Priorities

 

READ Luke 9-12

These chapters note what Jesus values, things that should be vital for me. First, He gives authority to His followers over demons and the power to cure diseases, taking nothing with them but totally relying on Him, a lesson that I also must learn.

Jesus shows His power to take care of daily needs by feeding a huge crowd with only five loaves and two fish, winding up with twelve baskets of leftovers. He can take care of my needs too, and then some.

When Peter realized Jesus was “The Christ of God” and that Jesus must suffer and be killed, and raised again to life, He also revealed His disciples must be willing to die. It is in yielding myself to Him that I receive life in His eternal kingdom. Those who do not know this assume that Jesus was a good teacher who told us how to live, not realizing that Jesus came to give us life, a life that begins with faith and never ends, life that cannot be destroyed by death. Three of them saw Him in His glory on a mountain and were dumbfounded. I am dumbfounded. Seeing the glory of God in the pages of His Book is incredible.

Jesus rebuked an unclean spirit and healed a boy —and “all were astonished at the majesty of God.” Yet even as they marveled at everything He was doing; He told the twelve that He would die — but they didn’t get it and argued who was the greatest. Even as Jesus told them “who is least among you all is the one who is great” they didn’t get it. I pray for those who don’t get it because I know that God must reveal truth about Jesus to them.

“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:17)

In His day, Jesus was accepted by some and rejected by many. Nothing has changed. Is it because “His face was set toward Jerusalem” and the cross? Following Jesus means setting my face to a dying, to putting my hand to the plow and not looking back, as He said. (Luke 9:57-62) Only trusting Him completely makes that a viable option because He says this to me too: “Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves” and “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” (10:3; 16) Being a Christian means counting the cost.

Even success in those battles to share His grace with others is not my greatest cause for joy; rather it is the joy that knows my name is written in heaven.

Jesus rejoices that the Father reveals these truths and His identity to His “little children” for He knows we are blessed to see what others cannot see. But the life He calls me to is not anything like it was before. I am called to love my enemies, do good to those who hate me, and show mercy to needy and broken people. My sinful self prefers to focus on me.

I am called to sit at His feet and learn from Him, a priority over rushing about in service. Some who do the rushing resent this. I am also called to pray with a focus on eternal matters as well as daily needs, and called to spiritual warfare, something many either scoff at or twist its meaning, but it is a real battle. I am to let the light I have shine, not hide my faith, nor get caught up in religious activities that have no value. And never am I to be guilty of hypocrisy — in a world where many prefer deception and pretense.

Jesus even goes so far to say that when talking to anyone, including authorities who might challenge me, I must “not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (12:11-12) It is not easy to trust Jesus for words that can mean rejection or death.

Being a Christian means storing up eternal treasure. None of the stuff I have goes into eternity with me. He tells me to remove “Eat, drink, be merry” off my to-do list and trust Him for all daily needs:

And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried . . .  Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. “Fear not . . . for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom . . .  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (12:29–34)

There is more but as He prods me to think about priorities, then what about Christmas? The gifts, festivities, being with family and friends are great, but the priority is celebrating the deep truth that God came here to live and die and rise again for us — for me, so I will live and die and rise again to be with Him. That is the wonder, and that is what makes Christmas such a joy!