Author: Kristen Kansiewicz, LMHC

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Luke 20 before reading the devotional below.

We are on our way to wrapping up our Luke series, and next we’ll hit some highlights from the book of Acts to take a look at what freedom looked like in the early church. Here in Luke 20, we see another series of debates between Jesus and the religious leaders.

As I read this chapter, I found myself bristling at the debate-style conversation that Jesus engages in. Sure, it’s fun when he puts the know-it-all’s in their place, but I recoil a little bit from the tone. It feels too harsh to me. I reminded myself of the fact that the Bible was not written in English and tone can be very hard to interpret in a story from another language, culture and historical time period. What was Jesus’ actual tone of voice like in these moments? How might I have reacted to him if he had talked in person directly to me?

Here’s your freedom for today: Jesus gives you what you need. The religious leaders were already engaging in theological debates, and Jesus joins right in. He meets them where they are and engages in intellectual arguments that would speak to them. To the crowd of onlookers, he tells stories of the underdog becoming the hero. They love him because for the first time, they matter. To women Jesus is inviting and gentle — a few times putting the men in their place for their negative treatment of women. Jesus knows how to talk to you, and through Scripture and his Spirit he will approach you with love and sensitivity to who he made you to be.

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Luke 19 before reading the devotional below. 

Being a type-A, smart, overachieving conservative Christian child can be spiritually dangerous. Reading Luke 19 in such a state is practically guaranteed to make you overwork on your spiritual life. I heard various versions of “to whom much is given much is required” or “to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away” (seen in this chapter, verse 26). Anyone else walk away from that with a gigantic amount of pressure to perform for God?

From everything else I know about God, I think I must be doing it wrong. Jesus’ yoke is easy and his burden is light. We live under grace not the law. He fights our battles for us. Jesus set us free so we could live free lives. Surely carrying around an expectation of myself that I have to keep overachieving for God because I had a great head start in life seems like a misinterpretation. So what are these verses talking about?

Re-read verse 11. I notice a few things. First, Jesus was talking to a crowd of people, not an individual. Second, his purpose in telling his story was to correct their wrong ideas about how this coming kingdom thing was going to go down. He’s the nobleman in this scenario, and he’s about to head out of town. He’s leaving these people in charge of his stuff, and he wants to come back with more. Since Jesus told his disciples that they would become fishers of men, it seems like people are his currency. So he’s letting his crowd of followers know that when he leaves them, he wants them to go make the crowd bigger. Don’t sit on what you know about me, go multiply it by spreading the word.

Here’s your freedom for today: you are not the savior of the world. Jesus is. And you alone are not tasked with the job of evangelizing. We as the body of Christ are assigned this task. We’ve been given something great. And all we have to do is share. We’ve covered that theme before… All God wants us to do is share our most valuable thing with someone else. Deep breaths. I think I can do that.

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Luke 18 before reading the devotional below.

Have you ever been annoyed by someone who just won’t leave you alone? Have you ever thanked God that you are not like someone else? Have you ever been mortified by your children’s behavior in public? Have you ever felt like you’ve been doing pretty good following God but you also really love all your stuff? Have you ever “shushed” a friend who was getting a little too loud in a crowd?

The Bible is full of stories of people just like me. And if I want to understand who Jesus really is, and if I want to be set free by him, I need to pay attention to what he says to people like me. His character comes through in this chapter and he gives us a blueprint for how to become like him. One story after another, Jesus reveals the character of God.

God is eternally patient and willing to deliver justice. We can’t possibly bother him too much on that. God lifts up those who thank him for his grace, not for making them better than someone else. Jesus embraces children even in their rowdiness. God extends his heart to the poor in ways that he invites us to imitate. And Jesus responds to the too-loud-for-the-crowd kinds of people.

Here’s your freedom for today: you can’t reach the end of God’s patience with you. Whether you are feeling high and mighty or whether your are publicly embarrassed, Jesus reaches out for an embrace. He is ready to lead you out of your own pride and selfishness, and he’s also right there when you need to know that it’s okay to be you even if that seems humiliating in the moment. You cannot be embarrassed in front of God because he accepts you as you are. All you need to do is sit in his presence.

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Luke 17 before reading the devotional below.

Have you ever seen a really good magic trick? The kind that leaves you with that sense of awe and wonder — how did they do it?? I still remember as a child watching David Copperfield make an entire train car disappear with a ring of people holding hands around it. I have seen it a few times since and I am still amazed and perplexed.

Jesus was like this with faith. Unlike a magician, however, he’s trying to give away his secrets. He’s trying to tell his disciples in any way he can what his kingdom is like. But they can’t grasp it. “If you had just a tiny bit of faith, like this tiny seed here…” is like David Copperfield trying to explain a complex card trick to someone like me. Talk slowly and use lots of analogies. His followers had so many questions, and he takes the time to try to answer all of them even though they really cannot comprehend the mystery he is trying to reveal.

Here’s your freedom for today: you don’t have to understand God. In fact, you can’t. Faith and one’s spiritual life inherently contain mystery. When we follow the Spirit deeper, the mystery only becomes greater. If you have doubts or questions or things that don’t make sense, that’s great! We are in far greater spiritual danger when we think we have everything figured out.

• Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Luke 16 before reading the devotional below.

When I read the Bible and in particular the stories of Jesus, I often ask myself why he is saying that specific thing to that specific group at that specific time. Jesus did not come randomly into a point in history — he came with a unique mission at a unique time. Often Jesus’ words, especially to the religious elites, may sound like he is judging or condemning them. But John 3:17 says, “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”

If Jesus isn’t judging, then what is he doing? He’s saving the world. In today’s chapter, just loud enough to be within earshot of the Pharisees, Jesus warns that money can own you. Slaves need to be set free, and he sees that the Pharisees are slaves to their money. He’s giving them a way out — a path to the God they claim to be after. He’s painting a picture of eternity and longing for them to follow him into it. Devotion to God creates a life in which money cannot control your present or your future.

Here’s your freedom for today: acknowledge your handcuffs. Jesus has the key at the ready, and he came to let us all know that there is so much more than this world has to offer. “You think your life is awesome now? Just wait! Come to my kingdom and I’ll hand you even more.” Our allegiance is what matters, because you can’t follow two roads that lead in exact opposite directions. Be honest with yourself today about the things that own you. Then Jesus can begin to turn your heart towards him if you invite him to do so.