Reading: Luke 6:20-36

Once in a great while, I may hear someone saying something to me but choose to pretend ignorance. Sometimes, someone may be talking to me and I may not catch on.

In some of those cases, I might eventually say to the person, “Are you talking to me?” Or to someone else, “Is he talking to me?”

At times, that second response may be an effort to be funny or to communicate something less than funny to the speaker.

I dare not take such an approach with Jesus.

I better listen carefully and attentively to what He says.

“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you” (27).

Yes, He is talking to me. He is telling me to choose love and goodness for those who have none for me.

And yes, I hear. I hear Him telling me to have certain thoughts and do certain deeds.

Now for the doing!

from Luke 6:35

A little bit more from Luke 6: Leap for Joy!

Reading: Luke 6:1-19

We can learn a lot by watching. It pays to watch a master, someone who is expert at what he does.

But sometimes the condition of my heart causes my watching to go to waste.

Like this:

“And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day’ that they might find an accusation against him” (7).

They just knew Jesus’ compassion would compel Him to heal at least one person. (By the way, what do people “just know” about me?) So they kept Him under observation, expecting to have their suspicions proven true.

Yes, suspicions. They wanted another reason to accuse Him, to find fault with Him. (By the way, do I ever have that motivation for watching or listening to people?)

Too bad.

They could have been watching Him to learn more of God’s heart and ways.

They could have been watching Him to learn how to be better leaders and shpeherds.

They could have been watching Him to be encouraged and enlightened.

They could have been watching Him to see yet another reason to praise God.

But they wasted their watchfulness.

What a pity!

from Luke 6:8

A little bit more from Luke 6: If Jesus Needed This . . . .

I wrote this on the date shown but somehow didn’t post it. Today is August 4!