Aware of the Needs

13“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

14The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.

There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

25“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’  (Luke 16) 

Thoughts: On th esurface it seems like the rich go to hell while the poor are rewarded,  But the context is vs. 13 "You cannot serve God and money."  The real point here is that the rich man did not care for the poor man.  There was no generosity.  But a secondary point is that there is hope beyond this life.  For the poor this is esecially helpful.  I have heard some wonder about the need for eternal life- for they are perfectly happy with this life.  

Prayer: Lord, let me always have hope.  Let me be aware of those in need around me.  

Trustworthy of Our Gifts

10“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? (Luke 16)

Thoughts: If you have not been trustworthy with worldly wealth- what about true riches?  In some ways how we handle our stuff and money is training for how we will handle the true and eternally valuable gifts of God.  So in some ways our financial gifts are tools to allow us to see ourselves as stewards.  Money is a concrete way to see stewardship- but we are also stewards of our time- it is a gift; of our talents and abilities- they are gifts too.  God gives us all the property we have.  It is true that we did not make anything.  But more than that, God is the provider and it is a test to see what we will do with His provisions.  Our calling by God is to be trustworthy of the gifts He gives us.  

Prayer: Lord, Help me to be a good steward of the gifts you give.  let me be trustworthy of your gracious gifts to me. 

6/6/14- Immorality of the Soul

The chosen departed are in peace, and rest from their labors; not that they sleep and are lost in oblivion as some fanatics hold, for they are delivered from all fear and torment, and all the temptations to which we and all God's chosen are subject in this life, and because of which we are called the Kirk militant. On the other hand, the reprobate and unfaithful departed have anguish, torment, and pain which cannot be expressed. Neither the one nor the other is in such sleep that they feel no joy or torment, as is testified by Christ's parable in St. Luke XVI, his words to the thief, and the words of the souls crying under the altar, "O Lord, thou that art righteous and just, how long shalt thou not revenge our blood upon those that dwell in the earth?" (Scots)

22“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

25“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ (Luke 16:22-26)

Thoughts: Knox is speaking clearly against the idea of soul-sleep (that at death we sleep until the end times).  He speaks of the above passage from Luke 16, the passage where Jesus says to the thief on the cross "Today you will be with me in paradise"; and the passage in Revelation where the martyrs are aslive and crying out.  The soul, is immortal- to be punished or rewarded.
      On the seventieth anniversary of D-Day, it is important to know that the death of human beings is not the end.  It is therefore important to see that higher causes can be held even in the face of death. 

Prayer: Help me, O Lord, to see my end and my hope at the same time.