The Living Word: A Daily Devotional with Jeff & Dale from The Jenkins Institute

Week 26: Friday, Use What You Have

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Welcome to Hearing God's Stories, a daily devotional on the parables presented by the Jickens Institute.

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Week 26, Friday, Use What You Have, Mark chapter 4, verses 21 through 25 by Travis Burkell, and I am Andy King. Our world isn't always fair. Those who have the most often get more. Those with money often get more money. Those with nothing usually lose even the little bit they earn. Even in Christianity, those children raised in a in godly, sincere, and Christ-centered families who worship with strong, active, and faithful churches receive more spiritual assessments than those raised in ungodly homes with no connection to the church. Jesus repeatedly noticed, helped, and reached out to those at the bottom of society. Jesus sacrificed his own reputation to spend time with the tax collectors and sinners. Jesus wanted everybody, especially those who found no help from any other source, to be seen, loved, and welcomed into God's kingdom. When they had no resources, Jesus became their resources. Conversely, those who had many spiritual resources, like the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus often chastised and condemned. So it is a little surprising to see Jesus saying, For to the one who has more will be given. And from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Mark chapter 4, verse 25. That sounds unfair. Shouldn't those with fewer spiritual resources be given more? Couldn't we take from those who have more and give to those who have less, so that there can be equality? 2 Corinthians chapter 8, verses 13 through 15. How should we understand this cryptic saying? Again, this saying can also be found in other passages. Matthew chapter 13, verse 12, Matthew 25, verse 29, Luke 19, verse 26. Following the parable of the talents, it is the one who buried his talent that lost it. It was given to the one who acted upon it. Similarly, in the text, Jesus seems to be saying that divine benefits and blessings are multiplied for those who receive and act upon Christ's word.

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The more of Christ's word they have, the more access and understanding they receive. To the one who rejects Christ's word and does not have even a little bit of his gift. Today, I will start the understanding of his word.

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Is that a prayer for you?