For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
Luke 13
What is it about the heart and practice of the Pharisees that makes Jesus indignant? What kind of person wouldn’t be thrilled to see a woman healed from an infirmity that had plagued her for 18 years? Why would you not rejoice over such a thing? The Jewish religious leaders didn’t. They were too busy trying to find fault in Jesus to pay any attention to what He was really doing. They were jealous of the attention people gave Him and felt threatened by His teaching and His miracles. As a result, their pride flared up out of fear that they would lose their power, their position, and their prestige among the people.
It is easy to sit and point fingers at them, but we all have our moments when we can’t see past ourselves. We need to keep in mind, like the centurion a few days back, that Jesus holds ALL authority. When we are aware of that, we know it is best if we simply surrender ourselves to Him.
Gen. 25-26
What is the significance of Rebekah’s difficulty conceiving, just like Sarah? Isaac is retreading some of his father’s missteps. What can we learn from this? Aside from not going to Egypt like his father did, this portion of Isaac’s life is a fairly close repeat of Abraham’s. Though God promised many descendants, both wives had trouble conceiving. There was a famine in the land for both men and they both found their way to the land of the Philistines. Both men claimed their wives were their sisters. And, oddly, both men made an oath of good will with Abimelek and Phicol (titles for the Philistine king and military leader) at Beersheba, where they both dug a well. I always knew there was some Deja-vu in their stories, I guess I just never realized how much.
As to the significance of all of that, I really can’t say. I’m sure it is no coincidence, however, so perhaps one day God will give me wisdom on it. For now, though, I simply find it interesting. I am also curious about why God raised up twelve tribes out of Ishmael but not Isaac. The twelve tribes of the promised seed came through Isaac’s son, Jacob. One thing I can say is that God’s word never gets old. There is always something new to find in it!
Ps. 6
How does the Lord respond to the one who cries out in anguish? This Psalm reminds me of Jesus’ parable of the midnight friend that we read a couple of days ago. David was in need and he prayed to God with confidence. He laid out his concerns to God. Then he said, “The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.” (Ps. 6:9). Why could David say this with confidence? Because just like that man in the parable knew that his neighbor had a code of hospitality that he would not break, David knew that God’s love cannot fail.