Luke 13:18–21

Luke 13:18-21 

English Standard Version 

  

  I remember when my mom made bread as a child.  The bread went into a bowl and then sat on the fridge for a few hours to rise.  It sure didn't look like very much was happening.  You could only really tell that it was changing by leaving for an hour and then coming back. 

  It's not that different from planting seeds.  If you plant a seed and then come back to check on it every day, you're probably going to be disappointed.  Not much happens every day.  But if you come back in a month, or a season, there might be quite the plant in that place.

  Faith is like that.  God works on a different timetable than we do.  God is more patient than we do, and often the ways the Holy Spirit is at work seem small and not very dramatic.  But that doesn't mean that God isn't at work.  Think about the church -- it's been around for 2,000 years.  Every day isn't something dramatic.  But every day, God is at work, in the hearts and minds of believers around the world.  It's amazing in total, but each little part isn't always going to blow you away on every day.  You have to be patient.  You have to trust.  And look for small ways to grow, each and every day, trusting that small actions add up to a lifetime of faith that looks far different over the scope of 80 years than it does over 10 minutes.

Luke 13:14–17

Luke 13:14-17 

English Standard Version 

  

  Do you notice when other people break the rules?  It's often easy to see.  Maybe when you're on the freeway, you watch when other people change lanes without signaling or fly by you.  Perhaps you notice less when you are speeding, or when you don't signal.  It's way more enjoyable to pay attention to when other people break the rules.

  Jesus points out to the rules of the synagogue that his heart is missing the point.  He is watching for Jesus to break the rules, but he's missing where his own heart has wandered from faith in God.  Is he still in love with God, and with the people that God treasures?  Or is he embittered and hurt by the harshness of the world?  Has he become overwhelmed with everything and shut down on the inside?

  It's easy to see how that happens.  Jesus is reminding us not to give up on the world.  Keep loving.  Keep serving.  Keep noticing.  God cares about God's precious creation.

Luke 13:10-13

Luke 13:10-13 

English Standard Version 

  Jesus sees this woman.  She'd suffered for 18 years, and likely blended into the scenery in so many ways.  I bet most people didn't even notice her.

  But Jesus saw her.  His compassion leads him to see people in ways that others do not.  He notices.  He cares.  It's remarkable -- we come across it over and over again in the Gospels, and we take it for granted, but most of us don't move through the world this way.  We don't notice a lot of suffering people, and even when we notice them, we don't really see them.  Sometimes, we just notice them and find a way around them, so that their suffering doesn't drag us down.

  But Jesus sees.  He cares.  Don't take this for granted... give thanks that you are seen by Jesus.

Luke 13:6–9

Luke 13:6-9 

English Standard Version 

  The lesson here is that God is patient.  The fig tree has had three years, and the world is impatient for it to produce.  "Cut it down" is easy to say... but patient cultivation is the path that is chosen.  It's harder work for certain.  But God has shown a willingness to invest, a willingness to work for our behalf, to do everything possible so that we might find our way into the welcoming Kingdom of God.  God is not indifferent -- we're called to produce fruit.  And yet, God will walk with us every step of the way, so that we might come closer to the life we are called to live.