Sunday AUGUST 10 Mike Lewis Logos How Did Jesus Live? Lev. 19:18; Luke 24:32; John 13:34; 15:4–12; Acts 10:38 Read His Diary (Matt. 9:36; 20:28; John 13:1–5; 19:25–27; Acts 10:34–38) Do you ever wonder how Jesus really lived? Just read the stories in Matthew 9 and John 13. He forgave sins, recognized faith, healed a disabled man, called a tax collector to discipleship, went to a dinner party, allowed an unclean woman to touch his (first-century) jeans, brought a dead girl back to life, allowed the Pharisees to quarrel with Him, scrubbed His disciples’ dirty feet, and made provision for His mother. He taught about Gods kingdom and healed many sick people. Why? Because He had compassion for them. Sometimes it takes another person to show us how Jesus lived. Do you want to live like Jesus? Then “go and do likewise” (see Luke 10:36–38). All right, so you cant forgive sin like God does, but you can forgive your friends and even your enemies. You cant cure cancer, but you can heal a broken relationship, let an untouchable touch you, and speak up for Jesus in the crowd. Why? Because if youre Jesus’ slave, if He lives in you, you cant help but do these things! Is Jesus Only Defining “Neighbor”? (Luke 10:30–37) When we hear the story of the good Samaritan, we are often asked to consider who our neighbor really is. Surely we know the answer to that question by now! Its anyone who needs help! But we are not often asked to consider who we are in the story. I hope God teaches me how to stop being like the priest and the Levite and how to start being the Samaritan. Loving Action Where It Is Needed (Matt. 25:31–46) Just before Matthew launches into how Christ gave up His life, he shares with us a parable that Jesus told about how to live a practical, meaningful Christian life. If you dont know what to do after reading this passage, chances are you never will! Many years ago, I was walking along a street in a busy tourist area of Bangkok. It was crowded and hot, and an old, wizened Thai beggar was crouched down on the sidewalk. Nothing new there. But crouched down beside him was another man—a westerner who was feeding the beggar as the crowds strolled by totally unaware. I wonder if the westerners passport stated “Place of Birth/Nationality: Samaritan.” I stopped and stared. Sometimes it takes another person to show us how Jesus lived. Enemy Words, Love Words (Luke 6:27, 28, 32–36) The second half of Luke 6 is the “read-me” file for kingdom people. Look at some of the key words in these verses: love, friend, retaliation, kindness, reward, blind, obey, ask, treatment, judgment, forgiveness, pity, and give. Some of these are “enemy” words, while others are “love” words. Interestingly, Jesus never had to teach His listeners who their enemies were and what they were like, because they all knew. Instead, He spent three and a half years telling and showing how to treat people. The more we read and contemplate His words and actions, the more we learn what it means to live like Him. All we have to do is put it into practice. To live like Jesus, we have to (1) read the manual, (2) learn from the Instructor, and (3) do what He asks us to do. Staying Connected (John 15:4–12) Many of us live in cities and dont have a clue about how to grow grapes. But vineyards were common in ancient Israel, so everyone knew what Jesus was talking about. Maybe today He would use a driveshaft or a router-box metaphor to make His point. Regardless, He plugs us in. We stay connected and good things happen. We unplug and our life with Jesus crashes! Like the story of the sheep and goats, we have a simple choice. We bear fruit or get cut off. Staying with a techy metaphor, my screen saver displays my love affair with Jesus. When the connection breaks, the screen goes black. Follow the route that love takes: (1) God is love; (2) His love is shown in the life of Jesus; (3) His love is available to all who yearn for it; (4) Gods love flows through Jesus to you and me; and (5) through us, Gods love flows into the waiting world. When we reconnect with Jesus as soon as we awaken in the morning, and when we check that connection throughout the day, we will be living the Christian life. CQ Bible Study. REACT 1. Do I need to pay the hospital bill of a mugged stranger like the good Samaritan did?CQ bible Study. 2. What does staying connected to Jesus actually mean in practice? How can I make sure I am connected? 3. How many practical examples of living like Jesus occur during my day—not because I want to earn “brownie points,” but because I cant help but let Jesus work through me? Does this need improvement?
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 19:07:31 +0000
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