Advent Devotional: The Gospel of LukeSample

*Written by Lois Kong

Luke 6 is filled with controversial actions, statements, and commands of Jesus, against traditions, against common values, and even against human logic. Jesus clearly showed that He was building a new and drastically different Kingdom, which is the polar opposite in many aspects of what we humans understood or valued.

1. Christians will face opposition in this world but will be rewarded for our faith (Luke 6: 22-23)

The world we live in appears to show flashy, vibrant colors on the surface, with more "freedom" and varieties added daily, aiming to lure and trap. But when examined deep into its core, the world is in gloomy darkness (Isaiah 60:2, John 1:5). All it puts out on the front is just a pretense of smoke and mirror to cover up its hollowness where sin resides and multiplies. It’s our purpose and responsibility to carry the light of Jesus (Matthew 5:14-16) that shines the full spectrum of His true and divine colors into this dark world. Yet, blinded by sin, His light is not being recognized by this world but being hated and rejected (John 3:20), and so are we His light carriers.

As citizens of Christ’s Kingdom (Colossians 1:13-14) sojourning in such a fallen world, how comfortable are we when going against current mainstream beliefs and societal norms like Jesus and His apostles did two thousand years ago? With a rapidly increasing amount of emphasis being put on individuals' rights that are often taken for granted and abused nowadays, and ever-diminishing concern about individuals’ responsibilities and the consequences of our choices and actions, how are we Christians to act or react in our daily lives? Would we become chameleons to gain popularity in dominating opinions and cultures of this world? Would we simply withdraw ourselves and hide our voices that present the truth to avoid opposition and adversity? Or would we stay true to our faith in Christ to be justified (Galatians 2:16) and eventually rewarded by Him even when bearing tremendous pressure?

2. Christians should be identified by Christ’s love (Luke 6:35)

When we were ungrateful evildoers when we were still enemies of God, He loved us first (1 John 4:19). Out of love, our Saviour Jesus was sent to us; out of love, Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross to redeem us. We owe Him our lives, and we are never able to repay Him for this favor. What shall we do then?

As Christ's followers, we ought to be identified by Christ’s love through our actions and truthfulness (1 John 3:18), for Jesus did ask us to do what He commanded if we love Him (John 14:15). He commanded us to love God (Matthew 22:37), to love our neighbors (Luke 10:27), to love one another (John 13:34), and to even love our enemies (Luke 6:27). As we all say “Amen” to these commands and try our best to follow up in our practices, most of us, if not all, may not feel measuring up on occasions. How many times have we compared ourselves to others, which allowed feelings of pride or inferiority to infest us? How often do we insult Jesus’s sacrifice by judging and condemning someone whom He has forgiven and redeemed according to our own standards?

Despite our failures and weaknesses, fully foreseen by God, He still chose to let us take part in achieving His master plan of salvation that He has set in place since the beginning. He is not worried that our errors and glitches would mess up His perfect plan because He is eternally sovereign (Colossians 1:16–17). His power is made perfect in our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9). Therefore, when we walk the heavenward path and stumble, let’s not judge or condemn ourselves or each other but forgive as God forgave us (Luke 6:37) and love as He loves us, and serve others, even our enemies, in their best interests as He served us.

We have been redeemed and transformed by His love, so in this joyful season, let’s spread the good news of His love through prayers and thanksgiving.

Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, hallowed be your name. You are good and worthy of all our praises! We are eternally grateful for your sacrifice on the cross out of your unfailing and unconditional love. We are pining for your return and for going to our eternal home. But we understand that there’s work in this world that needs to be completed first. As we continue our sojourn and labor here, we pray that you will remain our joy and peace in all circumstances, that you will give us patience and strength to persevere, and that you will help us to love as you do. Your infinite wisdom is way beyond our grasp, and we are never able to see things fully like you do. But we trust that your provision will suffice and that your purpose will prevail. We pray that when we face immense challenges in our calling and feel crushed by adversity, you will remind us to look up to our Saviour and that your sovereign power, which is greater than anything we face, will always sustain us. In Jesus's name, we pray, Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. As we establish our lives here, what would be some common reasons for us to attempt to build our lives without Christ as our firm foundation?
2. When facing unfair treatment, how would you act in such incidents to stay true to the Christian faith and principles?
3. What are some practical ways that you could show God’s love to your neighbors despite cultural or language barriers?