Reading: Luke 21:16-28

Jesus invested so much of Himself in His disciples and friends. He lived with them. He served them. He provided for them. He taught them. He gave Himself for them. He loved them.

Yet, when they most needed to faithful and true, they all fled from Him. And some outright denied Him and betrayed Him. (I’d call them ungrateful wretches and unfaithful ingrates, except then I’d be condemning myself.)

Since that was the Master’s lot, should His followers expect anything different?

“And ye shall be betrayed…” (16).

The spirit of betrayal lives and thrives in our age.

It works from within as well as from without. I tend to be most aware of its work from without — others being unfaithful to me.

I need to be far more on my guard against its work from within — me being unfaithful to others.

So there’s another way to strive to be like Jesus, who is called the Faithful and True.

from Luke 21:28

A little bit more from Luke 21: Win. With Patience.

Reading: Luke 21:1-15

I took all the twenty-dollar bills out of my wallet yesterday morning — nine of them. And slipped them into the offering plate as I passed it on to the person sitting beside me.

Why?

Because that’s what I decided to do before I knew for sure how many I had in there.

Because the collection was for a Mexico mission work near and dear to my heart.

Because God is entitled to at least some of my money.

Because I think I should give at least 10% of my income.

Now this morning I read about the rich guys who gave generously but not sacrificially. And about the poor widow who didn’t have much to give . . . because she didn’t have much, period.

Yet Jesus said she gave more than they all.

“For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had” (4).

Why . . . did the rich men give?

Why . . . did the poor widow give so “recklessly” and sacificially?

How could she do that?!

from Luke 21:8

A little bit more from Luke 21: Why?!