What are you hearing in your devotions?

This season I’ve been spending time in Luke. I feel with so much transition happening in my life, it is necessary for me to return to “center,” to who Jesus is. Luke not only does this but is very artful in framing Jesus with supporting characters. that I find immensely interesting, especially the spectrum of their responses. Jesus incites deep anger, overwhelming gratitude, arrogance, humility, fear, and hope. I guess the major question is why? Why would any one person elicit such a gambit of responses? What does he draw out in people that make them react that way? As for me, I find myself relating to the murderers and the accusers of Christ.

“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong. “Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23: 39-41)

My approach toward Christ has been to continually test him, much like the thief who accuses him even in Christ’s last hour. But I think there is a difference between genuine seeking and skeptical testing. Testing incorrectly puts me in a higher position. The one on trial must prove himself to me. Seeking connotes a lower position. The one before me may have something to teach me. Luke challenges me in my approach to faith. How often do I need God to prove himself to me versus how often am I looking to be taught by Him?

There’s something mysterious about the humility of the second thief. He’s greatly self-aware. He knows that he deserves his doom. How many of us know that? I know that generally, I am completely out of touch with the path of destruction my selfishness has me on. And at the same time, he knows that Jesus is innocent and in His innocence deserves to enter the Kingdom. How does the thief understand that? And what does he mean by asking Jesus to remember him? I think reality is that when we’re trying to make Christ prove Himself to us, we are nowhere close to self-awareness. We lack the capability to see Jesus and His ability to help us, to remember us. My prayer continues to be: Let me be not so proud, Lord, as to forbid you from coming close and helping me know hope, joy, and gratitude.