame replies that he has no time for Herod, because he is busy going about the work of the Gospel. My color-coordinated…

DAILY READING Luke 13:31-35 What would you do if you knew exactly how many days you had left in your life? In this text, Jesus knows he only has a few days left before his crucifixion, and he is entirely focused on giving generously to his flock while he can. Even as the Pharisees warn him of Herod, Jesus says…

DAILY READING Luke 13:31-35 Without the broader context of these verses, you lose the scope and impact of Luke’s words. Let’s zoom out.  Currently, Jesus is traveling with the disciples from village to village, teaching and healing. Stories of Jesus, his messages, and miracles have reached King Herod, and he wants Jesus out of the…