Friday, February 22, 2013

The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

Friday, February 22, 2013  Repent. Fruitless Fig Tree 

Page 201      Luke 13: 1-9

Do you remember the story of Job? Do you remember how Job’s friends explained why bad things were happening to Job? They said it had to be because there was sin in Job’s life. In Israel 2,000 years ago, the people still lived by this simplistic cause and effect view of life. This would be especially true if someone were killed in the act of worship; they would blame the victim. Certainly the person must have committed some awful sin to be executed in this way.

Jesus says no. The people died at the hands of a brutal Roman Governor, not the judgment of God. Then Jesus tells his followers, who are also Galileans traveling to Jerusalem, a similar fate may await them. I suspect the crowd following Jesus thinned out at that time. Jesus’ point is that unless the people repented and took upon themselves Kingdom values, the Roman oppressors will continue to brutally put down any suspected rebellion.

However, Jesus wanted the people to know that ultimately they should fear the judgment of God. The parable of the fig tree is Jesus’ way of saying there is a date certain for which God’s judgment will come. Perhaps some of Jesus’ listeners recalled the prophet Habakkuk who cried out to God for justice because of the sins of Israel. Habakkuk was astonished when God answered his lament with a promise that judgment was coming and that God would use the Babylonians to execute His judgment. Hopefully those listening to Jesus repented and bore the fruit of repentance as revealed in the prayer of Habakkuk:

“Though the fig tree does not blossom,

    and no fruit is on the vines;

though the produce of the olive fails,

    and the fields yield no food;

though the flock is cut off from the fold,

    and there is no herd in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord;

    I will exult in the God of my salvation.

God, the Lord, is my strength;

    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

    and makes me tread upon the heights.”

Habakkuk 3: 17-19 (NRSV)

Sē’lah

The second edition of my book, First Think – Then Pray has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BGQL5JC

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What word or phrase in today’s reading attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  In addition to this BLOG they are distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription

The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

Monday, February 25, 2013         Again, I Healed on the Sabbath   

Page 201-202         Luke 13: 10-21