Luke 9:23-25

February 25, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?’” (Luke 9:23-25)

These verses demonstrate the upside-down nature of following Jesus. Jesus opens with the conjunction if, showing the conditional nature of what he is about to say. 

IF you want to follow me, THEN you must deny yourself. That’s a demanding condition because I don’t like to deny myself. I like what I like, and I want what I want. BUT Jesus says I have to deny myself to follow him. He is not just another add-on in my life. 

Next, he says, if I focus on my own life, I will lose it. That is so counterintuitive! Saving my life will cause me to lose it? But by surrendering my life, I will actually gain life? I think what he means here is if we forget about ourselves and pursue him, we will find true life because he is LIFE (Jn 14:6). 

He continues with a question: What have you gained if by focusing on yourself, you gain the whole world? The point? Whatever it is, it is a loss compared to what you will gain IF you follow me.

This requires faith. When I pursue the world, I can see the results in wealth and power. When I pursue Jesus, my soul grows, and my reward in glory grows. If I deny myself, the outcome is joy. If I focus on this world, the outcome will be miserable in comparison. 

Father, please help me to deny myself and follow Jesus with abandon. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Gospels, Jesus Said, Luke, New Testament

Luke 8:21

February 24, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“But he answered them, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it’” (Luke 8:21).

Notice the emphasis that Jesus places on hearing and doing the word of God. He is not satisfied with those who specialize in knowing the word of God, but don’t do it.

I have been guilty of reading God’s word for the sake of knowledge, hoping to use it to fix other people. For many years, I gave little to no consideration to how the word of God applied to me or that I should actually be doing it.

Jesus has a close familial category for those who hear and do his word. He is not saying that his biological family is unimportant, but is emphasizing the closeness he has with those who hear and do his word.

Father, please help me be more thoughtful about how I can do your word. Help me faithfully apply to myself what I learn from your word. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, discipleship, Gospels, Luke

Luke 7:4-7, 9

February 23, 2026 by Leave a Comment

Luke 7:4-7, 9

“And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.’ And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore, I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.’ (4-7)

When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’”(9‬)

This story illustrates the difference between faith and works. Let’s build it out. The characters in this story are 1) the Roman centurion and his servant, 2) the Jewish elders, and 3) Jesus.

The first thing that should leap off the page for us is the oddity of the partnership between the elders of the Jews and the Roman centurion. Typically, the conquered have a strained relationship with their conqueror. But, the oddness of this relationship is elevated because of the religious distinctions between Romans and Jews. Yet both considerations are apparently overlooked by the elders of the Jews, who deemed him worthy because “he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” The elders deemed him worthy of Jesus’ attention because he did something significant for them. In other words, he earned it.

Contrast that with the centurion’s thoughts. “I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.”

The elders and the centurion saw the need in the same way. Their starting point was the same. Their path to the request was different. The elders said he deserved Jesus’ help. The centurion said he was not worthy to be in Jesus’ presence. He also added that he knew Jesus could heal his servant from afar. While it may not be obvious at the first reading, Jesus viewed these additional words as a demonstration of the centurion’s faith. So much so that Jesus said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”

Luke concludes his telling of this story with these words: “And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well” (7‬:‭10‬). Matthew provides a more detailed conclusion, emphasizing the centurion’s faith: “And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment” (Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭13‬).

In summary, we see two approaches to Jesus: 1) works-based, and 2) faith-based. Note that it was the latter that caused Jesus to marvel and remark that he had not seen such faith in all of Israel (Luke 7:9 and Matthew 8:10).

I think we, too, can cause Jesus to marvel when we stop looking at our perceived accomplishments, and focus on him. What can I offer Jesus but a broken and contrite heart full of faith?

Father, help me have a genuine, humble faith similar to the centurion’s. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Faith, Gospels, humility, Luke

Luke 6:31

February 22, 2026 by Leave a Comment

Luke 6:31

“And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”

This chapter hits hard. There are so many things that stand out.

“Do unto others as you would have them do to you” is often called the Golden Rule. This rule is fairly easy to understand. However, it is often illustrated in reverse. For example, “Don’t lie, steal, or cheat because you don’t want people to do those things to you.” This formulation, which I have used with kids, is more akin to the Jewish sage Hillel, who said, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow.” (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 31a) Notice that the focus is on not doing what you don’t like. One could fulfill Hillel’s formulation by doing nothing.

Jesus requires his disciples to actually do something. Figure out how you want to be treated, then go and do that to others. However, before we smile and say, “I like Joe, so I will always be nice or honest or forgiving toward him,” we must recognize that the context of Jesus’ command is dealing with our enemies.

The verses leading to the Golden Rule list all the people we would desire to avoid:

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.” (Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭27‬-‭30‬)

Jesus commands action from us, not passivity or avoidance. That hits hard.

Father, help me to love those whom I perceive as enemies and wrongdoers. Please help me do the hard things for your glory. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Gospels, Luke

Luke 5:10-11, 27-28

February 21, 2026 by Leave a Comment

Luke 5:10-11, 27-28

“… And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. (11-12)

After this, he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything, he rose and followed him” ‭(27‬-‭28‬).

In this chapter, we see the Lord call Peter, James, John, and Levi [Matthew]. And we see them respond by abandoning everything to follow him.

At that moment, they released their grips on the things of this world and followed. Jesus was assembling a team to turn the world upside down with the news of his coming. In this chapter, we see that he is drawing together people from different backgrounds. These guys are fishermen and a tax collector.

We should not overlook others who encounter the Lord and are changed in ways that cause them to herald the news. For example, we see the leper that Jesus healed. I love that story, particularly as it relates to the team Jesus is building. “And he charged him to tell no one, but go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities” (5‬:‭14‬-‭15‬). Even though Jesus told him to tell no one, the news spread.

We also see the lame man who was brought to Jesus by his friends. To demonstrate his own authority to forgive sins, Jesus told the lame man to “rise, pick up your bed and go home.” At that moment, the formerly lame man became a member of Team Jesus. Notice how he responded to Jesus’ command. “And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God.” (‭‭5‬:‭25‬) Not only did he obediently pick up his bed and go, thus physically proclaiming Jesus power, he also glorified Jesus. I imagine that He told everyone he encountered, “Look at what Jesus did!”

In this chapter, we see Jesus assembling a family of followers. Some of them were called to leave everything behind and literally walk with him day by day. Others were touched by Jesus and left in their daily life and environments. Both groups were (and are) useful for the Lord’s purposes.

Father, help me to embrace the place and task you have assigned me. Please help me be faithful in glorifying you wherever I am. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Gospels, Luke
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