Todays readings.. 2 Kings 20, Ezekiel 10, Luke 6

We read more of the challenging sayings of Jesus today – human nature is such that it tens to gloss over them, especially if they are too challenging.  So many came to Jesus to see his miracles – and if they were sick, or had someone who was – to be healed.  How few, it seems, came to hear and to learn and absorb his teachings into their hearts.  How few today – read with the same purpose!

It is not at all difficult to possess a Bible – and there are 4 gospel accounts of his life and teachings The context of his challenging saying, with which we started these thoughts is – “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” [Luke 6 v.46]  It is a challenging chapter, it is Luke’s version of the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ – beginning at v.20. 

“ will Those who “do what” Jesus “tells them” will “Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy” [v.23]  Jesus adds words which have been misunderstood! “For behold, your reward is great in heaven.”   This statement leads to the question – ‘when will they receive their reward? 

The answer to that is in the last chapter of the Bible, Revelation 22.  “”Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done… Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life” [v.12,14]  The first  chapters in the Bible tell us that human beings were locked out of the Garden of Eden and so they had no access to “the tree of life and eat and live for ever’ [Gen. 3 v.22]

  Let us live – each day – reading the Bible, especially the words of Jesus so that we “hear” them and so will “do what Jesus tells us”  Let us finish our thoughts with some appropriate words from Romans ch. 2.

Paul tells them (and us) “when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will render to each one according to his works:  to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life” [v.5-7]