Joshua 16:1-18:28, Luke 19:1-27, Psalms 87:1-7, Proverbs 13:11
Today is the 18th day of April welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it’s great to be here with you probably still kind of basking in Easter celebrations yesterday and being together with family maybe, friends. And every time we come to the first part of a new week we talk about it being a fresh start. We’re walking in. We’re gonna live the lives that we live and tell the story of the week. If there was ever a fresh start it’s like right now. Understanding that we are free and that our Easter celebrations tell us the story of walls being torn down between humanity and God and that we can freely come into His presence knowing that we are loved. And, so, it is a great week to live into as we continue our journey which will lead us in the Scriptures back into the book of Joshua. We’re reading from the New Living Translation this week. Joshua 16, 17 and 18 today.
Commentary:
Okay. So, in the Gospel of Luke today we have a really really famous Sunday school story. The short man, Zacchaeus climbing the sycamore tree to see what he could see and Jesus passing by. Super well-known story. So, let’s look at this story. We probably all kinda know the story. It’s pretty short. But let’s look for the kingdom of God in this story. So, Zacchaeus is a tax collector and his fellow Hebrew people despise him. They despise all tax collectors. For them for the most part the tax collectors that they would deal with were fellow Hebrew people working on behalf of an appointed tax collector on behalf of the Roman government. So, to be able to tax collect on behalf of the Empire required significant investment of money into the Empire to get the license or the right to collect taxes. And those were usually Roman people, or wealthy Hebrew people who would subsequently hire other Hebrew people to go out into the villages and be the tough man and collect the taxes. And, so, tax collection. People hated that and they hated those people and they hated the Hebrew people who were involved because it was like they were taking advantage of their own brothers and sisters, their own people for their own selfish gain on behalf of the Roman Empire. And, so, the people didn’t like them, and the religious leaders considered them sinners for the taking advantage of their own people. There’s just all of this swirling around. And yet these tax collectors had money, had resources, could buy influence. It’s like a very very convoluted thing. And Zacchaeus was one of the wealthy tax collectors. He had been at this for a while, had resources and he wants to see Jesus. Jesus calls them down from the tree and goes to his house, which causes an uproar or just quoting from Luke, “the people were displeased. He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner, they grumbled.” So, this good man Jesus is doing the things that the people are like, good men, godly men wouldn’t do those things. Godly men wouldn’t fraternize with tax collectors. This is a notorious sinner. So, they’re looking at that as an argument against Jesus. Meanwhile, inside Zacchaeus’s house Zacchaeus is saying to Jesus, and I quote from the Gospel of Luke, “I will give half my wealth to the poor Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much.” So, where is the kingdom of God being revealed and breaking the fourth in this story, among the people who believe they are the chosen ones, and they will restore the kingdom to God by defeating Rome or in the house of a notorious sinner? And Jesus said and I quote “salvation has come to this home today for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” In a story like this one it’s very apparent, like we can see the situation and…and lean into the fact that wherever Jesus is is where the kingdom is. And certainly Zacchaeus is being transformed in the presence of Jesus. This story shows us so much about the world that we live in, and our own hearts posture because we will get ourselves together with, the people that think the same way that we do and we will make ourselves a group that is against others. And, so, it’s very easy for us to be in that position. We’re like, why would Jesus go there? That’s a notorious sinner. Why would the kingdom show up there? That is a den of sin and iniquity. Where else did Jesus ever show up? So, where is Jesus going to show up to reveal His kingdom? It’s goona be in the places that are open to it, the places where people know of their need, can see that they need Jesus. But the people walking around who feel like they own Jesus or have Jesus are the ones typically frowning down upon Jesus’ work among the lowly when that is all He’s ever done. The question is, where are we in this story? Because we can see the kingdom now. Who are we in this story? And that…that can really change things inside of us when we realize how judgmental we can be and how often we can thwart what God might want us to do. So, we’re coming off of Easter and we’re moving forward as we do, because that’s the only way to go. How are we moving forward though? Christ has come for us, even while we were his enemies loving us and restoring and rescuing us. How can…like how can we participate in anything less?
Prayer:
Holy Spirit come into that. This pricks at our prejudice and bias. It pricks at our stories and our wounds and our woundedness and the things that we need to protect and the things that we need to tear down. We have all kinds of opinions on all kinds of things. And, so, often we’re just doing what we’re doing hoping that You’ll bless it when we could be doing what You’re doing, and You will bless it. And what You have always done is rescued the one who needed rescuing. And, so, help us to remember that because that was us. We were that person. We must go and do likewise. Show us how Jesus we pray. In Your mighty name we ask. Amen.
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And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
This is Freedom Fighter from Michigan in America and just asking for prayer for our daughter or Cami. She’s decided to live the life of the prodigal son. And she’s 21 years old. She moved out of our home about a year ago and I think she’s still kind of angry and bitter at God and…for how her life story began. She was neglected for a couple years in Russia before she was sent to an orphanage where she spent a couple years. And that’s where God rescued her and sent her to us. But unfortunately, she still holds a lot of anger bitterness just as to how her life story began. And she’s not being able to see the redemption side of it. And…and she’s taken that, and she’s moved out and she’s pursued the world and she's…she’s trying to find the happiness there but now she’s really just…just living a broken lifestyle. She’s been evicted from her apartment. All of her earthly possessions are in a storage unit of which she’s being foreclosed on. She finds herself living on a couch in her boyfriend’s house with a dysfunctional family that. And it’s just she's…she’s living the life in the pig pen and it’s just breaking our hearts. So, we just pray that…that she’ll see God pursuing her, that…we’ve prayed that God would bring her to whatever it takes to win her back to you or to her to Him. And…and then I just pray that you’ll give us the patience to accept her back when she does turn to come home, that we’ll still be able to kill the fatted calf and receive her back into our arms with an open heart. So, pray for Cami.
Good morning DAB community my DAB family. my name is Geneva Thirsty for His Grace from Orlando FL. Today is April 14th, 2022. I just finished listening to today’s podcast with Brian. And Brian thank you for that powerful read from the word of God in Luke, that we are ordinary servants. Jesus owes us nothing. I have done my duty. Thank you for that. As I continue to journey and share during this passion week on this Maudie Thursday may we prepare our heart in the dark shadows of Good Friday and the bright dawn of Easter Sunday. Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane today on the darkest and most difficult night of his life. Gethsemane, family means olive press. Let us press into prayer. Abba Father You know that we would give almost anything for an easier less painful life. Help us to relinquish our will to Your will today. Father there are so many parts of this world are overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death today. As we remember particular people and places before You now every person on this prayer line, I pray that they will somehow know Your presence is with them and their suffering. Father if it’s possible please spare each of us from suffering. We want You to bless us, heal us, show us Your favor Father God. But we realize that You never promised us an easy life. And, so, we pray today sincerely as we know how let Your will be done. If it’s not our will, let Your will be done and Your Kingdom come. If it means sacrificing own discomfort our own comfort and losing control of our life. In Jesus’ name I ask. Amen. Be blessed fam…
[singing starts] it only takes a spark to get a fire going and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing. That’s how it is with God’s love once you’ve experienced it you spread God’s love to everyone you want to pass it on [singing stops]. Hey Sparky I was just listening to the DAB and I heard you and immediately this song came to mind. I think of you as a…as a glowing spark that is being transmitted to others. But here you are today, you’re feeling down in the dumps and you’re getting into a bit of depression. Your sons are getting older and so they don’t want to have anything to do have…to do with you right now. And I remember that so well. I had an only child, and we were great friends until she got to the teenage years. Her friends were more important than me. I know how sad it was. I cried. I thought we’ll never be the same. You know what? She grew up. She got married. She had her own kids. We are the best of friends. So, you and your sons, your relationship continues despite what it may seem. Abba Father I left Sparky to the throne of grace. I pray that You’d wrap Your arms around about him and draw him close. I pray in the new Jesus over any dark depression that’s wanting to come up on him. I pray that he would have life again and just sparkle for all the world to see, all those around him would see. I pray that whatever’s keeping him down will be removed and the name of…
Hello DAB family this is Daniel the Wholehearted calling from Maryland. Just had a quick story and a prayer request. My quick story is, the other day I got a robo-call from Spring Hill TN and I picked up the phone and was like, Brian? ‘Cause I thought that maybe Brian Hardin from Spring Hill TN was calling me. Brian, just wanna let you know it warmed my heart to think you might be calling me and it definitely warms my heart to hear you read and to talk about the scriptures with us. Appreciate what you’re doing. We keep on praying for you and just appreciate everything that your family’s doing. The prayer request is, I’ve got this car, I got a Ford Explorer that is the worst truck ever. It just breaks down all the time. And it broke down on my wife today picking up my son from school. And, so, I met the…I went to go meet the tow truck driver and turns out it was working when I got there. And I said, well I’m not gonna cancel the tow truck. I’m gonna still have the tow truck come because I don’t want to stop working on my way home. So, tow truck shows up and Ernest is driving it and Ernest is sharing with me while he’s a loading up the truck, sharing with me all these times that he’s almost died doing his job. And after about third or fourth time I said, Ernest do you believe in God? He said, well I want to, but it’s been hard. It’s been hard since my mom died. And we talked about that, how she died from cancer. And he…I told him about the DAB, said it’s a place where the bible’s read fresh every day. It’s a place where people pray. He said, well if you’re gonna pray, pray for my ex-girlfriend Jessica. She’s addicted to heroin and I can’t stand just watching her die. And, so, we prayed…I said let’s pray right now. And we prayed. I prayed for him and I prayed for Jessica and when we were done he said that’s the first time I prayed since I lost my mom. So, let’s pray for both of them right now. And I ask you to pray with me. God, I pray for Ernest. I pray you’d give him everything he needs to be the man of God you want him to be. I pray for Jessica, that you free her from heroin, that you give her a new mind in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Good morning DAB family this is Jimmy from the East Coast. I’m just calling to pray for some of the DABbers. I wanted to first mention Christy from Kentucky. I hear you. My heart goes out to all those who lose family members right now and are…are just…just feeling the pain. I am praying for you and…and I know it stays a long time, especially if you’re a deep…deep feeler. So, I’m praying for you guys. I wouldn’t pray for Robbie. Robbie, I…I hear you brother. I’ve been there. I am there. That’s my life. I…I've…sometimes it feels like DID dissociative identity disorder. It’s like you want to do well and you are doing well sometimes. And then you you’re just…if people just see behind the curtain. You know, I said exactly what you said just a week ago. I…God is good, but I don’t represent Him well. And a lot of that has to do with how I feel. So, just know I’m praying for you and it’s coming. And just keep…God hears you. He’ll meet you where you are. I’m praying also for Erin. Keep…keep fighting. I’m glad you’re standing up. And God…God will keep you straight, keep you walking straight. And we’re praying for you. I love you guys.