Week of January 18

Real life, according to Jesus, is life lived in relationship with Him. His words in this passage appear at first glance to be as cold as sub-freezing temperatures in winter. I know phrases like “after he has killed” and “cast you into hell” do not seem to inspire closeness to God, but Jesus also states that the Heavenly Father values us! Frankly, Jesus tells us how to know the warmth of a daily relationship with Him. Let’s seek guidance for our daily relationship with Jesus.

This section in the Gospel of Luke follows the preceding section (cf. 12:1) and includes all that follows through chapter 13:21. Jesus shares His “kingdom ethics” with this throng of eager listeners. He was a clear and dynamic speaker, and the effect of His words and ministry had drawn thousands of people who clamored to get near Him. A contagion fueled by word of mouth created an electric atmosphere. He took the opportunity to present to them a cluster of teachings under the rubric of something like, “The Kingdom Disciple’s Life” (cf. Luke 4:16-19; Isaiah 61).

Your behavior matters to Jesus. There have been many cries in our own contemporary culture for more laws to keep people in line. The timeworn phrase is “You cannot legislate morality,” which, in fact, I heard a few days ago on a news story! Jesus knew that His kingdom was built upon transformed hearts. People were given the ability to respond willingly to His leadership. 
 
Be wary of false leaders. Unlike the corrupt leaders and false teaching at that time, the Kingdom of God life provided a major moral corrective because it really mattered to Jesus how citizens conducted themselves. If we think the hashtag movement in recent years has exposed hypocrisy in every stratum of society, it does not even begin to compare with the exposure and condemnation that will come to false religious leaders (12:2). Their false teaching—so popular at the time—would be revealed and fully known and discredited (cf. 11:39, 44; NAC; PC). Jesus states that their “hypocrisy, greed, and wickedness” would be put on full display (12:3). There must not be any fence-straddling in the Christ life. “If [i.e., “Since”] God is sovereign and cares for creation, fear and trust him” (HCBC). 
 
Be entirely committed to Him. He warns His followers to be discerning about teachers and teaching by using an analogy about the rise and spread of leaven (cf. 12:1b). Bread was a major staple in their world, so they understood clearly His meaning. Keep in mind the message was not just for the mind, but also for the heart. He was calling people to become total disciples. We say today that He expects our commitment to be “all in.” We’ve all heard this message a thousand times in our churches and “life” groups (quote marks intended because that is what they are supposed to be!), and it often falls on deaf ears. What causes me to bolt to attention is His use of the words “friends” and “fear” together (12:4-5, 7). How does this mix?

Jesus uses the word “friend” both here and in John 15:13-15 to refer to His disciples. This is a clue to these folks that the preceding words about judgment were not for them, but were for the Pharisees instead. I’m sure there was a collective sigh of relief heard throughout the crowd, but reality soon set in. Those gathered likely thought, “OK, so we are friends, but who or what are we to fear?” Jesus knows and states the cost of serious “followership” (Matthew 5:11-12). He instructs His disciples not to fear those who can bring a believer’s physical existence to an end (cf. 11:47, the prophets, and 11:49, the church).

We do not know if Theophilus (see Luke 1) and the church were encountering persecution when they received this gospel account, but we do know Christ’s words provided assurance in testing times. Persecutors will never be able to touch a disciple’s ultimate destiny. Look again at my opening sentence to this devotional. Real life is the Christ life, and no outside power can touch this existence (Romans 8:35-39; Galatians 2:20). Therefore, genuine kingdom disciples live with their heads and hearts focused fully on God.

Who would know us better, in most cases, than a momma or a daddy? There have been times in my life, though rare, when I behaved in such a way that one or both parents paused and took notice. This was not a warm, fuzzy “took notice.” One of them might say something like, “Son, I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you better straighten up and fly right.” I wasn’t a pilot, nor the son of a pilot, but I got the message. In other words, I feared (respected) their requirement for right behavior because it was in keeping with our family name.

Jesus teaches us that God knows every minute detail about every aspect of His creation (birds and pennies), so know this about Him: He knows you and cares for you. So, live with bold transparency before Him, and you will have complete confidence and peace, both now and in the coming life.

1. Look at your full being in the mirror sometime today. Ask yourself, “Who truly am I?” Determine to demonstrate your respect for Christ by living “all in.” Write on a sheet of paper the three guidelines from above: your behavior matters, be wary of false teachers, and practice total commitment. Ask God to pinpoint areas for improvement in each of the areas. 
 
2. For Families: With the view of living the Christ-life “all in,” ask your younger kids to spend a few moments at the kitchen table. Provide blank typing paper, magic markers, an assortment of pictures of gingerbread people, and actual gingerbread-shaped cookie cutters. Your big kids might like to join you, too.
 
Ask your kids to study the pictures and cookie cutters and imagine themselves as a gingerbread boy or girl. How might they look? Now ask them to choose a cookie cutter and trace around it with a magic marker, and then draw themselves as a gingerbread person. Give the kids a good length of time to embellish their likenesses.
 
Now share about how God is looking for people who will give all of themselves to Him. What we do matters to God. Invite your children to put a secret mark on their gingerbread person where they have the most trouble giving that part to God. Is it their heart that is selfish? Is it their mind that thinks angry thoughts? Is it their mouth that speaks ugly things to others, or their hands that push or hit? 
 
Wherever they are having trouble, ask them to make a secret mark, and then bow their head and ask God to change that part of themselves. Invite them to tell God that they want to live “all in”—every part obeying God and pleasing Him. Then have them cut out the gingerbread person and place it in their Bible, so that each evening during prayer and bed time, they can remember and give every part of themselves to God anew. God knows and cares for them.

May your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock