Luke 16:14-15

Luke 16:14-15 - Daily Devotion - 24 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

14 The Pharisees (who loved money) heard all this and ridiculed him. 15 But Jesus said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized among men is utterly detestable in God’s sight.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Scott Favelle

This is one of those passages that is short but can really cut you to the core. It makes me ask myself the question: Do I value what God values?

The Pharisees were people of wealth and status. They would put on the appearance of righteousness, but they were only interested in seeking the approval of people rather than of God. This is a worldly attitude that is still normal in society today. Our society honours and esteems people who have wealth and power. Those things are highly valued by our world, but in this passage Jesus declares them to be detestable in God’s sight.

As Christians we are not immune to the influence of the world we live in. We can very easily start aligning our values with the world rather than God. I feel the pull of this. Sometimes I see those who are rich and successful, and I desire to be like them. Or on the other side of the coin, I sometimes find my value in my own wealth or achievements rather than in the things that God values.

Pray that we all will seek the approval of God by trusting in Jesus, rather than seeking people’s approval, and that in our hearts we will value what God values rather than what our society values. Pray that God will help us, as Paul says: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4). And pray that we would all “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Scott is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

Luke 16:10-13

Luke 16:10-13 - Daily Devotion - 23 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

10 “The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you haven’t been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will entrust you with the true riches? 12 And if you haven’t been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Queenie Favelle

This passage today warns us that if we are not faithful in this life with the things of this world and the riches we have been given, then we will not be entrusted with the true riches promised to us in heaven. Jesus challenges us to use our finances, money, possessions for the greater good – not for ourselves and our own comforts, but to use them for the gospel.

This is something very hard for us to do. In fact, we will only use our resources for the gospel if we see the gospel as worth so much more than our worldly possessions.

Pray now and ask God to help us see what truly matters in this life, and to value the gospel and know its true worth. Ask God to help us see that Jesus is so good that He is worth giving up our worldly possessions for.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Queenie is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

Luke 16:1-9

Luke 16:1-9 - Daily Devotion - 22 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

1 Jesus also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who was informed of accusations that his manager was wasting his assets. 2 So he called the manager in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in the account of your administration, because you can no longer be my manager.’ 3 Then the manager said to himself, ‘What should I do, since my master is taking my position away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m too ashamed to beg. 4 I know what to do so that when I am put out of management, people will welcome me into their homes.’ 5 So he contacted his master’s debtors one by one. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 The man replied, ‘100 measures of olive oil.’ The manager said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and write 50.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ The second man replied, ‘100 measures of wheat.’ The manager said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write 80.’ 8 The master commended the dishonest manager because he acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their contemporaries than the people of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by how you use worldly wealth, so that when it runs out, you will be welcomed into the eternal homes.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Monica Ly

Initially I found this parable puzzling. Why was the master commending his manager after he had been dishonest and wasted his assets? Verse 8 tells us that the master commended the manager because he acted shrewdly - but why is this particular character trait the one that is singled out?

In verses 4-7, the manager seems to have great foresight in anticipating his future financial needs, and he uses his financial leverage to make friends for himself (vs 9). So perhaps the master is impressed because the dishonest manager made the most of the resources he had, knowing what his future would be. That is why he is commended for acting astutely or wisely.

Jesus then says that he expects his disciples to do likewise. He doesn’t mean we should be dishonest, but rather that we should faithfully make the most of our resources now, with the certain future in mind. That certain future is Jesus returning to judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42).

This certain future convicts me to be more concerned about gospel needs.  We live in an unbelieving world where many do not yet know Jesus as their Saviour and Lord and there is an urgency because Jesus will return to judge. Perhaps I need to be thinking how I can be wiser with the resources that God has given me? After all, the resources that I do have ultimately belong to God. Those resources could include my money, my possessions, my home, my time, or my skills. How can I be a good steward? By not being complacent but acting thoughtfully now with the resources I have and investing them for the gospel.

Pray now, that God will grant us wisdom in knowing how to be good stewards with the resources He has given us, and to use them well for the gospel as we await the certainty of Jesus’ return. May we look to the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to enable us to be generous and cheerful givers, as we support the gospel needs at St Barnabas and around the world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Monica is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

Luke 15:25-32

Luke 15:25-32 - Daily Devotion - 21 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

25 “Now his older son was in the field. As he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the slaves and asked what was happening. 27 The slave replied, ‘Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he got his son back safe and sound.’ 28 But the older son became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and appealed to him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look! These many years I have worked like a slave for you, and I never disobeyed your commands. Yet you never gave me even a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends! 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything that belongs to me is yours. 32 It was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.’”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

Consider this: Your brother or sister in Christ wanders away from God and church. You then witness them living a worldly life, indulging in all the luxuries and selfish pleasures that you have said “no” to as a Christian.  And then one day they recognise their wrongdoing and decide with earnest repentance to come back to the Lord. Would you be angry and concerned, or possibly jealous?  Or would you be full of joy and celebrate their repentance and return?

If I'm honest, I probably would be a feeling a mix of all those feelings.  Which is why I think this parable is important for me to read time and time again – because it reminds me of the perspective that the God the Father has.  It’s a perspective that I need to be reminded of, because my heart sometimes feels like it deserves what the Father has given me out of his infinite grace.  And in this parable, the Father says to the older son: “Everything that belongs to me is yours.”  It’s just like in Ephesians 1: 3 where it says that God the Father “has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”

Knowing that, in Christ, I already have everything from God the Father is so important for me.  It reminds me that it’s impossible for me to strive for any more favour because God’s favour already rested upon me when he sent his Son Jesus to die for me and I believed.  It reminds me that I don’t need to be angry or jealous when bad people repent and receive God’s blessings in Christ, because what God has given me was freely given in the first place – I didn’t deserve any of it.  So I am free to love others, free to rejoice when others repent, and free to rest in the goodness and grace of what God has already accomplished in Christ because it is sufficient for me. Let’s thank God together.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park morning congregation.

Luke 15:17-24

Luke 15:17-24 - Daily Devotion - 20 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

17 But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.”’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home his father saw him, and his heart went out to him; he ran and hugged his son and kissed him. 21 Then his son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Hurry! Bring the best robe, and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet! 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it! Let us eat and celebrate, 24 because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again—he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Tramanh Nguyen

The story of the lost son is a powerful one. There’s a little bit of the reader – or maybe a lot of the reader! – in the story, especially as we hone in on the thoughts and emotions of the lost son.

In the lost son, we see that our hearts wander far away from our true home, our purpose and our Father. Living for ourselves seems more desirable and attractive, so we recklessly pursue the pleasure of this world. But when we realise the emptiness that the world brings, we find ourselves at a dead end, alone and lost. We realise we have no options and that we need to let go of our pride and return back to our Father.

In the past when I read this passage, I would often only relate to the lost son when I thought about the story of when I became a Christian. Subconsciously I thought, “I don’t do that now as a Christian. This is a conversion story.” But as I reflect on this story again now, I am in shock, because I realise that I am the lost son over and over again. I often wander. I often find the world more desirable than God, and I often pursue the pleasures of this world. Again and again, I end up running back to the Father in repentance and asking for forgiveness.

Naturally, when we read the Bible we think about how we can relate to the story. But what we often forget is that the story is meant to highlight the compassionate Father. He embraces those who are unworthy, those who turn their backs on Him, when they return to him. Let’s thank God that when we are far from home, He eagerly awaits and yearns for us to come back. Thank God that, though we are prone to wander and our hearts are weak, He runs to us, embraces us, holds us safely in His arms and celebrates that we are back home with Him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tramanh is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

Luke 15:11-16

Luke 15:11-16 - Daily Devotion - 19 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

11 Then Jesus said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that will belong to me.’ So he divided his assets between them. 13 After a few days, the younger son gathered together all he had and left on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth with a wild lifestyle. 14 Then after he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and worked for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He was longing to eat the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17

REFLECTIONS

Written by Michael Legaspi

The context of this parable is back in verses 1 and 2: “Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming to hear him. But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’”

My 7-year-old niece recently asked me a peculiar question. She was lying down on the trampoline playing on her iPad, and she said to me, “When can I do what I want?” She was wanting to know when she could decide how long she could play for.

I think as adults, we sometimes ask ourselves that same question: “When can I do what I want?” The younger son in today’s parable wants to do what he wants with his inheritance money, right now. He wants his share of the estate, and doesn’t want to wait until his father is dead – and his request is granted (v12).

So when is getting what you want a problem? It’s a problem when your goal is wild living (v13). I don’t think wild living always means parties and drinking. I think a definition of wild living would be: living like a fool – and a fool is a person who rejects the design of God for his creation and for our lives. It may look different for each person, but wild living is pursuing your own desires – whether in finances, work, relationships, or leisure – without God in the picture. When we do that, our lives become twisted. Take a tree out of the soil and it will die, take a fish out of the water and it will die, take God out of a person’s life and we will die.

It's obvious how selfish the younger son in the parable is. But as I think about how many times I choose what I want rather than what God says is good, I’m reminded of Isaiah 53:6: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
 each of us has turned to our own way;
 and the Lord has laid on him
 (on Jesus) the iniquity of us all.”

When we try to live doing what we want without God, it will always end, sooner or later, in great need (v14). The younger son discovered, when he reached the very bottom, that no one had compassion on him.

We won’t be finishing the parable in today’s devotion. For now, try and see the heart of the younger son. What do you see in him? Some days I see myself, sometimes I see my family and friends. One thing to remember is that all of us are in GREAT NEED. Only God can fix and satisfy that need – and thanks be to God that he paid the full cost of our foolishness for you and me, at great cost to himself, though the blood of his one and only Son Jesus Christ.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

Luke 15:8-10

Luke 15:8-10 - Daily Devotion - 17 Aug 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

8 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it? 9 Then when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Tina Bogg

In our house something is always lost. It might be a crucial Lego piece, a shoe, a bar of chocolate… This story of the woman who had ten silver coins and loses one reminds us that when we lose something that is precious to us, we don’t just give up, we search carefully until we find it. We retrace our steps, search in every random unfathomable place (under the couch, in the fridge, through every bin) and then look again and again until finally, we see a little glimmer of it! How willing we are to look is often a measure of how much it means to us. In the same way, we are so precious to God that He will keep searching for us, calling us, sending us people and messages and even chastising us until we turn to him and are saved.

Sometimes the joy of finding what we had lost is so wonderful that we cannot help but tell everyone around and invite them to celebrate with us. “Look – that thing I told you about: I found it!!” In a far more amazing way, Jesus teaches us that there is rejoicing with the angels when a sinner repents.

I’m sure we all have friends and family who we would dearly love to know Jesus, but with whom it seems almost impossible that they would change. We might have attempted many times over the years to invite them to church or talk to them about Jesus, with no apparent fruit. I can think of my own parents and sister, as well as a number of high school friends. I think this is why there is such celebrating in heaven when, at last, God changes their heart and they do turn and give their life to Jesus! Let us keep praying, keep expecting, and keep doing our part in God’s plan for the people God has in our lives, knowing that with us things may be impossible but with God, all things are possible.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tina is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

Luke 15:1-7

Luke 15:1-7 - Daily Devotion - 16 Aug 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3 So Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Which one of you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go look for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 Then when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 Returning home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

A few years ago, when moving house, I found an old photo of church that I think was a good 7 or 8 years old. My wife and I looked through the people in the photo together, remembering fondly about brothers and sisters, marvelling at how kids have grown, and praising God that some believers had now finished the good race.  But there were a few in that photo that I realised either no longer believed, or at least, no longer attended any church.

Today’s passage reminds me of those ‘sheep’ that have a place and home with Jesus, but for whatever reason have wandered off. Jesus tells us three things about these lost sheep.  Firstly, he tells us that the shepherd himself will go and find them.  Secondly, he tells us that the shepherd himself will carry them home.  Thirdly, he tells us that once the lost sheep has returned, there will be great rejoicing.

I mourn for my lost brothers and sisters.  I pray that the Good Shepherd himself, Jesus, will find them and carry them home. It’s a job that over the years I’ve realised can only be accomplished by Jesus himself, no matter how many ways I’ve tried to encourage a brother or sister to come back or remind him or her of the promises the Bible makes. I long for that day when a brother whom I once thought was lost, but now is found, has repented and returns – what rejoicing there will be!  Join me in praying for the lost sheep today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

Luke 14:34-35

Luke 14:34-35 - Daily Devotion - 15 Aug 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

34 “Salt is good, but if salt loses its flavor, how can its flavor be restored? 35 It is of no value for the soil or for the manure pile; it is to be thrown out. The one who has ears to hear had better listen!”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Joki Truong

Salt is a pretty staple item in my pantry, and it comes in many different forms. From my go-to pink Himalayan to the classic Asian chicken powder to the humble soy sauce: all of these are essential ingredients in most (if not all) of the recipes I cook at home. It adds flavour to an otherwise bland dish. But can you imagine if salt wasn’t … salty? It’s even in the name! What good would it be if something didn’t fulfil the purpose it was made for?

In today’s short passage, Jesus continues speaking with the crowds who have been following him, telling them the cost of being his disciple. Jesus gets straight to the point here: salt is only good when it serves the purpose it has been given. Once it loses its saltiness, it cannot be made salty again. It has no use, and as a result, it gets thrown out.

This reference to salt reminded me of Matthew 5:13 where Jesus refers to us as the salt of the earth. There, in a similar way to this passage in Luke, the “salt” would be thrown out if we were to lose our saltiness. God has saved us to be set apart from the world, to imitate Christ as his followers, and to glorify Him as we live the life Jesus has bought for us by his death on the cross. If we do not live to serve God, we are only serving ourselves, and as a people He has re-created for a good purpose (like salt), we are no longer fulfilling that purpose he set before us.

Have you been living a life that is set apart for God? I know I struggle the most when the world deceives me to think it’s just easier to just do what I want instead of what God wants for me. Pray that as the salt of the earth, we will never lose our saltiness, but that we will fix our eyes on Jesus, listen and obey his teaching, and live out the purpose we have been given: to glorify God.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joki is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.

Luke 14:28-33

Luke 14:28-33 - Daily Devotion - 14 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down first and compute the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, all who see it will begin to make fun of him. 30 They will say, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish!’ 31 Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down first and determine whether he is able with 10,000 to oppose the one coming against him with 20,000? 32 If he cannot succeed, he will send a representative while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Amelia Lin

In this passage, Jesus urges the crowds to estimate and consider the cost of following him and becoming one of his disciples. It is a serious business. Jesus compares it to budgeting for building a house and ensuring that you have enough to lay the foundations and finish the rest of the house, otherwise you will be ridiculed. To raise the stakes even higher, he compares this decision to a king considering whether his 10,000 men are able to oppose an army of 20,000, and wisely asking for peace while the army is still far away. Jesus asks his disciples to give up everything they have.

When I read this passage, my first thought was: Why does Jesus say this? Imagine being in the large crowds following Jesus around and hearing him talk about counting the huge cost of following him. It doesn’t seem like a good argument for convincing people to start or continue following him.

I had a couple of reflections from this. First, I’m thankful that Jesus does not hide the realities of following him from us. Jesus is not trying to lure people into following him by sharing about the amazing blessings we can receive, and then watch on coldly as we get hit by the hidden consequences. He tells us the truth. Jesus tells us exactly what to expect, that there is a real cost – to give up everything we have.

Secondly, why would anyone follow Jesus considering it is such a high cost? Because knowing God is so great that he is worth giving up everything for! It reminds me of Paul’s words in Philippians 3:8 – “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.”

Jesus is worth giving up everything for.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amelia is a member of our Bossley Park morning congregation.

Luke 14:25-27

Luke 14:25-27 - Daily Devotion - 13 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

25 Now large crowds were accompanying Jesus, and turning to them he said, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Ian Mu

My friend absolutely loves mangoes, and because I’m not as excited for mangoes, people sometimes think I must hate mangoes. But the truth is, I don’t hate them – I just don’t love them as much as my friend does.

In Luke 14:25-27, Jesus makes a similar point, but in a much more serious context. He tells us that if we want to follow Him, we must "hate" our father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and even our own lives. At first glance, this seems quite strange. But Jesus isn’t really telling us to hate our families and ourselves. Instead, He’s using strong language to make a point that is so important for us to understand: our love for Him should be so strong that, by comparison, our love for anyone or anything else seems like hate. It’s not that we actually hate our families or our own lives, but that our love for Jesus should be far greater.

In fact, when we love Jesus above all else, something amazing happens – we actually learn how to love our families better. By putting Him first, we allow His love to transform us, and that love spills over into our relationships with others. We become better friends, parents, siblings, and spouses because we are filled with the love of Christ.

Is there something or someone you’ve been loving more than Jesus? For me at the moment, I am aware that I have all of a sudden prioritised my career. And I have to ask myself: How can I re-prioritize my relationship with Jesus?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Luke 14:15-24

Luke 14:15-24 - Daily Devotion - 12 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

15 When one of those at the meal with Jesus heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will feast in the kingdom of God!” 16 But Jesus said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time for the banquet he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ 18 But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going out to examine them. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another said, ‘I just got married, and I cannot come.’ 21 So the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22 Then the slave said, ‘Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.’ 23 So the master said to his slave, ‘Go out to the highways and country roads and urge people to come in, so that my house will be filled. 24 For I tell you, not one of those individuals who were invited will taste my banquet!’”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Omar Dewan

Last year my wife Valerie and I had our “international honeymoon”. Our first destination was the Japanese city Sapporo. I distinctly remember walking around at night time and eating some yummy vanilla ice cream as we walked into random streets and alleyways. What appeared to be quiet and tiny streets were actually buzzing with activity – we found that there’d be lots of people hidden in tiny rooms and houses, which actually functioned as small restaurants or quiet bars.

So I imagine that the servant in the Parable of the Great Banquet would have had a HUGE task in going out to the roads and country lanes and compelling people to come to his master’s banquet – and getting enough people to come so that his master’s house would be absolutely full!

There are many things I could reflect on in this parable, but for today my first reaction was to give thanks that Jesus is unrelenting in bringing people from the farthest corners of the world into his kingdom. In Jesus we have a God who left the heavenly realms to enter our world as a servant, in order to save us from our spiritual darkness through his death and resurrection. How exciting is it that we can look forward to the day where we, as followers of Jesus, can join God in his great banquet!

That exciting day also prompts me to think about those around me who don’t yet know Jesus. I continue to have spiritual conversations with mum, dad and brother – but there are also many other non-Christians in my circles, like work colleagues. In seeking to be like Jesus, I’m challenged to consider: How am I following his example of “going out to the roads and country lanes”? How am I calling the many non-Christians that I know of to God?

It sure can be a daunting task – but as I try to fulfil it the best I can, I am comforted by Jesus’ promise: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Omar is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.

Luke 14:12-14

Luke 14:12-14 - Daily Devotion - 10 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, don’t invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors so you can be invited by them in return and get repaid. 13 But when you host an elaborate meal, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then you will be blessed because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Yuan Vongsavanh

In yesterday’s devotion, we heard how Jesus rebuked the guests who would choose the seat of honour at a banquet (v7-11). His point was to highlight that those who put themselves first will be humbled, but the humble will be exalted. In today’s passage we hear how Jesus instructs his host – and maybe there’s a rebuke here too.

He speaks very directly to the man who had invited him. In v12-13, he basically says that a host should not always be just inviting their family and friends, or others who can return the favour of hosting. Instead, Jesus says to invite those who do not have the means or the ability to return the favour.

When someone says, “I invited my friends over and cooked them lunch this weekend”, we often reply with something like, “Oh that’s really nice of you.” But according to Jesus, there’s nothing especially impressive or admirable about that. He asks us for a much more radical kind of hospitality. Jesus asks us to share what we have and be hospitable to “the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind” (v13) – to those who are in need, those who are society’s outcasts, those who have absolutely no means of returning the favour of hosting us. He’s calling us to share what we have out of love, with compassion for the downtrodden, and without any other expectation from our guests.

And it is because they cannot repay us that we will be blessed, says Jesus, as we will “be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (v14).

I always find it so challenging to hear directly from Jesus’s word in the Bible, especially here where Jesus teaches the counter-cultural way of living as a Christian. His challenge is as relevant now as it was in Jesus’s time. Pray now about these three simple verses. Ask God to remind us that we are spiritual beggars who have received every spiritual blessing from Him, without any expectation or requirement to pay him back. Pray that we will strive to be hospitable to those around us who are in need.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Yuan is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

Luke 14:7-11

Luke 14:7-11 - Daily Devotion - 9 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

7 Then when Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. He said to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor because a person more distinguished than you may have been invited by your host. 9 So the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then, ashamed, you will begin to move to the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, go and take the least important place, so that when your host approaches he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up here to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who share the meal with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Alan Vongsavanh

Today's passage picks up from where yesterday’s passage left off: Jesus is dining at the house of a prominent Pharisee. Jesus sees that the guests would arrive and pick the most important position at the table. He uses this opportunity to teach his listeners that God’s order of things is different – that those who exalt themselves would be humbled, whilst those who are humble will be exalted.

I can’t help but think of myself, and I’m sure I’m not alone – we all like to feel important and be treated that way by others. However, Jesus gives us the warning that if we see ourselves as better than we are and better than others, we will be humiliated in the judgement to come, and that those who are humble will be honoured. This reminds me of Matthew 20:16, where Jesus says, “So the last will be first, and the first last.” God’s ways are so different to the ways of our world and the instincts of our hearts.

Jesus’ teaching also reminds me that if we think we’re more or better than those around us, if we compare ourselves to others and let ourselves get puffed up, we’re believing that we have earned the honour we are given – which means we’ve forgotten that all things come from God, as undeserved gifts. The way to honour is to realise and accept that you don’t deserve honour.

Let’s remind ourselves that we do not belong to this world or it’s values, and our goal is not to be honoured by the world. Pray that God would help us not to see ourselves as greater than we ought, but to humble ourselves before God and others. Pray that God would raise us to honour in the kingdom to come, not because we have earned it by because of his grace.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alan is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

Luke 14:1-6

Luke 14:1-6 - Daily Devotion - 8 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

1 Now one Sabbath when Jesus went to dine at the house of a leader of the Pharisees, they were watching him closely. 2 There right in front of him was a man whose body was swollen with fluid. 3 So Jesus asked the experts in religious law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” 4 But they remained silent. So Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him away. 5 Then he said to them, “Which of you, if you have a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 6 But they could not reply to this.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Mary Hong

Love in action

Friends, do you enjoy eating or sharing food in a meal together? Food is a great gift from God. It is one of the greatest joys in life for me, because it brings people from different backgrounds together. There are many special moments that happen when we enjoy a meal together.

As I read this passage, I am reminded of Jesus's humility and selfless acts of love to those He meets. On this occasion it is on a Sabbath day, around a meal in the home of a leader of the Pharisees. Because it was a Sabbath day, all the food would have been prepared in advance.

At the table sitting across from Jesus is a man who is suffering from a condition known as dropsy.  Jesus heals him, even though he knows the Pharisees are watching Him closely. He then asks the lawyers and Pharisees, “Which of you, if you have a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” (verse 5). The Pharisees could not give a response to this, which reveals their hypocrisy and their lack of love.

But with Jesus, this passage displays his humility and compassion, even in the face of intense criticism and hostility from the leaders. Despite their questioning and opposition, Jesus shows the man kindness and puts love into action by healing him.

This passage humbles me, because we see Jesus showing love and kindness to a man He has only just met. This happens throughout the Gospels: Jesus is willing to heal and show compassion, no matter what the cost or the risk.

Friends, compassion and love should always be at the front and centre of our lives. Pray that we would all look to Jesus as our ultimate example when we are given opportunities to love and care for those around us. May we not allow traditions and rules to get in the way of us showing love and compassion. Pray that this passage will help remind us to follow the two greatest commandments, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind and soul and to love our neighbours as ourselves.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mary is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

Luke 13:31-35

Luke 13:31-35 - Daily Devotion - 7 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

31 At that time, some Pharisees came up and said to Jesus, “Get away from here because Herod wants to kill you.” 32 But he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Look, I am casting out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will complete my work. 33 Nevertheless I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, because it is impossible that a prophet should be killed outside Jerusalem.’ 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it! 35 Look, your house is forsaken! And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

If someone said to me, “Quick, get away – someone very powerful has sent a contract killer for you, and they’re on their way now!”, I can think of a few ways I might react. Mostly, I’d panic. But I definitely wouldn’t say either of the two things Jesus says in response to the warning about Herod. It took me a while to work out what Jesus meant, but in verse 32 he basically says: “I’m not running away – I must stay and complete the work my Father has given me to do, of delivering and healing people.” But then he says that soon he will leave anyway – not to run away from death, but because: “it is impossible that a prophet should be killed outside Jerusalem” (v33). That is, he’s deliberately and resolutely heading for the place where he knows without a doubt that he’ll be killed.

He knows that those who will kill him are God’s precious, loved, rebellious, tragic chosen people Israel – Jesus’ own people. He knows that, in killing him, they will be bringing judgment on themselves – their “house” will be forsaken by God (v35). And he is filled with sorrow and compassion.

As usual, as Jesus is explaining this, he throws in some breath-taking claims about himself. He is like a mother hen, and the people of Israel are like the chicks who he longs to protect. All through the Old Testament, that image is used to describe God himself as the protector of his people (for example, Psalm 17:8 and 91:4). And Jesus finishes by quoting Psalm 118 – “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” Psalm 118 is the climax of the psalms about the Messiah – about how the Messiah will be all alone, under attack on every side, and yet God will deliver him and bring salvation through him. Jesus knew all those things were to be fulfilled in him, and in the death that awaited him.

I can’t comprehend Jesus’ determination and clear-mindedness. He knew the plan laid out for him in the Scriptures – that it would end in victory, but only through unimaginable suffering and death. What a Saviour! I also found this another helpful reminder that judgment is coming, but there is no place for gloating or feeling glad that others are facing disaster. We must strive to feel Jesus’ compassion for those who hate us – otherwise how will we preach the gospel with conviction? Give thanks now for Jesus, and pray for his heart to grow in you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sheena is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.

Luke 13:22-30

Luke 13:22-30 - Daily Devotion - 6 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

22 Then Jesus traveled throughout towns and villages, teaching and making his way toward Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” So he said to them, 24 “Exert every effort to enter through the narrow door because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, then you will stand outside and start to knock on the door and beg him, ‘Lord, let us in!’ But he will answer you, ‘I don’t know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will reply, ‘I don’t know where you come from! Go away from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves thrown out. 29 Then people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and take their places at the banquet table in the kingdom of God. 30 But indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

“Are only a few people going to be saved?” That’s such a common question – I’ve been asked it many times before ... and I think I finally have my go-to Bible passage for it!

The main point of Jesus’ answer seems to be: “Don’t get too distracted by the question of whether other people will go to heaven or hell – pay attention to your own spiritual state, and make every effort to stay out of hell yourself!” Of course, we should be deeply concerned that so many people are not saved, and we need to pass on God’s warning that those who reject his Son will face eternal judgment. But it’s not our place to declare who is or isn’t in hell, and being too interested in that may be a sign that you’re being too casual about your own position before God.

There were two other things I found really helpful in Jesus’ teaching on heaven and hell here. The first is that what will make all the difference in the end is not what you’ve done, but who you know. When God (or the owner of the house in Jesus’ parable) explains why those outside cannot enter, he says twice: “I don’t know you or where you come from” (v 25, 27). You might be able to do some good deeds in amongst your sins, but God’s Son Jesus is the only one who can bring you into a relationship with God, where you know God and he knows you (John 17:3). Trusting in Jesus is the beginning, middle and end of salvation.

And secondly ... what’s the answer? Will only a few be saved in the end? At first, the answer sounds like it’s going to be “Yes”, because Jesus talks about how narrow the door is and that many will not be able to enter (v 24). And yet, at the end he paints a picture of people streaming from the four compass points to enter the kingdom – outsiders, people who were “without hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12).

So, will many people be saved? Well, your priority is to make sure that you are, not be so arrogant that you start announcing other people’s eternal destiny. But in the end, you can trust that God’s mercy is wide and deep and rich and powerful. Trust me (or better, trust Jesus): Heaven will be packed!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elyse is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.

Luke 13:18-21

Luke 13:18-21 - Daily Devotion - 4 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

18 Thus Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what should I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the wild birds nested in its branches.”

20 Again he said, “To what should I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until all the dough had risen.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

I love Jesus’ parables. But as I read today’s passage, I realised that Jesus’ parables are like the opposite of a sermon illustration. When we use sermon illustrations, we try to take a deep truth and make it as clear as possible. But when Jesus spoke in parables, he usually wasn’t trying to hand the meaning to us on a platter. His parables are designed to make us think, and puzzle, and work hard for the treasures they hold.

The general idea of today’s pair of brain-teasers is clear. They’re both about the kingdom of God. In both, the kingdom is represented by something that at first is very small but becomes huge or has a huge impact. The tiny mustard seed becomes a tree. The small bit of yeast permeates the whole batch of dough. And, Jesus is telling us: Don’t worry if the kingdom of God looks small and insignificant to you now. It will grow to be huge and fill everything.

Some parts of these stories are a bit harder to pin down. For what it’s worth, I’d guess the man planting the seed and the woman working in the yeast represent people who tell others the message about Jesus, and the birds in the branches are those who believe the message. God’s kingdom will bring them protection, provision, and a place to belong together.

Here are two final thoughts, as I tried to push a bit deeper. First, it’s not just that the kingdom will grow. Why does the seed grow into a tree, or the dough rise and expand? It’s not really because of the planter or the kneader. The tree and the dough grow through an invisible power that is not in their hands. And when we live and breathe the gospel, God is working invisibly, in places we can’t see, to grow his kingdom of life and light.

Secondly – this is a bit more left-field: Why do these parables appearhere in Luke’s Gospel? Yesterday we heard about an unnamed woman who had been crippled for 18 years. Even though the big and important people disapproved, Jesus freed her and restored her to life and wholeness. Is that woman’s story an example of the mustard-seed kingdom? It seems small and unimportant –she seems small and unimportant. But God’s kingdom will grow through countless stories of people just like this woman – the nobodies, the powerless, the helpless – hearing about Jesus, trusting in him, and receiving forgiveness, joy, and everlasting life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.

Luke 13:10-17

Luke 13:10-17 - Daily Devotion - 3 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, 11 and a woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten herself up completely. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her to him and said, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” 13 Then he placed his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. 14 But the president of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the crowd, “There are six days on which work should be done! So come and be healed on those days, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from its stall and lead it to water? 16 Then shouldn’t this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be released from this imprisonment on the Sabbath day?” 17 When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated, but the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things he was doing.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Aly Phan

I can’t imagine what it’s like to suffer with a bent back for eighteen years. I’m already suffering from soreness and poor posture after 8 hours sitting at my desk for work!

Jesus was teaching at a synagogue when he takes notice of this crippled woman. Without hesitation, Jesus puts on display his power to heal with just a handful of words and a touch of his hands. When I read of Jesus performing miracles, I imagine what it would have been like to be there – it must be such a remarkable thing to see, right before your very eyes.

But as the story continues, that's not the focus. What’s remarkable is not the length of time the woman has suffered so intensely, nor the fact that Jesus did what no one else could ever do. What’s remarkable is that Jesus is scorned by the synagogue leaders for “working” on a day that should be reserved for rest!

The religious leaders in Jesus’ day thought of themselves as people who obeyed God’s law. But they were narrow-sighted. They were missing the most crucial things of all: love for God and for their neighbour, and praise to God.

When I read this passage, my first instinct is to scoff and scorn the synagogue leaders. But when I reflect, I know that there are times when I seek to keep God’s rules as a tick-the-box exercise, rather than longing to obey God out of love and reverent fear of Him. I forget that, just as Jesus freed this woman from her crippling burden, He has freed us from guilt and from rule-keeping, and that he is worthy of my praise. I too am humiliated, like the adversaries in verse 17.

Pray now that we will all remember to be thankful to God who has the power to heal and set us free from physical and spiritual chains, and that we will learn to praise God more and more for His love for us.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aly is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.

Luke 13:6-9

Luke 13:6-9 - Daily Devotion - 2 August 2024
St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

6 Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7 So he said to the worker who tended the vineyard, ‘For three years now, I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and each time I inspect it I find none. Cut it down! Why should it continue to deplete the soil?’ 8 But the worker answered him, ‘Sir, leave it alone this year too, until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it. 9 Then if it bears fruit next year, very well, but if not, you can cut it down.’”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Paul Bogg

I have a mandarin tree in my backyard. On the outside, it actually looks pretty good.  It’s doubled in height in the past 3 years, and has good colour.  But the fruit – well, it’s not as plentiful as I would like, and the fruit that I've picked this year is so sour that you can’t bear to take another bite!  But I look at the tree and think: should I give it one more year? I’ve invested time into it, I’ve cared for it – but if it doesn’t bear edible fruit next season, I’m not quite sure I should keep it around.

This short parable from Jesus today reminds me firstly that God cares for his people – he cares enough to feed and nurture them, to watch them grow, and he longs to see the trees that he has grown bear fruit. And even if those trees don’t seem to be bearing fruit, he is prepared to give it one more season. God is the loving gardener that loves to see his garden bear fruit.  God is also a pragmatic gardener. Jesus warns his people in the previous passage to repent.  Today he warns his people that they ought to be bearing fruit. For those that aren’t bearing fruit – he is prepared to cut down.

So how do I bear fruit for God today? I am reminded of John 15 verse 5: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing”.  Jesus tells us how: by abiding in him.  By abiding in Jesus, God will nurture you, and to enable new growth you might find that he prunes a few things off, but then in time new shoots will appear, and once those shoots become branches then he will cause those branches to bear much fruit.  But fruiting takes time – in fact, it takes seasons to happen, so patience is required.

So abide in Jesus. Draw deeper into the true vine through prayer. Soak in the loving nourishment that He gives you through his word and the fellowship with your brothers and sisters. Trust him as he does his work tending to the garden. And in the midst of your service to him, expect the shoots, and the branches, and the fruiting to happen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregration.