Luke 6:46-49

Thoughts

Clarification: A common mistake for believers to make today is to separate their spiritual lives from their emotional condition, as if our emotions were disconnected from our relationship to the Savior. But our emotional strength is a key contributor to – and litmus test of – our spiritual life. After all, the fruit that the Spirit produces is love and joy—clearly an emotion (Gal. 5:22).

Preparation: Emotional strength to endure the inevitable storms of life is what Jesus is preparing His future leaders for in Luke 6:27-49 (observe the connection of “hearing” between 6:27 & 6:47). To strengthen our emotions for the setbacks, disappointments, and injustices of life (Lk. 6:46-49), Jesus teaches us to put His words into practice. That means doing the hard work of digging deep, that is, daily following His building code (Lk. 6:27-45): loving our enemies, praying for those who mistreat us, eliminating judgmentalism, resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness, and practicing self-evaluation and personal transformation.

Examination Day: By following Jesus’ building code on a daily basis, our self-focused pride diminishes (we entertain realistic views of ourselves), entitlement loses its grip on us, and we become like our Father: kind and merciful, less prone to the emotional failures of being easily angered, frustration, resentment, and unbelief. Then, when the flood waters of life hit us with full force—examination day—as it did with Jesus hanging on the cross as an innocent man, rather than slipping into bitterness, hatred of God or others ("why did He allow this to happen to me? Life is so unfair!”), depression, resentment, and hopelessness, we remain standing, emotionally strong.

Our emotional life is our spiritual life. Jesus is preparing us to be strong emotionally, the mark of mature leaders who can help others.

Exercises

1.   Have a family discussion and ask each member to recollect opportunities they experienced over the past week to practice Jesus’ building code (for example, being kind to someone who was unkind, forgiving someone who failed to admit they were wrong) into action.

2.   Share with each other how difficult it was to practice Jesus’ instructions. Explain how you either succeeded or why you failed. 

3.   Discuss Soren Kierkegaard’s statement: “It is so hard to believe because it is so hard to obey.”

4.   With discretion practiced in view of small children in your circle, recall the various storms your family has experienced in the past. Share your emotional failures or collapses (if relevant) and why such occurred.

5.   Talk about weather forecasts (forecasting rain, hurricanes, temperature drops) and how similar the forecast is for our future experiences. Discuss how homes and buildings that are not built according to the codes are collapses waiting to happen. Use some illustrations from hurricanes that have hit Florida or tsunamis in Southeast Asia.

6.   Discuss how your family can encourage each other daily to keep digging (practicing Jesus’ building code) and not to forget that we dig with one eye on today and the other eye focused on future storms.

7.   By all means, eliminate unnecessary fear and anxiety by focusing on Jesus’ promises, that while future floods and storms are bound to occur, He gives us a reliable code by which to build sturdy lives, become emotionally strong, and endure the worst life can dish out.  Keep digging together.  

Download this week’s sermon outline and takeaways here.