Living In The Light.

During this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Benji noted two questions that we must consider in light of the Luke 13:1-5 passage:

-Have we repented?
-Are we living life with a consciousness of our God-given purpose?

A modern temptation is to exert much time and energy on things that, in the light of eternity, don't matter. It's easy to, for example, sit on our couches and watch reports of the continuing rescue effort in Haiti, alternately praising the rescue workers and lamenting the collapsed infrastructure and lost lives. It's not as easy to shut off the TV and have an honest conversation with God about whether we're doing what He wants us to do.

In Luke 13:1-5, Jesus seems to ignore the commentary He received concerning the political actions of Pilate and the accident involving the tower in Siloam. Does that mean He didn't care about the people who died? Why, of course He cared! Scripture shows us that Jesus was the One who had compassion on people: He is the Healer. But this passage also shows us that He placed a priority on the state of each individual's soul. What is the danger? Jesus tells us: the danger is that, if we do not repent, we will perish. That is the great danger, the issue we must attend to. In other words, spiritual death is far more serious than physical death.

The next danger, which closely follows the issue of repentance, is the issue of living out our God-given purpose. Luke 13:6-9, the parable of the fig tree, is a very sobering commentary on how God responds to those who, when placed in His world with a purpose, fail to do what He expects them to do. I encourage all of us to take a minute to read Luke 13:6-9, and to take another minute to reflect on whether we are in the place God wants us to be, doing what He wants us to do.

LORD, You are the one who grants gifts to Your people by Your Spirit. Please give us the grace to accept and embrace the particular gifts You've given us. Please help us to not just take up space in the world, but to bear fruit that brings honor to You. Please give us a heart of joy, so that people will see You in us as we accomplish great things for the sake of Your kingdom. In Jesus's name, Amen.