January 9: Genesis 23-24; Luke 9

The Big Picture

Scripture: Luke 9:46 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.

Observation: If Jesus had been walking in the flesh, this surely would have frustrated him. Only two verses back He was explaining to them how He would be betrayed. He was preparing Himself for the single greatest act of serving in the history of creation. He was preparing to offer Himself as a sacrifice in payment for our sins. And here His disciples, having totally missed the big picture, are arguing about who will be the greatest! Instead of dealing with them out of frustration, Jesus makes it a teaching moment by having a small child stand before them emphasizing that it is the one who is the least who is really the greatest.

Families have stood around a casket arguing over who is going to get what is left behind totally missing the obvious that they too will die, and that what their relative left behind, they too will leave behind.

Parents who discipline their children out of frustration may get the undesirable activities to stop for the moment but they miss valuable opportunities to teach lessons that will shaped their children’s future.

Application: It is easy to ignore the big picture and focus on the specifics that affect me. But to properly deal with the specifics, I must keep the big picture in view.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, especially now in my senior years, help me to always see things in the light of eternity. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!