The greatest command in the Bible – the command that encompasses all other commands – is love. This month as we look at Jesus’ parables that only Luke records, we come to the familiar story of the Good Samaritan. As familiar as the story is to us, the lesson is shockingly new every time we read it: the love God expects from us knows no borders. May we hear the story again with fresh ears for renewed obedience so we may “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8)
Jesus tells a parable about a fruitless fig tree that gets a second chance at life, but even those days are numbered. Jesus is showing us that repentance and fruitful living are non-negotiable in the kingdom of God. God is patient with us, showing great mercy, but God’s mercy does not cancel out his justice. May we respond to God’s call and his shaping hand in our lives so that he will find us full of good fruit.
We close our time in 1 Thessalonians with the blessing Paul gives at the end of the letter. When all is said and done, God requires not just that we are good, but that we are holy. The final blessing connects the themes of Hope and Holiness, but it’s much more than a wish. The blessing is a promise that God himself will complete the progression he began in us. God is our only hope when it comes to holiness, and God Will Finish It.
God still speaks to us today, but how do we know what God is saying? Where is the line between being cynical about receiving direct guidance from God and being gullible in believing everything we hear or feel? The final instructions Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians address that tension and guide us in Tuning in to God’s Heart. May our ears be open, our minds be discerning, and our hearts be determined to follow God’s leading.
Paul gives three short but beautiful commands to the Thessalonian Christians: rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances. Those don’t simply provide a happier or better life; they are God’s will for us. The instructions are fairly easy to understand, but how can we do them? They come from a life turned towards God in all things, and doing them shapes us in that direction. As we follow Paul’s lead, may our lives overflow with joy, thanksgiving, and fellowship with God.