Daily Devotional
Monday, September 3, to Sunday, September 9, 2018
Text to read: Luke 4:14-31
Pray each day for Rev. Dr. Susan Henry-Crowe, the General Secretary of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society. She will be our guest preacher, next week, on September 9.
Throughout the week read and reflect on Luke, Chapter 4:14-31.
Luke 4:14 Yeshua returned to the Galil in the power of the Spirit, and reports about him spread throughout the countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone respected him.
16 Now when he went to Natzeret, where he had been brought up, on Shabbat he went to the synagogue as usual. He stood up to read, 17 and he was given the scroll of the prophet Yesha‘yahu. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of Adonai is upon me;
therefore he has anointed me
to announce Good News to the poor;
he has sent me to proclaim freedom for the imprisoned
and renewed sight for the blind,
to release those who have been crushed,
19 to proclaim a year of the favor of Adonai.”[Luke 4:19 Isaiah 61:1–2; 58:6]
20 After closing the scroll and returning it to the shammash, he sat down; and the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 He started to speak to them: “Today, as you heard it read, this passage of the Tanakh was fulfilled!” 22 Everyone was speaking well of him and marvelling that such appealing words were coming from his mouth. They were even asking, “Can this be Yosef’s son?”
23 Then Yeshua said to them, “No doubt you will quote to me this proverb — ‘“Doctor, cure yourself!” We’ve heard about all the things that have been going on over in K’far-Nachum; now do them here in your home town!’ 24 Yes!” he said, “I tell you that no prophet is accepted in his home town. 25 It’s true, I’m telling you — when Eliyahu was in Isra’el, and the sky was sealed off for three-and-a-half years, so that all the Land suffered a severe famine, there were many widows; 26 but Eliyahu was sent to none of them, only to a widow in Tzarfat in the land of Tzidon. 27 Also there were many people with tzara‘at in Isra’el during the time of the prophet Elisha; but not one of them was healed, only Na‘aman the Syrian.”
28 On hearing this, everyone in the synagogue was filled with fury. 29 They rose up, drove him out of town and dragged him to the edge of the cliff on which their town was built, intending to throw him off. 30 But he walked right through the middle of the crowd and went away.
31 He went down to K’far-Nachum, a town in the Galil, and made a practice of teaching them on Shabbat. (Complete Jewish Bible).
Luke 4:14-31
Verse 14
[14] And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit — Being more abundantly strengthened after his conflict.
Verse 15
[15] And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
Being glorified of all — So God usually gives strong cordials after strong temptations. But neither their approbation continued long, nor the outward calm which he now enjoyed.
Verse 16
[16] And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
He stood up — Showing thereby that he had a desire to read the Scripture to the congregation: on which the book was given to him. It was the Jewish custom to read standing, but to preach sitting. Matthew 13:54; Mark 6:1.
Verse 17
[17] And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
He found — It seems, opening upon it, by the particular providence of God.
Verse 18
[18] The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
He hath anointed me — With the Spirit. He hath by the power of his Spirit which dwelleth in me, set me apart for these offices.
To preach the Gospel to the poor — Literally and spiritually. How is the doctrine of the ever-blessed trinity interwoven, even in those scriptures where one would least expect it? How clear a declaration of the great Three-One is there in those very words, The Spirit - of the Lord is upon me! To proclaim deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised - Here is a beautiful gradation, in comparing the spiritual state of men to the miserable state of those captives, who are not only cast into prison, but, like Zedekiah, had their eyes put out, and were laden and bruised with chains of iron. Isaiah 61:1.
Verse 19
[19] To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
The acceptable year — Plainly alluding to the year of jubilee, when all, both debtors and servants, were set free.
Verse 21
[21] And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
To-day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears — By what you hear me speak.
Verse 22
[22] And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
The gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth — A person of spiritual discernment may find in all the discourses of our Lord a peculiar sweetness, gravity, and becomingness, such as is not to be found in the same degree, not even in those of the apostles.
Verse 23
[23] And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
Ye will surely say — That is, your approbation now outweighs your prejudices. But it will not be so long. You will soon ask, why my love does not begin at home? Why I do not work miracles here, rather than at Capernaum? It is because of your unbelief. Nor is it any new thing for me to be despised in my own country. So were both Elijah and Elisha, and thereby driven to work miracles among heathens, rather than in Israel.
Verse 24
[24] And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
No prophet is acceptable in his own country — That is, in his own neighbourhood. It generally holds, that a teacher sent from God is not so acceptable to his neighbours as he is to strangers. The meanness of his family, or lowness of his circumstances, bring his office into contempt: nor can they suffer that he, who was before equal with, or below themselves, should now bear a superior character.
Verse 25
[25] But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
When the heaven was shut up three years and six months — Such a proof had they that God had sent him. In 1 Kings 18:1, it is said, The word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year: namely, reckoning not from the beginning of the drought, but from the time when he began to sojourn with the widow of Sarepta. A year of drought had preceded this, while he dwelt at the brook Cherith. So that the whole time of the drought was (as St. James likewise observes) three years and six months. 1 Kings 17:19; 18:44.
Verse 27
[27] And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
2 Kings 5:14.
Verse 28
[28] And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
And all in the synagogue were filled with fury — Perceiving the purport of his discourse, namely, that the blessing which they despised, would be offered to, and accepted by, the Gentiles. So changeable are the hearts of wicked men! So little are their starts of love to be depended on! So unable are they to bear the close application, even of a discourse which they most admire!
Verse 30
[30] But he passing through the midst of them went his way,
Passing through the midst of them — Perhaps invisibly; or perhaps they were overawed; so that though they saw, they could not touch him.
Verse 31
[31] And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.
He came down to Capernaum — And dwelt there, entirely quitting his abode at Nazareth. Mark 1:21. (John Wesley's Explanatory Notes).
Sunday, September 2, 2018
Text to read: Matthew 7:1-15
Matthew 7:1 “Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 For the way you judge others is how you will be judged — the measure with which you measure out will be used to measure to you. 3 Why do you see the splinter in your brother’s eye but not notice the log in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ when you have the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite! First, take the log out of your own eye; then you will see clearly, so that you can remove the splinter from your brother’s eye!
6 “Don’t give to dogs what is holy, and don’t throw your pearls to the pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, then turn and attack you.
7 “Keep asking, and it will be given to you; keep seeking, and you will find; keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who keeps asking receives; he who keeps seeking finds; and to him who keeps knocking, the door will be opened. 9 Is there anyone here who, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone? 10 or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 So if you, even though you are bad, know how to give your children gifts that are good, how much more will your Father in heaven keep giving good things to those who keep asking him!
12 “Always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that sums up the teaching of the Torah and the Prophets.
13 “Go in through the narrow gate; for the gate that leads to destruction is wide and the road broad, and many travel it; 14 but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
15 “Beware of the false prophets! They come to you wearing sheep’s clothing, but underneath they are hungry wolves! (Complete Jewish Bible).
Matthew 7:1-15
Verse 2
[2] For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you — Awful words! So we may, as it were, choose for ourselves, whether God shall be severe or merciful to us. God and man will favour the candid and benevolent: but they must expect judgment without mercy, who have showed no mercy.
Verse 3
[3] And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
In particular, why do you open your eyes to any fault of your brother, while you yourself are guilty of a much greater? The mote - The word properly signifies a splinter or shiver of wood. This and a beam, its opposite, were proverbially used by the Jews, to denote, the one, small infirmities, the other, gross, palpable faults. Luke 6:41.
Verse 4
[4] Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
How sayest thou — With what face?
Verse 5
[5] Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Thou hypocrite — It is mere hypocrisy to pretend zeal for the amendment of others while we have none for our own.
Then — When that which obstructed thy sight is removed.
Verse 6
[6] Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Here is another instance of that transposition, where of the two things proposed, the latter is first treated of.
Give not — to dogs - lest turning they rend you: Cast not - to swine - lest they trample them under foot. Yet even then, when the beam is cast out of thine own eye, Give not - That is, talk not of the deep things of God to those whom you know to be wallowing in sin. neither declare the great things God hath done for your soul to the profane, furious, persecuting wretches. Talk not of perfection, for instance, to the former; not of your experience to the latter. But our Lord does in nowise forbid us to reprove, as occasion is, both the one and the other.
Verse 7
[7] Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
But ask — Pray for them, as well as for yourselves: in this there can be no such danger.
Seek — Add your own diligent endeavours to your asking: and knock - Persevere importunately in that diligence. Luke 11:9.
Verse 8
[8] For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
For every one that asketh receiveth — Provided he ask aright, and ask what is agreeable to God's will.
Verse 11
[11] If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
To them that ask him — But on this condition, that ye follow the example of his goodness, by doing to all as ye would they should do to you.
For this is the law and the prophets — This is the sum of all, exactly answering Matthew 5:17. The whole is comprised in one word, Imitate the God of love. Thus far proceeds the doctrinal part of the sermon. In the next verse begins the exhortation to practise it.
Verse 12
[12] Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Luke 6:31.
Verse 13
[13] Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
The strait gate — The holiness described in the foregoing chapters. And this is the narrow way.
Wide is the gate, and many there are that go in through it — They need not seek for this; they come to it of course.
Many go in through it, because strait is the other gate — Therefore they do not care for it; they like a wider gate. Luke 13:24.
Verse 15
[15] Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Beware of false prophets — Who in their preaching describe a broad way to heaven: it is their prophesying, their teaching the broad way, rather than their walking in it themselves, that is here chiefly spoken of. All those are false prophets, who teach any other way than that our Lord hath here marked out.In sheep's clothing — With outside religion and fair professions of love: Wolves - Not feeding, but destroying souls. (John Wesley's Explanatory Notes).
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