Consider the Source

Luke 18:9-14

There is a hazard for the modern Christian who reads this parable. What I mean is, we don’t want to view the Pharisee in this parable in such a way that we end up doing exactly what he does. It might be tempting to congratulate ourselves because, unlike this Pharisee, maybe we’re not self-righteous. It might be tempting to pride ourselves in the fact that we trust in God’s grace and not in our own good works. And so, it might be tempting to view this Pharisee with some contempt. Of course, if we did that, we would end up doing exactly what he does. So, there is a hazard we need to be aware of when we read this passage.

Recieve the Kingdom as a Child

Luke 18:15-17

This passage, along with a couple others, is the source of that tender image we’ve all probably seen where Jesus is sitting down and he is surrounded by children and he has one or two on his knee. He’s smiling and they're smiling. It's such a wonderful image. That image of Jesus sitting, surrounded by joyful children is sweet and tender, all on its own. But, according to this passage, that image is also an image of the God’s kingdom.

A Living Faith

2 Timothy 1:1-10

In this letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul is writing from prison. He’s pretty certain that his time in this world is short. And so, he writes a young Timothy with some parting words of guidance and encouragement. The whole idea of this letter is to encouragement Timothy to fan the flame of his faith and use the gifts the Holy Spirit gave him. And so, one of the first things Paul does is remind Timothy of his spiritual roots in the faith.