In those days he went away into a mountain to pray; and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. When day came he called his disciples and from them he chose twelve, whom he designated apostles. -Luke 6:12-13 (NIV)
"Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him 500 denarii and the other 50. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which one will love him more?" -Luke 7:41-42 (NIV)
Yesterday, I failed to send out a devotional. This morning, I'll briefly touch on yesterday's suggested scripture reading and then move on to this morning's suggested reading.
The thing that struck me about yesterday's reading is that Jesus took time to get away and pray before choosing the people that would become his apostles. If Jesus took time to get away for prayer and discernment, how much more should we?
Today's reading calls to mind a conversation that I had with someone yesterday. A friend was commenting that church folks often like to pick the people that they want responding to the Good News of Jesus. My friend's point is that the people we would be tempted to choose often look like us, sound like us, and believe like us.
In chapter 7, Jesus is in the home of a Pharisee. The word "Pharisee" itself means "separate." These are strict adherents to the law who have added layers of interpretation to it to make the law even stricter. A sinful woman enters, someone a Pharisee normally wouldn't be caught dead near, and anoints Jesus' feet with perfume. Simon the Pharisee is astounded that Jesus would associate with such a sinful woman like this, which prompts Jesus to tell a story about two people being forgiven of a debt. The one forgiven of the larger debt is said to love the gracious moneylender more.
In Simon's eye, this woman doesn't look the part of a faithful follower of God. And yet Jesus suggests that she is more grateful for the forgiveness that she has received because she has been forgiven of more. The woman's salvation and her peace is credited to the faith that she has.
So what might be said about these two stories from two chapters together in this one devotional? Perhaps the word that God speaks to Samuel back in 1 Samuel 16:7 says it best: do not consider a person's outward appearance. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
May God grant you the grace to, like Jesus, spend time in prayer considering what a disciple of Christ really looks like. As you pray, remember that the Lord looks at the heart and not at a person's outward appearance.
Tomorrow's Reading: Luke 8
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