53Ā When he went away from there, the experts in the law and the Pharisees began to oppose him fiercely and to question him closely about many things. 54Ā They were plotting against him to trap him in something he said. [1]
Warning Against Hypocrisy
Luke 12
1Ā Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands gathered together so that they were trampling on one another, he began to speak first to his disciples: āBe on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2Ā There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be made known. 3Ā So then, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
Fear God, Not People
4Ā āI tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that are not able to do any more. 5Ā But I will show you the one you should fear. Fear him who, after he has killed the body, has authority to throw it into hell. [2] Yes, I tell you, fear him!
6Ā āAre not five sparrows sold for two small coins? [3] And not one of them is forgotten in Godās sight. 7Ā Why, even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So stop being afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.
Confess Christ
8Ā āI tell you, whoever confesses me before other people, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God. 9Ā But whoever denies me in the presence of other people will be denied in the presence of the angels of God. 10Ā Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11Ā When they bring you before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourself, or what you will say, 12Ā for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you should say.ā
Footnotes
Luke 11:54 Some witnesses to the text add so they could accuse him.
Luke 12:5 Gehenna
Luke 12:6 Greek assarion, less than a half hourās wage
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On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:17-21
Where Were You, God?
“Where were you, God?” Have you ever found yourself asking that question? Where was God when your life was falling apart? Where was God then?
Mary and Martha’s world was falling apart. Their brother, Lazarus, had been sick. And this wasnāt just a bug that knocked him out for a few days. It was obvious to his family that there wasnāt much hope he was going to recover. But this family had a special connection: a dear friend named Jesus! Jesus had healed other people before. āSurely Jesus will help our brother!ā Mary and Martha thought. So, they sent word for Jesus to come.
But when Jesus got word that his friend Lazarus was sick, do you know what he did? He waited. And Lazarus died. What? That doesn’t seem right! Why wouldn’t Jesus sprint to the side of his buddy Lazarus and cure him in an instant? You know that sentiment from Martha, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
I don’t know exactly what Jesus was thinking and why he didn’t come right away to heal Lazarus before he died. The Bible doesn’t say. But we can have every confidence in Jesus and that he will do things in his way and in his time.
Everyone has those times when they’re waiting for God to show up and fix this problem or that heartache. And we can turn to God in those times because he has already fixed our greatest problemāour sin! That’s why Jesus came. He came to take the sin of humanity and die so that our guilt would be taken from us. And like Lazarus, Jesus walked out of his tomb so that we could put our trust in him always.
Prayer:
Dear God, you know what is troubling my heart. Help me to trust in you and your plans for me. Amen.
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37Ā After Jesus spoke, a Pharisee invited him to have a meal with him. He went in and reclined at the table. 38Ā When the Pharisee saw this, he was amazed that he did not first wash [1] before the meal. 39Ā But the Lord said to him, āNow you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40Ā Fools! Didnāt the one who made the outside also make the inside? 41Ā But give those things that are inside as a gift to the poor, and see, everything will be clean for you. 42Ā But woe to you Pharisees, because you give a tenth of mint and rue and every herb, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have done these things without neglecting the others. 43Ā Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the best seat in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces. 44Ā Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it.ā
45Ā One of the legal experts answered him, āTeacher, by saying these things you are insulting us too.ā
46Ā But Jesus said, āWoe to you legal experts too, because you load people down with burdens too difficult to carry, and you yourselves do not touch these burdens with one of your fingers. 47Ā Woe to you because you build monuments for the prophets, but your fathers killed them. 48Ā So you are witnesses and agree with what your fathers did, because they killed them, and you build their monuments. 49Ā For this reason the wisdom of God also said, āI will send them prophets and apostles. Some of them they will kill and persecute, 50Ā so that this generation may be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed from the foundation of the world, 51Ā from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary.ā Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation. 52Ā Woe to you legal experts, because you took away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were trying to enter.ā
Footnotes
Luke 11:38 Greek baptizo (translated baptize in other contexts)
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“Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?ā” “Everything is all right,” she said. 2 Kings 4:26
Everything Is All Right
How could this woman possibly say that everything was all right? The son she thought she would never have, had died while sitting in her lap. And now she was saying everything was all right? She said this because in her heart, her son was not dead until the prophet Elisha had the last word. Little did she know that everything was all right. Through Elisha, God brought the boy back to life and returned him to his mother.
How often did your parents have to tell you, “Everything is all right,” when you were little? They would say, “Everything is all right. There are no monsters under your bed waiting to gobble you up.” “Everything is all right. Even though you don’t feel well, I’ll give you medicine and take care of you until you feel better.” “The storm will soon pass. Everything is all right.” It is, you know.
That’s not a mere wishful sentiment or a white lie. Everything is all right.
It’s all right because the holy man of Godāthe God-man Jesusācame to show compassion to every distressed parent, every suffering child. Just as Jesus reassured a mourning mother outside of Nain that everything was all right and she should stop crying, so he reassures us that everything is all right when he promises that “everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”
For every parent and child who has shed bitter tears, Jesus rose from the grave. Jesus rose triumphant from the grave and promises you that because he lives, everything is all right.
Prayer:
Thank you, Jesus, for the promise of eternal life through you. Use this to remind me when times are tough that, in the end, everything will be all right. Amen.
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14Ā Jesus drove out a demon, which was mute. After the demon had gone out, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. 15Ā But some of them said, āHe drives out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.ā 16Ā Others were testing him by demanding of him a sign from heaven. 17Ā But he knew their thoughts and said to them, āEvery kingdom divided against itself is destroyed. And a house divided against itself falls. 18Ā If Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? You say that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. 19Ā But if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So they will be your judges. 20Ā Yet if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
21Ā āWhen a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22Ā But when someone stronger attacks him and defeats him, he takes away that manās full armor, in which he had trusted, and divides up his plunder.
23Ā āThe one who is not with me is against me. The one who does not gather with me scatters. 24Ā When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, but does not find any. Then it says, āI will return to my house, the one I left.ā 25Ā When it returns, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26Ā Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and dwell there. The last condition of that man becomes worse than the first.ā
The Sign of Jonah
27Ā While he was saying these things, a woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to him, āBlessed is the womb that carried you, and the breasts at which you nursed!ā
28Ā But he said, āEven more blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.ā
29Ā As the crowds were increasing, he began to say, āThis generation is an evil generation. It is seeking a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30Ā For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. 31Ā The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But look, one greater than Solomon is here. 32Ā The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. But look, one greater than Jonah is here.
A Lamp and a Lampstand
33Ā āNo one lights a lamp and puts it in a hidden place or under a basket, but on a stand so that those who come in may see the light. 34Ā Your eye is the lamp of the body. When your eye is good, your whole body is full of light. But when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35Ā Therefore, see to it that the light that is in you is not darkness. 36Ā So if your whole body is full of light, without any dark part, it will be completely full of light, as when a lamp shines on you with bright light.ā
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As [Jesus] went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. …” Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. John 9:1-7
Why?
Often, when we see someone struggling or suffering, we wonder: Why? Why is that man homeless? Why is that woman sick? Why does that family fight so much? Whenever we see unpleasant situationsāwhatever they might beāwe wonder why.
Jesus speaks about sin’s connection to struggles and suffering in the case of the man who was born blind: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” he said. Not every hardship is caused by a particular sin. The struggles and sufferings that many people experience are beyond their control.
So why was he blind? That man was blind for two reasons. The first reason was because he was born in a sinful and cruel world. The impact of sin is terrible and enormous. It can be sickening and distressing. Suffering is the result of living in this sinful world, but Jesus teaches that not every experience of suffering in our lives is due to a particular sin we have committed.
The second reason this man was blind is far more beautiful. He was born blind so that God could work through him. Jesus saw him and had mercy on him. He reached out to the man and healed his physical malady. Through this miracle Jesus revealed his power as the Son of God to give sight and heal.
This is why God sent his Son. Sin destroys but Jesus restores.
Prayer:
Jesus, I know that, by nature, I am blinded by sin. Thank you for reaching out and healing me from my blindness through your Son and your Word. Open my eyes that I might see Jesus as the light of the world. Amen.
1 On another occasion, Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, āLord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.ā
2Ā He said to them, āWhen you pray, say, āOur Father in heaven, [1] hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. [2]3Ā Give us each day our daily bread. 4Ā Forgive us our sins, as we also forgive everyone who sins against us. [3] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.āā [4]
Keep Praying
5Ā He said to them, āSuppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and tell him, āFriend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6Ā because a friend of mine who is on a journey has come to me, and I do not have anything to set before him.ā 7Ā And the one inside replies, āDonāt bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I canāt get up and give it to you.ā 8Ā I tell you, even if he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his bold persistence, he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9Ā āI tell you, keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. 10Ā For everyone who asks receives. The one who seeks finds. And to the one who knocks, it will be opened.
11Ā āWhat father among you, if your son asks for bread, would give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, would give him a snake instead of a fish? 12Ā Or if he asks for an egg, would give him a scorpion? 13Ā If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?ā
Footnotes
Luke 11:2 Some witnesses to the text omit Our and in heaven.
Luke 11:2 Some witnesses to the text omit Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Luke 11:4 Literally everyone who is indebted to us
Luke 11:4 A few witnesses to the text omit but deliver us from evil. See the footnote on Matthew 6:13 for the traditional ending of the Lordās Prayer.
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Jesus heard that they had thrown [the formerly blind man] out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. John 9:35-38
Giving Sight to the Blind
Imagine what it would be like: being blind all your life and then suddenly you can see; going from living in utter darkness to having powerful and colorful light instantly pouring into your eyes! Ironically, that kind of newly discovered light must be blinding.
But those who have come to trust in Jesus as their Savior from sin and death don’t need to imagine what this must be like, because they once lived in the most dreadful darkness, the dark shadow of sin and death. What’s worse, the apostle Paul once described those who once lived in unbelief as people who “were dead in your transgressions and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Being spiritually blind is bad enough. Being spiritually dead seems like an unescapable sentence.
But that’s why Jesus comes, to give sight to the blind and raise the dead. Already 700 years before his birth, the prophet Isaiah described Jesus’ work this way: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2). And Jesus himself explained why he comes to sinners like you and me, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).
While it was indeed a miracle for Jesus to give sight to the blind manāuntil that day the man had never seenāthe far greater miracle was when Jesus granted him the eyes of faith. He asked the man, “Do you believe in the Son of Man,” the Messiah? “Who is he, sir,” the man responded. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus replied, “You have now seen him.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe.”
Through his powerful Word, Jesus also shows himself to us, giving sight to the blind and life to the dead. Let us also say, “Lord, I believe!”
Prayer:
Jesus, help me always see your perfect love and salvation. Amen.
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25Ā Just then, an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus, saying, āTeacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?ā
26Ā āWhat is written in the law?ā he asked him. āWhat do you read there?ā
27Ā He replied, āLove the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; [1] and, love your neighbor as yourself.ā [2]
28Ā He said to him, āYou have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.ā
29Ā But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, āAnd who is my neighbor?ā
30Ā Jesus replied, āA man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He fell among robbers who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31Ā It just so happened that a priest was going down that way. But when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32Ā In the same way, a Levite also happened to go there, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 33Ā A Samaritan, as he traveled, came to where the man was. When he saw him, he felt sorry for the man. 34Ā He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He put him on his own animal, took him to an inn, and took care of him. 35Ā The next day, when he left, he took out two denarii, [3] gave them to the innkeeper, and said, āTake care of him. Whatever extra you spend, I will repay you when I return.ā 36Ā Which of these three do you think acted like a neighbor to the man who fell among robbers?ā
37Ā āThe one who showed mercy to him,ā he replied.
Then Jesus told him, āGo and do likewise.ā
Mary and Martha
38Ā As they went on their way, Jesus came into a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39Ā She had a sister named Mary, who was sitting at the Lordās feet and was listening to his word. 40Ā But Martha was distracted with all her serving. She came over and said, āLord, donāt you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me.ā
41Ā The Lord answered and told her, āMartha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, 42Ā but one thing is needed. In fact, Mary has chosen that better part, which will not be taken away from her.ā
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Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about [Jesus]? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.” . . . To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out. John 9:17,34
Telling It Like It Is
The Pharisees were not wrong when they said to the blind man we meet in John chapter nine that he was “steeped in sin at birth.” They were simply telling it like it is. The Bible is clear on this point. What King David confessed about himself is most certainly true about all of us: “Surely, I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). This man was no different. He was indeed “steeped in sin at birth.”
The problem with the Pharisees’ assertion, however, is that they were likely not willing to make the same confession about themselves. Like Jesus’ own disciples, these haughty religious leaders assumed that this man had been born blind because of some terrible sin his parents had committed in the past or some sin God foresaw in the blind man’s future. Surely, they thought, this kind of serious birth defect signaled some sort of divine punishment for wrongdoing!
But the wrongdoing revealed in these verses was committed by the Pharisees, not the blind man. And the blindness on display is not the physical sort; it’s spiritual. And it’s alarming. It’s not as if Jesus never showed the Pharisees that he was the long-promised Messiah, the very Son of God. He proved it over and over again. But their seething hatred for Jesus and his Wordāyes, for the gospel itselfāprevented them from acknowledging the truth. It prompted them to fight against it and to fall further under Godās judgment into spiritual blindness.
It was left to the formerly blind man to tell it like it is. When they asked him who he believed Jesus was, he answered plainly, “He is a prophet,” one who faithfully proclaims the very Word of God; one who tells it like it is.
And what message does Jesus have for sinners like you and me? Two words: “You’re forgiven.”
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, give me the strength to hear your Word and follow you always. Amen.
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13Ā āWoe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14Ā But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you. 15Ā And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to hell. [1]16Ā Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.ā
17Ā The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, āLord, even the demons submit to us in your name!ā
18Ā He told them, āI was watching Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19Ā Look, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing will ever harm you. 20Ā Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names have been written in heaven.ā
21Ā In that same hour, Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, āI praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and have revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, because this was pleasing in your sight.
22Ā [2]āEverything was handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wants to reveal him.ā
23Ā Turning to the disciples, he said privately, āBlessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24Ā Indeed, I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things that you are seeing, yet did not see them, and to hear the things that you are hearing, yet did not hear them.ā
Footnotes
Luke 10:15 Greek hades
Luke 10:22 Some witnesses to the text add Turning to his disciples, Jesus said.
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They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided. John 9:13-16
A Rulebreaker
The Third Commandment could not be clearer: “Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy.” But to avoid all confusion, God went on to explain, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work” (Exodus 20:9-10).
So, Jesus is a rulebreaker, right? He worked on the Sabbath! He made mud, put it on a blind man’s eyes, and told him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, all of which led to this man seeing for the first time in his life. Some of the Pharisees could not help but conclude, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”
This wasn’t the first time Jesus had generated a heated debate by healing someone on the Sabbath. From the earliest days of his earthly ministry, Jesus was causing his opponents to have serious bouts of consternation as they tried to square Jesus’ claims of being the Son of God and the promised Messiah with his apparent refusal to obey God’s holy law.
But was it a refusal? Hardly. It was a fulfillment! Jesus once explained, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). His point was simple: of course, God wants us to honor him by resting from our labor at some point every week to hear and ponder his saving Word. But he also calls us to put his Word into practice by regularly demonstrating love for our neighbors in need. The Christian life is not an either/or proposition. It’s an everyday both/and way of life!
Our Savior never overturns God’s Word. Instead, he fulfills it. Perfectly.
Prayer:
Jesus, empower me to be like you more and more every day. Amen.
57Ā As they went on the way, a man said to him, āI will follow you wherever you go.ā
58Ā Jesus said to him, āFoxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.ā
59Ā He said to another man, āFollow me!ā
But he said, āLord, first let me go and bury my father.ā
60Ā Jesus told him, āLet the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.ā
61Ā Another man also said, āI will follow you, Lord, but first let me say good-bye to those at my home.ā
62Ā Jesus told him, āNo one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.ā
Jesus Appoints Seventy-Two
Luke 10
1Ā After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two [1] others and sent them out two by two ahead of him [2] to every town and place where he was about to go.
2Ā He told them, āThe harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field. 3Ā Go your way. Look, I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. 4Ā Do not carry a money bag or travelerās bag or sandals. Do not greet anyone along the way. 5Ā Whenever you enter a house, first say, āPeace be to this house.ā 6Ā And if a peaceful person is there, your peace will rest on him, but if not, it will return to you. 7Ā Remain in that same house, eating and drinking what they give you, because the worker is worthy of his pay. Do not keep moving from house to house. 8Ā Whenever you enter a town and they welcome you, eat what is set before you. 9Ā Heal the sick who are in the town and tell them, āThe kingdom of God has come near you.ā
10Ā āBut whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11Ā āEven the dust from your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this: The kingdom of God has come near.ā 12Ā I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom on that day than for that town.
Footnotes
Luke 10:1 Some witnesses to the text read seventy (also in verse 17).
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After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. John 9:6-7
Even Jesus Uses Tools
My wife will tell you. I’m not handy. Putting a tool in my hands can be a dangerous prospect, because Iām more likely to make the problem worse, not better. Tools are just not my thing. With some household projects, it might be wiser to give me a magic wand to wave than a hammer to swing, since the best chance for success would have to involve some miracle.
Jesus doesn’t need tools to fix things. The Bible makes that abundantly clear. He’s God, so he can do what he wants and can fix every problem without lifting a finger or batting an eye. But here’s the thing: often, Jesus uses tools to accomplish his saving will.
We see that truth plainly illustrated in John, chapter nine. When Jesus encountered a man born blind, he could have given him sight without saying a word or moving a muscle. But he didn’t. Instead, “he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.” Then he said, “Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam.”
What happened? John tells us that “the man went and washed, and came home seeing.” In other words, Jesus used toolsāspit, mud, words, and washingāto accomplish the glorious task of giving sight to the blind.
And he does the same for us! No, Jesus may never need to give or restore our physical sight to us. But he longs to bless us with the spiritual sight of saving faith and to sharpen it daily. But he doesn’t do either of those things without using tools. Instead, he uses the water of Holy Baptism and the wheat and wine of Holy Communion, combined with his powerful Word, to create and sustain faith in his people. He could have decided to do it differently, but he doesnāt. He uses tools.
Which means what? That he would have us use those same tools. Through them alone, Jesus gives saving sight to the blind!
Prayer:
Jesus, inspire me to use your Word and sacraments faithfully and to share your saving Word with others. Amen.
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1 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that had occurred during the days of Abraham. Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines at Gerar. 2Ā The Lord appeared to him and said, āDo not go down into Egypt. Live in the land where I tell you to live. 3Ā Live in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. 4Ā I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the sky and will give all these lands to your descendants. In your seed [1] all the nations of the earth will be blessed, 5Ā because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my requirements, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.ā
6Ā Isaac lived in Gerar. 7Ā When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, āShe is my sister.ā He was afraid to say, āShe is my wife,ā because he thought, āThe men of this place might kill me for Rebekah, since she is beautiful.ā 8Ā When he had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines happened to look out a window, and there was Isaac caressing Rebekah, his wife.
9Ā Abimelek called Isaac and said, āIt is obvious that she is your wife. So why did you say, āShe is my sisterā?ā
Isaac said to him, āBecause I thought, āIf I do not, I will die because of her.āā
10Ā Abimelek said, āWhat is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!ā
11Ā Abimelek gave this command to all the people: āWhoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.ā
12Ā Isaac planted grain in that land, and in the same year he reaped one hundred times as much as he had sown, because the Lord blessed him. 13Ā The man kept growing wealthier and wealthier until he became very great. 14Ā He possessed flocks and herds and a large household, so the Philistines were envious of him.
15Ā Now the Philistines had blocked all the wells that his fatherās servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. 16Ā Abimelek said to Isaac, āMove away from us, for you are much more powerful than we are.ā [2]
17Ā So Isaac departed from there, camped in the valley of Gerar, and lived there.
18Ā Isaac dug again the wells that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, because the Philistines had blocked them after the death of Abraham. He gave them the same names that his father had given them. 19Ā Isaacās servants dug in the valley along the stream bed and found a well there that provided a steady flow of water. 20Ā But the herdsmen of Gerar started a dispute with Isaacās herdsmen. They said, āThe water belongs to us.ā He named the well Esek, [3] because they argued with him. 21Ā They dug another well, but they started a dispute over that one also. He named it Sitnah. [4]22Ā He left that place and dug another well. They did not start a dispute over that one, so he called it Rehoboth. [5] He said, āNow the Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.ā
23Ā He traveled from there to Beersheba. 24Ā The Lord appeared to him the same night and said, āI am the God of Abraham your father. Do not be afraid, for I am with you, and I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.ā
25Ā He built an altar there and proclaimed [6] the name of the Lord. He pitched his tent there. Isaacās servants dug a well there.
26Ā Then Abimelek came from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his advisor and Phicol the commander of his army. 27Ā Isaac said to them, āWhy have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?ā
28Ā They said, āWe saw clearly that the Lord was with you. So we said, āLet there now be an oath between us, yes, between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you, 29Ā that you will do us no harm, since we have not touched you, and since we have done nothing but good for you, and we have sent you away in peace.ā Now you are blessed by the Lord.ā
30Ā He made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. 31Ā They got up the next morning and exchanged their oaths. Isaac sent them on their way, and they departed from him peacefully. 32Ā It so happened that on the same day Isaacās servants came and told him about a well that they had dug. They said to him, āWe have found water.ā 33Ā He called it Shibah. [7] Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba [8] to this day.
Esau and Jacob
34Ā When Esau was forty years old, he took two wives: Judith, the daughter of Beāeri the Hittite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35Ā They were a source of bitterness for Isaac and Rebekah.
Footnotes
Genesis 26:4 The literal rendering seed is retained here to show the continuity of the Messianic promises from Eve, through Abraham and David, to Christ, who was the promised Seed of the Woman.
Genesis 26:16 Or too numerous for us
Genesis 26:20 Esek means argument.
Genesis 26:21 Sitnah means opposition.
Genesis 26:22 Rehoboth means wide enough or enough room.
Genesis 26:25 Or called on
Genesis 26:33 Shibah means oath or seven.
Genesis 26:33 Beersheba means well of the oath or well of the seven.
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As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” John 9:1-3
The Way God Operates
One of the greatest difficulties we have in understanding our Creator God is that we assume he operates the way we do. We are tempted to judge him and his actions based on our own faulty criteria of what’s right and wrong, good and bad. When we do that, he seems to come up short, and his ways remain mysterious.
But God explains time and again in the Bible that he operates on an entirely different level. His forward-thinking plans and pursuits do not naturally square with our sinful human logic, which is bound by time and immediate self-gratification. He says through his prophet Isaiah, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). No wonder his ways are mysterious to us! But he’s not the one to blame; we are. We’re broken; he’s not!
We’re not alone in having to struggle with this intellectual and spiritual handicap. Jesus’ hand-picked disciples stumbled around as well, trying to understand why God does what he does and getting it wrong. For instance, they assumed that the man they encountered in today’s Bible reading had been born blind because either he or his parents had committed some terrible sin. But they were dead wrong. Jesus explained, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
Get that! God allowsāeven sendsāpainful suffering into our lives, and why? Because he hates us? No. So he can show us and others how powerful he is to save, now and forever.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me to see how you graciously work all things for my good. Amen.
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61Ā Rebekah set out with her female attendants. They rode on the camels and followed the man. Abrahamās servant took Rebekah and set out on his journey.
62Ā Isaac had come from the direction of Beāer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. 63Ā In the evening Isaac had gone out into the field to meditate. [1] He looked up and saw that there were camels coming. 64Ā Rebekah also looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she jumped down from the camel. 65Ā She said to the servant, āWho is that man who is walking through the field to meet us?ā
The servant said, āIt is my master.ā
She took her veil and covered herself. 66Ā The servant told Isaac everything that he had done. 67Ā Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarahās tent, and he took her as his wife. He loved her, and Isaac stopped mourning his motherās death.
Abrahamās Death
Genesis 25
1Ā Abraham had taken another wife. Her name was Keturah. 2Ā She bore Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah for him. 3Ā Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. The descendants of Dedan were the Ashshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. 4Ā The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaāah. All these were the descendants of Keturah.
5Ā Abraham left all that he had to Isaac. 6Ā To the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and during his lifetime he sent them away from Isaac his son to the territory that lay to the east.
7Ā The total days and years of Abrahamās life were one hundred seventy-five years. 8Ā Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man who lived a full life, and he was gathered to his people. 9Ā His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the Cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is near Mamre. 10Ā This was the field that Abraham had purchased from the descendants of Heth. Abraham was buried there with Sarah, his wife. 11Ā After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac, his son. Isaac lived near Beāer Lahai Roi.
The Descendants of Ishmael
12Ā Now this is the account about the development of the family line of Ishmael, Abrahamās son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarahās maid, had borne to Abraham.
13Ā The following are the names of the sons of Ishmael and the tribes that came from them, arranged in the order of their birth:
The firstborn of Ishmael was Nebaioth. Then came Kedar, Adbeāel, Mibsam, 14Ā Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15Ā Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16Ā These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, arranged by their settlements and by their camps. They were twelve chiefs, each with his own tribe.
17Ā The total years of the life of Ishmael were one hundred thirty-seven years. When he breathed his last and died, he was gathered to his people. 18Ā His people lived between Havilah and Shur, east of Egypt, as you go toward Ashshur. He lived in hostility toward [2] all his relatives.
The Family of Isaac
19Ā This is the account about the development of the family of Isaac, Abrahamās son.
Abraham became the father of Isaac. 20Ā Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, who was the daughter of Bethuel, an Aramean from Paddan Aram, and the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21Ā Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. The Lord answered his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22Ā The children fought with each other inside her. She said, āWhat is this? Why is this happening to me?ā She went to inquire of the Lord.
23Ā The Lord said to her:
Two nations are in your womb. Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger.
24Ā When it was time for her to give birth, it was true: There were twins in her womb. 25Ā The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau. [3]26Ā After that, his brother came out, with his hand grabbing Esauās heel. So he was named Jacob. [4] Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.
27Ā The boys grew up. Esau was a skillful hunter, an outdoorsman. Jacob was a quiet man, who stayed home among the tents. 28Ā Now Isaac loved Esau more, because he ate Esauās wild game. Rebekah loved Jacob. 29Ā Once Jacob was cooking stew, and Esau came in from the field, and he was starving. 30Ā Esau said to Jacob, āCome on, let me eat some of that red stew, that red stew there, because I am starving.ā (That is why Esau was also called Edom. [5])
31Ā Jacob said, āFirst, sell me your right as the firstborn.ā
32Ā Esau said, āLook, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?ā
33Ā Jacob said, āSwear to me first.ā
So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34Ā Jacob gave Esau bread and a stew made of lentils. Esau ate and drank, got up, and went on his way. So Esau treated his birthright as if it was worthless.
Footnotes
Genesis 24:63 Or relax. The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain.
Genesis 25:18 Or far away from
Genesis 25:25 Esau sounds like a Hebrew word for hairy.
Genesis 25:26 Jacob sounds like the Hebrew word for heel.
Genesis 25:30 Edom sounds like the Hebrew word for red.
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You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. Ephesians 5:8-11
Light in the Lord
If you get up early to go outside and wait for the sunrise, you know what it’s like to sit in darkness. Until the light comes, you can’t see anything because the darkness hides things, obscures things, and makes things impossible to see.
But then, just as you think the darkness couldn’t get any deeper, you finally see it. The horizon begins to brighten in the east, and dawn begins to break. The sun begins its ascent into the sky, and its light is now cast all around you. It’s a total transformation! Everything you couldn’t see before is now visible.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Just as the sun breaks the darkness of the earth when it rises in the east each morning, Jesus has also broken the spiritual darkness that once covered our world and our lives.
Oh, what an impact this has on every single day of your life! In the darkness, you can’t see. But in the light, you can! In the darkness, you can’t function. But in the light, you can! Now, you can live as a child of the light. It’s a total transformation!
“Fruitless deeds of darkness” aren’t a part of who you are anymore because “You are light in the Lord.”
Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Light of the world, and you have made me light by bringing me into the light of your forgiveness, mercy, and love. Bless and keep me always as you give me the strength to now live like who I am by faith in you, my Savior. Amen.
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1 Abraham was very old, well into old age. The Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. 2Ā Abraham said to his servant, the senior supervisor of his house, who was in charge of everything that he had, āPlease put your hand under my thigh. 3Ā You must swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. 4Ā Instead, you shall go to my country and to my relatives and acquire a wife for my son Isaac.ā
5Ā The servant said to him, āWhat if the woman is not willing to follow me to this land? In that case, should I take your son back to the land that you came from?ā
6Ā Abraham said to him, āLet me make it very clear to you that you are not to take my son back there again. 7Ā The Lord, the God of heaven, took me away from my fatherās house and from the land of my birth. He spoke to me and swore to me, saying, āI will give this land to your descendants.ā [1] The Lord will send his angel ahead of you, so you shall find a wife for my son from there. 8Ā If the woman is not willing to follow you, you will be released from this oath. But under no circumstances shall you take my son back there.ā
9Ā The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter. 10Ā The servant took ten of his masterās camels and set out. He took a variety of goods from his master with him. He set out and went to Mesopotamia [2] to the city of Nahor. 11Ā He made the camels kneel down by the well outside the city. It was evening, the time when women go out to draw water. 12Ā He said, āO Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13Ā Here I am, standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14Ā Let this be the test: The young lady to whom I say, āPlease let down your water jar, so that I may drink,ā will say, āDrink, and I will also give your camels a drink.ā She will be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. This is how I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.ā
15Ā Before he had even finished speaking, out came Rebekah with her water jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abrahamās brother. 16Ā The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin, who had never been intimate with any man. She went down to the spring, filled her water jar, and came up. 17Ā The servant ran to meet her and said, āPlease give me a drink, a little water from your water jar.ā
18Ā She said, āDrink, my lord.ā She quickly let down her water jar into her hands and gave him a drink. 19Ā When she was done giving him a drink, she said, āI will also draw water for your camels, until they have finished drinking.ā 20Ā She hurried and emptied her water jar into the trough, ran to the well again to draw more water, and drew water for all his camels.
21Ā The man remained silent and watched her carefully to find out whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not. 22Ā Then, when the camels were finished drinking, the man took a gold nose ring that weighed half a shekel and two gold bracelets that weighed ten shekels [3] for her wrists. 23Ā Then he asked, āWhose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room for us to stay in your fatherās house?ā
24Ā She said to him, āI am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.ā 25Ā She also said to him, āWe have both straw and enough feed and enough room for you to spend the night.ā
26Ā The man bowed his head and worshipped the Lord. 27Ā He said, āBlessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his mercy and faithfulness toward my master. Indeed, the Lord has guided me to the house of my masterās relatives.ā
28Ā The young lady ran and told her motherās household about these things. 29Ā Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban ran out to the spring to meet the man. 30Ā When he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on his sisterās wrists, and after he heard the words from Rebekah his sister, who said, āThis is what the man said to me,ā he went to find the man. And there he was, standing next to the camels by the spring. 31Ā Laban said, āCome with me, you who are blessed by the Lord. Why are you standing outside when I have prepared the house and a place for the camels?ā
32Ā The man came to the house and unloaded the camels. Laban gave him straw and feed for the camels and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33Ā Food was set before him to eat, but he said, āI will not eat until I have delivered my message.ā
Laban said, āTell us.ā
34Ā He said, āI am Abrahamās servant. 35Ā The Lord has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. The Lord has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys. 36Ā Sarah, my masterās wife, bore a son for my master when she was old. My master has given him everything that he owns. 37Ā My master made me take an oath. He said, āYou must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I am living. 38Ā Instead, you shall go to my fatherās house and to my relatives and acquire a wife for my son.ā 39Ā I asked my master, āWhat if the woman will not follow me?ā 40Ā He said to me, āThe Lord, in whose presence I walk, will send his angel with you and give your journey success, and you will acquire a wife for my son from my relatives and from my fatherās house. 41Ā But you will be released from my oath, if, when you have come to my relatives, they do not give her to youāthen you will be released from my oath.ā 42Ā Today I came to the spring and said, āO Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if you now will bless my journey with success, 43Ā (here I am, standing by this spring of water) let this be the test: If the virgin who comes out to draw water (the one to whom I say, āPlease give me a little water to drink from your water jarā) 44Ā tells me, āDrink, and I will also draw water for your camels,ā she will be the woman whom the Lord has chosen for my masterās son.ā 45Ā Before I had finished saying this to myself, out came Rebekah with her water jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, āPlease give me a drink.ā 46Ā She hurried and lowered her water jar from her shoulder and said, āDrink, and I will also give your camels a drink.ā So I drank, and she also gave the camels a drink. 47Ā I asked her, āWhose daughter are you?ā She said, āThe daughter of Bethuel, Nahorās son, whom Milcah bore for him.ā I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48Ā I bowed my head and worshipped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to find the daughter of my masterās brother as a wife for his son. 49Ā Now if you will show mercy and faithfulness to my master here, tell me. If not, tell me, so that I may know whether to turn to the right or to the left.ā
50Ā Then Laban and Bethuel answered, āThis matter has been determined by the Lord. We cannot say anything to you either bad or good. 51Ā Look, Rebekah is right here in front of you. Take her and go, and let her become the wife of your masterās son, as the Lord has spoken.ā
52Ā So, when Abrahamās servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. 53Ā The servant brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and her mother. 54Ā He and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. They got up in the morning, and he said, āSend me on my way to my master.ā
55Ā Her brother and her mother said, āLet the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she can go.ā
56Ā He said to them, āDo not hold me back, since the Lord has granted my journey success. Send me on my way so that I can go to my master.ā
57Ā They said, āWe will call the young lady and ask her.ā 58Ā They called Rebekah and asked her, āDo you want to go with this man?ā
She said, āI do.ā
59Ā So they sent all of them on their wayātheir sister Rebekah with her nurse, Abrahamās servant, and his men. 60Ā They blessed Rebekah and said to her, āMay you, our sister, be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your offspring take possession of the gates of those who hate them.ā
Footnotes
Genesis 24:7 Or offspring
Genesis 24:10 Also called Aram Naharaim, Aram of the Two Rivers. This area is in northern Syria, along the border with Turkey.
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You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8
Live Today in Confidence
This isn’t an easy part of the Bible to read. It says some very uncomfortable things about us. Here, the apostle Paul describes us as “ungodly” and “sinners.” Those aren’t pleasant descriptors. But unfortunately, they are accurate. And, because of our ungodly ways and our sinful thoughts, words and actions, our Maker could have let us die in those sins and be separated from him forever. It is what we would have deserved.
But instead, God chose to love us! Yes, in an amazing act of HIS will, he determined that he would come to this earth for you and me and all people, would live for us, would die for us. In an amazing act of his will, he determined to save us. In an amazing act of love, Christ came and died in our place. God has chosen to love us with the most amazing love ever.
So, you can live today in confidence, knowing that God is on your side, knowing that God loves you dearly!
Prayer:
Assure me that you have chosen to love me, dear Savior. Fill me with peace because of it. Amen.
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1 Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. That was the length of Sarahās life. 2Ā Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
3Ā Then Abraham got up from beside his deceased wife. He went and spoke to the descendants of Heth. [1] He said, 4Ā āI am an alien who has settled among you. Let me have a piece of property for a burial place among you where I may bury my dead in their final resting place.ā [2]5Ā The descendants of Heth answered Abraham, 6Ā āListen to us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will withhold his tomb from you. Bury your dead.ā
7Ā Abraham stood up and bowed down to the people of the land, that is, to the descendants of Heth. 8Ā He said to them, āIf you have agreed that I may bury my dead in their final resting place, then listen to me, and speak to Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf, 9Ā so that he gives me the Cave of Machpelah, which is at the end of the field that he owns. Let him give it to me for the full price so that I may own a burial site among you.ā
10Ā Now Ephron was sitting among the descendants of Heth. Ephron the Hittite responded to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who were gathered at the city gate. He said, 11Ā āNo, my lord, listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.ā
12Ā Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. 13Ā He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land. He said, āNo, but if you are willing, please listen to me. I will give the money [3] for the field. Accept it from me, and I will bury my dead there.ā
14Ā Ephron responded to Abraham, 15Ā āMy lord, listen to me. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between me and you? Go ahead, bury your dead.ā
16Ā Abraham accepted Ephronās offer, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the price that Ephron had quoted to him in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels [4] of silver, according to the current standard of the merchants at that time.
17Ā So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, near Mamreāthe field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were within the boundaries of the field were deeded 18Ā to Abraham as his property. This was done in the presence of all the Hittites, who were assembled at the gate of the city. 19Ā After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave in the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan. 20Ā The field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the descendants of Heth as his property to be used as a burial site.
Footnotes
Genesis 23:3 There is no known connection between these Canaanites (Genesis 10:15) and the later Indo-European Hittites of Anatolia (Turkey). The well-known Hittites of Anatolia did not actually call themselves Hittites but were given this name because of the mistaken belief that they were related to this people in the Bible.
Genesis 23:4 Literally out of my sight, also in verse 8
Genesis 23:13 Literally the silver. There were no coins at this time. Silver or gold were weighed out to serve as money.
Genesis 23:16 A shekel was about a half ounce or a bit less, but its weight varied with time and place, as the parenthetical comment indicates.
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They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” The LORD answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people . . . I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” Exodus 17:3,5-6
Water from a Rock
If you grew up in a home like mine and you complained about your food, you heard your parents say something like this: “There are starving children in Africa who would love to have that food.” Whether the reasoning was sound, the point was that we should be thankful for what we had instead of complaining.
The temptation to be dissatisfied with what we have has plagued humanity for almost as long as this world has existed. But what if it is a basic need that seems to be missing? The nation of Israel was in the wilderness. No running water. No cool springs, pools, or streams to draw water from. We can live without food, but water is essential. Didnāt God care enough to provide?
But God wasn’t ignoring their need. With a miracle, he would show that he was the one who provided for them. He told Moses to strike a rock with his staff, and water flowed out of that rock for them to drink.
How patient God was with them. How patient God is with us. We grumble and complain; yet he patiently continues to provide just what we need every day.
The greatest gift he provides is another Rock. The Bible later comments on this time period and says, “They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:3-4).
Jesus was always with them, and he is always with us, too. In his word of grace, he gives us the essential water for our spiritual lives. Through that living water that flows from Jesus, we are rescued from the wilderness we deserve because of our sins. And we are kept alive to dwell with our God, whose patient love for us always provides everything we need and more! Thanks be to God!
Prayer:
Jesus, forgive my grumbling and lack of trust. Pour out your living and life-giving water to quench my thirsty soul. Amen.
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22Ā At that time Abimelek and Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham. He said, āGod is with you in everything that you do. 23Ā Now swear to me here by God that you will not deal treacherously with me, or with my son, or with my grandson. But just as I have been kind to you, you shall do the same for me and for the land in which you have lived as an alien.ā
24Ā Abraham said, āI will swear it.ā
25Ā Abraham complained to Abimelek because of a well which Abimelekās servants had seized violently. 26Ā Abimelek said, āI do not know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I did not hear about it until today.ā
27Ā Abraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek. The two of them made a treaty. [1]28Ā Abraham set aside seven ewe lambs from the flock.
29Ā Abimelek said to Abraham, āWhy have you set these seven ewe lambs by themselves?ā
30Ā He said, āYou shall accept these seven ewe lambs from my hand as legal testimony that I have dug this well.ā 31Ā Therefore, he called that place Beersheba, [2] because they both took an oath there. 32Ā So they made a treaty at Beersheba. Then Abimelek got up with Phicol, the commander of his army, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. 33Ā Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he proclaimed [3] the name of the Lord, the Eternal God. 34Ā Abraham lived as an alien in the land of the Philistines for a long time. [4]
Abraham Offers Isaac
Genesis 22
1Ā Some time later God tested Abraham. He called to him, āAbraham!ā
Abraham answered, āI am here.ā
2Ā God said, āNow take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains there, the one to which I direct you.ā
3Ā Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, along with Isaac his son. Abraham split the wood for the burnt offering. Then he set out to go to the place that God had told him about. 4Ā On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
5Ā Abraham said to his young men, āStay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go on over there. We will worship, and then we will come back to you.ā 6Ā Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and loaded it on Isaac his son. He took the firepot and the knife in his hand. The two of them went on together.
7Ā Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, āMy father?ā
He said, āI am here, my son.ā
He said, āHere are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?ā
8Ā Abraham said, āGod himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.ā So the two of them went on together. 9Ā They came to the place that God had told him about. Abraham built the altar there. He arranged the wood, tied up Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10Ā Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
11Ā The Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, āAbraham, Abraham!ā
Abraham said, āI am here.ā
12Ā He said, āDo not lay your hand on the boy. Do not do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.ā
13Ā Abraham looked around and saw that behind him there was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14Ā Abraham called the name of that place āThe Lord Will Provide.ā [5] So it is said to this day, āOn the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.ā
15Ā The Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16Ā and said, āI have sworn by myself, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17Ā I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your descendants greatly, like the stars of the sky and like the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the city gates of their enemies. 18Ā In your seed [6] all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.ā
19Ā Then Abraham returned to his young men, and they set out and traveled together to Beersheba. Abraham lived at Beersheba.
20Ā Some time after these things Abraham was told, āListen. Milcah also has borne children for your brother Nahor. 21Ā They are Uz his firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22Ā Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.ā 23Ā Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight sons Milcah bore for Nahor, Abrahamās brother. 24Ā Nahorās concubine, whose name was Reumah, also gave birth to Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maāakah.
Footnotes
Genesis 21:27 Or covenant
Genesis 21:31 Beersheba can mean well of the oath or well of seven.
Genesis 21:33 Or called on
Genesis 21:34 Literally for many days. In Hebrew this can cover months or even years.
Genesis 22:14 Or Yahweh Jireh or Yahweh Who Sees
Genesis 22:18 The literal rendering seed is retained here to indicate the continuity of the Messianic promise from Eve, through Abraham and David, to Christ, who was the promised Seed of the Woman.
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Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Psalm 95:6-7
Under His Care
Imagine a shepherd who takes care of sheep. However, he is only concerned about making sure that they have food to eat. As long as the grass is growing in the field, nothing else matters. Or he only thinks about providing shelter. As long as the barn or the sheep pen is in good repair, he thinks he’s done his job.
Such a shepherd won’t be a shepherd for long. The sheep may be well fed but have no protection from wolves that want to attack. They may have shelter but lack the basic food and water they need to survive. No, that would be unthinkable. A shepherd needs to attend to all the needs of his sheep.
Today’s Bible verse invites us to worship the Lord because he is our Maker. Reflecting on all that we are and all that we have from the Lord who made heaven and earth leads us to joyful worship. But then he adds another even greater reason to worship. “He is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.”
The God who made us is the Shepherd who cares for us. Who better to care for us than he? He knows our needs, inside and out. He knows the diseases that threaten our bodies and our souls. He sees the wolves that want to attack and destroy us. He knows the nourishment our hearts need not only to survive but to thrive.
With his innocent life and death, Jesus crushed Satan’s power to accuse and destroy us, no matter what weāve done. With the nourishing food of his Word, he feeds our faith to receive forgiveness and the life he won at the cross.
No, not a single need escapes his notice. Not a single need is beyond his care. He consistently, lovingly, and perfectly provides for all our needs. And he blesses us every day with one goal in mindāto bring us safely into his eternal pastures, where we will praise him forever.
Prayer:
God, my Maker and my Shepherd, I worship and praise you for your perfect love and care for me. Amen.
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1Ā Abraham traveled from there toward the Negev, and he lived between Kadesh and Shur. He lived as a resident alien in Gerar. 2Ā About his wife Sarah Abraham said, āShe is my sister.ā Abimelek king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3Ā But God came to Abimelek in a dream during the night and said to him, āListen to me! You are a dead man because of the woman you have taken, because she has a husband.ā
4Ā Now Abimelek had not come near her. He said, āLord, will you kill even a righteous nation? 5Ā Didnāt he tell me, āShe is my sisterā? Even she herself said, āHe is my brother.ā I have done this with a sincere heart and innocent hands.ā
6Ā God said to him in the dream, āYes, I know that you have done this with a sincere heart, so I also prevented you from sinning against me. That is why I did not allow you to touch her. 7Ā Now therefore, return the manās wife. He is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you do not return her, know for sure that you will die, you along with all who are yours.ā
8Ā Abimelek rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told them all these things. The men were terrified. 9Ā Then Abimelek summoned Abraham and said to him, āWhat have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought this great sin on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done!ā 10Ā Abimelek said to Abraham, āWhat did you see in us that made you do this?ā
11Ā Abraham said, āI did it because I said to myself, āSurely they do not fear God in this place. They will kill me to get my wife.ā 12Ā Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13Ā When God had me migrate from my fatherās house, I said to her, āThis is the kindness that you shall show to me: Everywhere that we go, say about me, āHe is my brother.āāā
14Ā Abimelek took sheep and cattle, male servants and female servants, and he gave them to Abraham. He also returned Sarah, his wife, to him. 15Ā Abimelek said, āLook, my land is in front of you. Dwell wherever it pleases you.ā 16Ā To Sarah he said, āLook, I have given your brother a thousand pieces [1] of silver. You see, it covers any offense in the eyes of everyone who is with you. In front of all of them you are vindicated.ā
17Ā Abraham prayed to God. God healed Abimelek and his wife and his female servants, so that they were able to bear children. 18Ā For the Lord had closed up tight all the wombs of the household of Abimelek over the matter of Sarah, Abrahamās wife.
The Birth of Isaac
Genesis 21
1Ā The Lord visited [2] Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised. 2Ā Sarah conceived and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age, at the set time which God had announced to him. 3Ā Abraham named the son who was born to himāthe son whom Sarah had borne to himā [3] Isaac. [4]4Ā Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5Ā Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6Ā Sarah said, āGod has made me laugh. Everyone who hears will laugh with me.ā 7Ā She said, āWho would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne a son for him in his old age.ā
8Ā The child grew and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9Ā Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham, laughing at Isaac. 10Ā Therefore, she said to Abraham, āThrow out this slave girl [5] and her son! For the son of this slave will not be heir with my son Isaac.ā
11Ā Abraham was very distressed because of his son. 12Ā God said to Abraham, āDo not be so distressed because of the boy and because of your maid. [6] Listen to everything that Sarah says to you, because the family line of your descendants [7] will be traced through Isaac. 13Ā I will also make the son of the maid into a nation because he too is your offspring.ā
14Ā Abraham got up early in the morning. He took bread and a waterskin, which he gave to Hagar, putting it over her shoulder. He sent her away with her child. She set out and wandered in the wilderness near Beersheba. 15Ā The water in the skin was used up, and she dragged the child under one of the bushes. 16Ā She went and sat down by herself, across from him, at a distance, about a bow shot away, because she said, āDo not let me see the death of the child.ā She sat across from him and wept loudly.
17Ā God heard the boyās voice, and the Angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said to her, āWhat is wrong, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the boyās voice right where he is. 18Ā Get up. Help the boy up, and take him by the hand, because I will make him into a great nation.ā
19Ā God opened her eyes, and she saw a well with water in it. She went, filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink. 20Ā God was with the boy, and as he grew up, he lived in the wilderness and became an archer. 21Ā He lived in the wilderness of Paran. His mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
Footnotes
Genesis 20:16 No unit of measurement is specified. It most likely was shekels.
Genesis 21:1 In the Bible, visit means to bring blessing or judgment. Here it obviously is the former.
Genesis 21:3 Hebrew narrative style is often repetitious. We have tried to preserve that style.
Genesis 21:3 Isaac means he laughs.
Genesis 21:10 The word which is used in this chapter for female slave or servant (amah) is said to be somewhat higher than the one used in connection with Ishmaelās birth in chapter 16 (shiphchah). See the note to verse 12.
Genesis 21:12 The word which is used in this chapter for female slave or servant (amah) is allegedly somewhat higher than the one used in connection with Ishmaelās birth in chapter 16 (shiphchah). In Sarahās eyes, Hagar is still a slave, but as Sarahās surrogate, she also has the status of a secondary wife of Abraham. It is not clear, however, whether any distinction is intended by this shift of terms. Critics, of course, see the shift as evidence of two sources.
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We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5
Filled with His Love
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” “No pain, no gain.” People say such things to encourage someone not to give up in difficult circumstances. It could be an athletic training regimen, a cancer treatment program, or just the emptiness that comes when we experience loss.
If you are like me, if someone says something like this, there’s a part of you that thinks, “That’s easy for you to say. You are not going through it.” Or you find yourself wondering if the suffering and pain are worth the possible gain you might receive.
Today’s Bible verses might sound like one of those “no pain, no gain” pep talks: “You are going to suffer, but keep your chin up. It will make you stronger and better in the end.”
But that’s not what St. Paul meant. Yes, he is trying to reshape our view of suffering, especially suffering because of our trust in Jesus. But it’s not about finding or forging personal strength by fighting through the pain and not giving up.
Instead, God wants our suffering to guide us in seeking answers and strength beyond ourselves. Our answers, our hope, our strength don’t come from a hidden reservoir inside of us but from what God himself pours into us.
The Bible says, “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” God loves us unconditionally and knows our struggles, wanting to rescue us from them.
That’s why Jesus came, to suffer so that we don’t have to, to conquer sin and death because we couldn’t. Only God has the strength to overcome every trouble. Only he could love us enough to do just that. And his loving promises never fail. Filled up with his unfailing love, we can keep going with the strength he provides. We can press on, fueled by confidence in his unfailing love.
Prayer:
God, pour your love into my heart, that I can face every day with the hope that you give. Amen.
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1 The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot, who was sitting in the gatehouse of Sodom, saw them and got up to meet them. He bowed down with his face to the ground, 2Ā and he said, āSee now, my lords, please turn aside into your servantās house and spend the night. Wash your feet, and you can get up early and go on your way.ā
They said, āNo, we will spend the night in the street.ā
3Ā But he kept urging them, so they came with him and entered his house. He made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4Ā But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from all parts of town. 5Ā They called to Lot and said to him, āWhere are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may be intimate with them.ā [1]
6Ā Lot went out to them and shut the door behind him. 7Ā He said, āPlease, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. 8Ā See now, I have two daughters who have not had relations with a man. Please let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them whatever seems good to you. Only do not do anything to these men, because they have come under the protection [2] of my roof.ā
9Ā They said, āGet out of our way!ā They also said, āThis fellow came to live here as an alien, and now he appoints himself as a judge. Now we will treat you worse than them!ā They kept pushing Lot back and were ready to break down the door. 10Ā But the men inside reached out and grabbed Lot and pulled him into the house with them and shut the door. 11Ā They struck the men who were pressing against the door of the house, both young and old, with blindness so that they wore themselves out trying to find the door.
12Ā The men said to Lot, āDo you have anyone else here? Sons-in-law, your sons, your daughters, whoever you have in the city, get them out of this place, 13Ā for we are going to destroy this place, because the outcry against it has grown great before the Lord, so the Lord has sent us to destroy it.ā
14Ā So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to his daughters in marriage. He said, āGet up! Get out of this place, for the Lord is going to destroy the city.ā But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.
15Ā When the dawn came, the angels urged Lot, āGet going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, so that you will not be swept away by the guilt of the city.ā 16Ā But Lot was taking too much time, so the men grabbed his hand, his wifeās hand, and the hands of his two daughters, because of the Lordās compassion for him. They led him out and placed him outside of the city. 17Ā Then when they had taken them out, one of them said, āRun for your life! Donāt look behind you, and donāt stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, so that you are not swept away!ā
18Ā Lot said to them, āOh no, my lord. [3]19Ā See now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great mercy by saving my life. I cannot flee to the mountains, or this disaster will stick with me, and I will die. 20Ā Look, this city is close enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Please let me flee thereāisnāt it just a little one?āso that my life will be saved.ā
21Ā The man said to him, āVery well, I have granted your request concerning this thing, so I will not overthrow the city that you have spoken about. 22Ā Hurry, flee there, because I cannot do anything until you get there.ā So the city was named Zoar. [4]
23Ā The sun had risen over the land when Lot came to Zoar. 24Ā Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire out of the sky from the Lord. 25Ā He overthrew those cities, as well as all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and whatever grew in the soil.
26Ā But Lotās wife, who was behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
27Ā Abraham got up early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 28Ā He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of the plain. As he looked, he saw that the smoke from the land was going up like the smoke from a kiln.
29Ā And so when God destroyed the cities of the plain, God remembered Abraham and brought Lot out through the middle of the devastation, when he overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.
Lot and His Daughters
30Ā Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the mountains, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. His two daughters were with him. He lived in a cave with his two daughters. 31Ā The firstborn said to the younger, āOur father is old, and there is not a man in the land to come to us as normally takes place everywhere on earth. 32Ā Come on, letās get our father to drink wine, and we will lie down with him, that we may preserve our fatherās seed.ā [5]33Ā They got their father to drink wine that night, and the firstborn went and lay down with her father. He did not know it when she lay down or when she got up.
34Ā Then the next day the firstborn said to the younger, āLook, last night I lay down with my father. Let us get him to drink wine again tonight. You go and lie down with him, so that we may preserve our fatherās seed.ā 35Ā They got their father to drink wine that night also. Then the younger went and lay with him. He did not know it when she lay down or when she got up. 36Ā In this way both of Lotās daughters became pregnant by their father.
37Ā The firstborn gave birth to a son and named him Moab. [6] He is the father of the Moabites to this day. 38Ā The younger also gave birth to a son and called his name Ben Ammi. [7] He is the father of the people of Ammon to this day.
Footnotes
Genesis 19:5 Literally that we may know them. Shocking as the crime is, the text places a euphemism into the mouths of the perpetrators. The next verses make their intentions clear.
Genesis 19:8 Literally the shadow
Genesis 19:18 The Hebrew has this written as Adonai, the divine name Lord or an emphatic plural my lords. The Greek Old Testament has the singular my lord.
Genesis 19:22 Zoar means little.
Genesis 19:32 Seed here refers to semen and to the offspring that result from it.
Genesis 19:37 In Hebrew Moab sounds like from the father.
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Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” John 4:17-18
Dehydration
Jesus met a woman at a well outside of her village one day. They started talking, and before long, her whole life was out in the open. He knew all about her. She couldn’t pretend to be someone she wasn’t. Her past sins and her current sinful living arrangement were no longer secrets. She had made excuses and rationalized her behavior in the past. However, that didn’t bring any real relief to the condition of her soul. What Jesus said revealed that she was spiritually dehydrated. What Jesus said revealed how desperately she needed living water.
What proof of spiritual dehydration would Jesus point out in your life? What sins for which you’ve made excuses? What sins did you hope were hidden or forgotten? Would he mention a disregard for marriage in the way you live each day? Would he point to choices about how you spend your time or money that don’t put God first? Would he ask questions that reveal grudges you don’t want to let go of or anger that you let fester in your heart? Would he uncover lies you have told or hurtful things you have said?
In his Word, Jesus uses the commands of the law to awaken in us a spiritual thirst that no amount of effort or excuses can satisfy. He shows us that what naturally wells up in us is filthy sludge that can only lead to death and not the pure, clean water that leads to eternal life.
Jesus himself is the pure living water we need. He entered the wasteland of our world and found spiritual refreshment every day in God’s Word. Then he hung on a cross, thirsty not just from the physical toll of crucifixion but from the spiritual dehydration of our sins that he took as his own. Now he refreshes us with the promise that our sins are forgiven. Our guilt is gone. He revives us with his mercy. Through his death and resurrection, he gives us new life that will never end.
Prayer:
Jesus, give me living water every day in the promise of your forgiveness. Amen.
1 The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he was sitting by the door to his tent during the heat of the day. 2Ā Abraham looked up, and he saw three men standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and he bowed down to the ground. 3Ā He said, āMy lord, [1] if I have now found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by. 4Ā Now let me get a little water so that all of you can wash your feet and rest under the tree. 5Ā Let me get some bread so that you can refresh yourselves. After that you may go your way. That is why you have come to your servant.ā
They said, āYes, do as you have said.ā
6Ā Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, āQuickly prepare twenty quarts [2] of fine flour, knead it, and make some loaves of bread.ā 7Ā Abraham ran to the herd, brought a good, tender calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to prepare it. 8Ā He took cheese curds, milk, and the calf that he had prepared and set it before them. He stood beside them under the tree while they ate.
9Ā They asked him, āWhere is Sarah, your wife?ā
He said, āShe is over there in the tent.ā
10Ā One of the men said, āI will certainly return to you when this season comes around next year. Then Sarah your wife will have a son.ā
Sarah was listening to this from the tent door, which was behind him. 11Ā Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well into old age. Sarah was past the age for childbearing. [3]12Ā Sarah laughed to herself, saying, āAfter I am worn out, will I have pleasure, since my lord is also old?ā
13Ā The Lord said to Abraham, āWhy did Sarah laugh and say, āWill I really give birth to a child though I am old?ā 14Ā Is anything impossible for the Lord? At the set time next year I will return to you, and Sarah will have a son.ā
15Ā Then Sarah denied it and said, āI did not laugh,ā because she was afraid.
The Lord said, āYes, you did laugh.ā
16Ā The men got up from there and looked down toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way. 17Ā The Lord said, āShould I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18Ā since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him? 19Ā For I have chosen him, [4] so that he may command his children and his household who follow after him to keep the way of the Lord by carrying out righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may deliver to Abraham what he has promised him.ā
20Ā So the Lord said, āBecause the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very flagrant, 21Ā I will go down now and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has come to me. If not, I will know.ā
22Ā The two men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord. 23Ā Abraham approached him and said, āWill you really sweep away the righteous along with the wicked? 24Ā What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep them away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? 25Ā You would never do such a thing, killing the righteous along with the wicked, treating the righteous the same as the wicked. You would never do such a thing. The Judge of all the earth should do right, shouldnāt he?ā
26Ā The Lord said, āIf I find fifty righteous people within the city of Sodom, then I will spare the entire place for their sake.ā
27Ā Abraham answered, āSee now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it on myself to speak to my Lord. 28Ā What if there are five fewer than fifty righteous? Will you destroy the entire city if the number is five short?ā
He said, āI will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.ā
29Ā He spoke to him yet again and said, āWhat if only forty are found there?ā
He said, āI will not do it for the sake of the forty.ā
30Ā He said, āPlease, do not be angry, my Lord, but I will speak again. What if thirty are found there?ā
He said, āI will not do it if I find thirty there.ā
31Ā He said, āSee now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to my Lord. What if there are twenty found there?ā
He said, āI will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.ā
32Ā He said, āPlease, do not be angry, my Lord, but I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?ā
He said, āI will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.ā
33Ā As soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham, the Lord went on his way, and Abraham returned to his place.
Footnotes
Genesis 18:3 Or my Lord. The Hebrew writes this word as Adonai. That would make this a divine name, Lord, but did Abraham already recognize that the man was God?
Genesis 18:6 Or thirty-six pounds. Hebrew three seahs. This is a huge amount.
Genesis 18:11 Literally the way of women had ceased for Sarah
https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/842x474-ThroughMyBible1.jpg474842Martin Spriggshttps://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/WELSnet-Logo-2021.pngMartin Spriggs2026-03-09 01:00:022026-05-05 11:55:55Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 09
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” John 4:10
If You Knew
Knowledge is power. When you know a problem, you can address it. When you have the background of a situation, you are better equipped to assess it and react appropriately. Proper education and training are essential for achieving objectives and goals within a given field.
One day, Jesus was talking to a woman in a village he was passing through. She had not met him before. Both his ethnicity and his gender as a Jewish man would have made a public conversation between the two of them culturally inappropriate at that time.
But Jesus was willing to work past those cultural norms. He began the conversation by asking her for a drink of water. When she responded with surprise and suspicion, what he said got her attention even more: “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
“If you knew…” But she didn’t. To her, Jesus was just a bold Jewish rabbi. But he was so much more. He was the Son of God who gave physical water its qualities that are so important for life. He was the Messiah, who came from God to quench the needs of thirsty souls with his grace, mercy, and forgiving love. He was the only one who could solve her deepest need and ours.
Jesus wants us to know him, too. When we know who he is, we eagerly come to him with every need of our thirsty souls, knowing that he will meet each one. He already has. By taking our sins on himself, he set us free from guilt. By giving his life for us, he rescued us from death. By rising from the dead, he gave us eternal life with him. No need is too great for him.
In the Bible, Jesus invites you to get to know him better. Then, knowing how he loves to bless you, turn to him in every time of need.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, lead me to your Word to know you better and, knowing you, to come to you for every blessing. Amen.
https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/842x474-Custom-Post-MondayDevotion.jpg474842welshttps://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/WELSnet-Logo-2021.pngwels2026-03-09 00:30:052026-03-04 16:00:59If You Knew – March 9, 2026
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