Key Thought

Today's Prayer

O glorious God, give me eyes to see so that I can focus on what is truly important and not get distracted by the glitter of the things that are fleeting. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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.

Related Scripture Readings

"Don't save treasures for yourselves here on earth. Moths and rust will destroy treasures here on earth. And thieves can break into your house and steal the things you have. So save your treasure in heaven. The treasures in heaven cannot be destroyed by moths or rust. And thieves cannot break in and steal that treasure. Your heart will be where your treasure is.

One of the men in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, {our father just died}. Tell my brother to share with me the things our father owned." But Jesus said to him, "Who said that I should be your judge or decide how to divide your father's things between you two?" Then Jesus said to them. "Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. A person does not get life from the many things he owns." Then Jesus used this story: "There was a rich man that had some land. His land grew a very good crop of food. The rich man thought to himself, 'What will I do? I have no place to keep all my crops.' Then the rich man said, 'I know what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger barns! I will put all my wheat and good things together in my new barns. Then I can say to myself, I have many good things stored. I have saved enough for many years. Rest, eat, drink, and enjoy life!' But God said to that man, 'Foolish man! Tonight you will die. So what about the things you prepared for yourself? Who will get those things now?' "This is how it will be for the person that saves things only for himself. To God that person is not rich."

When Jesus saw that the man was sad, he said, "It will be very hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of God! It would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God!" When the people heard this, they said, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus answered, "God can do things that are not possible for people to do!"