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by Sandy Shaw
We are reading in Luke Chapter 14 where Jesus Christ has been invited out to a meal, and there is a sick man present, and it is the Sabbath. Now, I dealt with various questions regarding the Sabbath in our previous study.
These religious leaders are wondering, ‘what is Jesus going to do?’
Jesus took hold of the man - healed him - and sent him away, as if to say - 'off you go - you are healed and whole - and if you remain in this company much longer it will make you sick again'.
Jesus turns to His hosts - "If one of you has a son or a beast which has fallen into a well on the Sabbath day, would you not immediately pull him out?"
They had nothing to say. Nothing to say to Jesus - what a terrible situation to be in!
Jesus is repeating an argument which He has used before. Here was a man who had become sick. If it is right to rescue animals which had fallen upon bad times, why would it not be right to rescue this sick man?
Are you kinder to pets than to people? They had no answer. Yes, it is a terrible situation to be in – to have nothing to say to Jesus.
How is your conversation with Jesus? How often do you and He talk together? Have you more to say to people than you have to say to our loving Saviour Who hears and answers the deepest longings of our hearts? Such talk is called prayer, but that can make it sound far too religious for some folks.
People have often asked me about ‘prayer’ and would I speak on ‘prayer’ or teach on ‘prayer’, and although I am most willing to do so, I normally say, “Look, just pray. Just go and pray. Just go and talk with God. Just do it and then tell me next week how you got on.”
But how will I know if it is God Who is speaking to me? Again there is a very simple test – read the record of the Wise men in Matthew Chapter 2. If it is God Who is s[peaking to you, He always leads you to Jesus and closer to Jesus.
Then I am told, “I don’t seem to get an answer to my prayers”. I have said, “There is one prayer that I can almost guarantee that you will get an answer within 24 hours.”
Just pray quite simply – “Jesus, is there anything in my life You don’t like? Is there anything in my life, You want me to change?”
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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