The Blessings of Discipleship : Luke 6:20 : What Jesus Did! : HEARTLIGHT®

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The Blessings of Discipleship - Luke 6:20

Jesus looked at his followers and said, "What great blessings there are for you poor people! God's kingdom belongs to you." (ERV) Full Text

Key Thought

Even though the crowds had mobbed around Jesus for healing, Jesus uses this moment to teach his disciples. The words given here are not general promises to all people, but blessings given to those who surrendered to the call of Jesus and followed him with all their hearts. The Kingdom, Jesus reminds the disciples, is for those who are poor -- for Luke, "the poor" are folks who depend upon God and who know that they do not have the power or wealth to cause change or to provide for life on their own. Those who are poor in this way trust in the power of the Lord and seek his power in their lives. Without the Lord, they know they have no hope and no power in this world. In such a heart, the Kingdom comes with power and hope.

Today's Prayer

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Father of all wealth and power, teach me that I am poor. I know that my best is nothing. I know that my greatest claim to fame is valueless. Without you, without your Kingdom, my dreams are all earthbound and my strength is a shadow. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Today's Verses in Context

Jesus and the apostles came down from the mountain. Jesus stood on a flat place. A large group of his followers were there. Also, there were many people from all around Judea, Jerusalem, and the seacoast cities of Tyre and Sidon. They all came to hear Jesus teach and to be healed of their sicknesses. Jesus healed those people that were troubled by evil spirits {from the devil}. All the people were trying to touch Jesus, because power was coming out from him. Jesus healed them all! Jesus looked at his followers and said, "What great blessings there are for you poor people! God's kingdom belongs to you. What great blessings there are for you people that are hungry now! You will be filled. What great blessings there are for you people that are crying now! You will be {happy and} laughing. "People will hate you because you belong to the Son of Man. They will make you leave their group. They will insult you. They will think it is wrong even to say your name. When these things happen, know that God will bless you. At that time you can be happy and jump for joy, because you have a great reward in heaven. Their fathers were mean to the prophets in the same way that these people are mean to you. "But it will be bad for you, you rich people, because you had your easy life. It will be bad for you people that are full now, because you will be hungry. It will be bad for you people that are laughing now, because you will be sad and cry. "It is bad when all people say good things about you. Their fathers always said good things about the false prophets.

— Luke 6:17-26 (ERV)

Comments on "The Blessings of Discipleship":

And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace (kindness) that God gave the churches (groups of believers) in Macedonia. Those believers have been tested by great troubles. And they are very poor people. But they gave much because of their great joy. I can tell you that they gave as much as they were able. Those believers gave even more than they could afford. They did this freely. No person told them to do this. But they asked us again and again--they begged us to let them share in this service for God's people. And they gave in a way that we did not expect: They gave themselves to the Lord and to us before {they gave their money}. This is what God wants.
2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (ERV)

It is true that serving God makes a person very rich, if that person is satisfied with what he has. When we came into the world, we brought nothing. And when we die, we can take nothing out. So, if we have food and clothes, we will be satisfied with that. People who want to become rich bring temptations to themselves. They are caught in a trap. They begin to want many foolish things that will hurt them. Those things ruin and destroy people. The love of money causes all kinds of evil. Some people have left the {true} faith (teaching) because they want to get more and more money. But they have caused themselves to be very, very sad.
1 Timothy 6:6-10 (ERV)

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! God chose the poor people in the world to be rich with faith. He chose them to receive the kingdom God promised to people who love him.
James 2:5 (ERV)

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