Thursday
Read: Luke 17:20—18:30
SOAP: Luke 18:29–30
Then Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of God’s kingdom who will not receive many times more in this age—and in the age to come, eternal life.”
Devotion
Jesus frequently taught about the kingdom of God. Luke’s Gospel focused on what one must be willing to surrender to enter the kingdom of God. Again and again in his account, Luke shows how the kingdom of God is not for the wealthy or the elite but for those who display true faith.
True faith persists in prayer. True faith believes that God will give justice to His people in His perfect time. True faith is humble; it recognizes one’s brokenness and complete inability to save oneself. True faith does not keep others from God. True faith cares for the lowly, sick, marginalized, and oppressed. True faith surrenders earthly possessions, standing, and reputation. And true faith follows and obeys God even in the face of death.
Many people Jesus encountered had true faith, but many did not. Some were unwilling to give up their wealth, some wanted to stay with their families, and some could not surrender their reputation.
Those who did follow Jesus saw Him perform miracles, some for them personally. They witnessed His power first-hand and fully believed. Yet what is fascinating is that many of these people displayed faith before Jesus had done a miracle for them. Many of these people believed before they saw what Jesus could do. But once they did, their faith became saving faith. Their faith in His ability became faith in Him. Once they saw His goodness and kindness to them, there was no turning back.
Luke’s original audience, Theophilus and others in the early church, were experiencing opposition and persecution. Many of them may have questioned if following Jesus was worth it. We may often wonder the same thing. But Jesus promises to give us much more than what was lost, both in this age and in eternity. What a gracious, loving God we serve. True faith in Him is indeed worth the cost.