August 3

Luke 12:54-59 (Click to see scripture)

Bible in One Year Passages:

Journal Entry

Scripture

You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

Observation

This whole chapter and some of 11 and 13 are a torrent of teaching. It is like a spiritual (with lots of practical life teaching) fire hydrant that has been turned on full blast. Even the disciples' brains are working overtime trying to make sense of the words, asking "is this for us or for them?" In this verse, Jesus is castigating the crowds for their inability to recognize who he is and the really unique place in time that they are living in and the once in a lifetime of the universe experience they were being subjected to. We wake up in the morning and wonder about how the day will turn out. We are constantly looking for signs of how things will turn out. Our little computers are processing the feed from our senses in the context of our experience and knowledge to construct a picture of our immediate future and a plan. Strange way of looking at things, maybe, but that's what we do. Weather is just a little example of this that Jesus uses here. But the way Jesus worded his reprimand, I see that the people were guilty of being blind to the obvious. Here was God himself who stepped into the limitations of human experience to rescue us from a future of further separation from him. Signs and wonders with teaching that fed the soul and confounded the authorities. Although a few were waiting for God, and recognized and received him, the crowds were waiting for, hoping for, longing for, expecting to see God in another form who could come and meet their more immediate needs. Misplaced expectations. If I were in their sandals, I would be thinking, "Who is this strange man uttering these words that cut into our hearts and why is he wearing these funny clothes?" Where is he from? What school did he attend? Who are his parents? And I would be making the same mistake of the crowds, neglecting to see the obvious.

Application

I think that I am guilty of this blindness. In fact, I think that I practice a form of willful blindness. I have a particular pattern to my life and things that come my way that don't fit neatly into my pattern are in danger of being obliterated or just ignored. How will I be different today because of what I just learned? Not sure about this application prompt. But I will attempt to be more deliberate in my observing and meditation. What is God shouting into my ears?

Prayer

Lord, help me to avoid seeing what I want to see. Help me to see and perceive your hand in my life.

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