Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Luke 13 before reading the devotional below.
God loves second chances. He loves third chances. He loves 490th chances. And as much as Jesus may seem like he’s being hard on those who count themselves as insiders in God’s club, he really came to earth to give them a second chance. The Jewish people of Jesus’ day knew they were God’s chosen people. Descendant of Abraham? Awesome, you’re in.
But God had already give his special Jewish people chance after chance after chance, and Jesus arrived to set the record straight on God’s priorities. Someone needs healing? Sabbath or not, you take care of that person. You want to be saved? Don’t count on a birthright to get you in. God had spoken to them and cared for them for generations, and Jesus was another turning point moment to call God’s people back to his heart.
You know who Jesus didn’t give a second chance to? All the people who knew nothing about God and had been counted out by the religious elites. He couldn’t give them a second chance because they had never known they had a first chance. Jesus swings the door open for them, and I’d like to think he gave them a little wink every now and then when he ripped into the religious know-it-all’s (verse 17). Jesus is like the big kid on the playground who shows up and scares off the bullies right when you think you don’t have a chance.
Here’s your freedom for today: Jesus is stepping into your life right now to chase away all the people and things that have gotten between you and God. Whether you’ve been following Jesus for 50 years or 50 seconds, stuff has hurt you. You’ve felt far from God at times. Maybe you feel far from God now. But the Holy Spirit is praying for you at this very moment.
Jesus said that the kingdom of God is like a tiny seed or a small bit of yeast. Both bring forth life and dramatic opportunity. Plant a seed and nurture it long enough, you’ll get some fruit. Verse 8 tells of a gracious gardener who has just enough faith to stick it out one more year. God’s not done with you yet.