Daily Devotional

In Luke’s gospel, you can basically separate the gospel into two sections, with this verse being the dividing line. Everything before this is about Jesus establishing His ministry in Galilee. Right before this verse is the story of Jesus being with his disciples in Caesarea, where He asks them, “Who do you say that I am?” and Peter answers, “You are the Messiah of God.” Then Jesus takes a few of his inner circle up on a mountain where they experience the transfiguration and see Jesus in all His glory. From there, we read several other short stories before Jesus resolutely sets out for Jerusalem.

What does this scripture mean? Did this man make a mocking claim to follow Jesus but then slip away in the crowd? Just before this scripture, Christ left a town that would not receive Him and His followers. Jesus and the disciples continued on to Jerusalem, and on the road, they ran into some men. I have always imagined this as a busy road (since it leads to Jerusalem) and that the people knew who Jesus was already. I feel like Jesus’ responses to the men here may seem cold, and that could be because He was refused a place to “lay His head” in the town they just left, and along the road, the passersby continued to mock and disrespect Him.

The cross is an important symbol for Christians. It’s often one of the main focal points in a church worship space and might be one of the most treasured personal items for a family or individual. You can find crosses on all kinds of décor, jewelry, clothing, and more. I don’t think the early followers of Jesus would disagree on the importance of the cross, but they might find it odd that this instrument used for crucifixion is displayed on t-shirts, journals, and on the walls and bookcases in many homes today.

Now it happened that as he was praying alone the disciples were with him; and he asked them, “Who do the people say that I am?” And they answered, “John the Baptist; but others say, Eli′jah; and others, that one of the old prophets has risen.”

Last year, for the first time, I decided I was going to be very intentional and give up something for Lent that would give me the opportunity to be more focused on my health and well-being as I was approaching the age of 65. I have always worked out and eaten fairly healthy, but for this season, I decided I would give up gluten (bread, pasta, cookies, cakes etc.) and make a conscience effort to lift weights and try to strengthen my bones and not just be a cardio junky as I was recently diagnosed with osteopetrosis and osteoarthritis.

At the start of each class, one of my yoga teachers encouraged us to “make best use of this time.” My son, Ian, recently turned 30. It still boggles my mind that three decades are gone. When you are a young parent, everyone tells you how quickly they grow up. It was hard to comprehend at the time, but now I understand!

The season of Lent is set aside for us to spend intentional time with God. Focusing on our faith strengthens us for the days ahead. Often, the practice of fasting is used during the time of Lent. It is the practice of setting aside one thing to be filled with God’s word and connect with God in prayer. I want to encourage you to consider a fast this season of Lent. It is a valuable tool as we seek to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. God wants to draw close to us; let us take time to draw near to God.

When I began to write this devotional, I wasn’t sure what to write it about and was just staring at a blank page. So I decided to get some inspiration from some of the most reliable people I know: the 4th and 5th grade Sunday School class. They never let me down when I need to get an idea moving or when I need to be humbled. They’re very good at both!

Did you know that the 2nd Friday in January has been dubbed National Quitters Day? It’s the day most people abandon their New Year’s Eve Resolutions.

=And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”