Reading for July 9 is Luke 11-12... My thoughts on this reading... Luke highlights Jesus praying quite a bit. We hear about Jesus praying at various places, various times, by Himself, with others and for various reasons when we can kind of guess at what prompted His time in prayer. It's a good little study to look at some time. As Chapter 11 begins we hear how Jesus was praying in a certain place, and the disciples asked Him for guidance for their prayers and He taught the Lord's prayer. It differs just a little from Matthew's but has much the same message. While we certainly pray the Lord's Prayer often, it's also to be a springboard to lead us to expand and explore the basics of what Jesus was teaching. He also shares with them the need for persistence in prayer, and the promise that the Lord does indeed hear our prayers. As Jesus is casting out a demon from a mute man, He is accused of doing so by the power of Beelzebul, but Jesus points out how foolish it would be for the devil to work against himself. Jesus does also warn that unless one replaces the void of one's life with something after a demon leaves, then it's possible the demon will return and be even more difficult to do away with. As a women in the crowd voices gratitude for the one who gave birth to Jesus, He in turn points to the blessing for one who hears God's Word and obeys it. He then repeats again the sign of Jonah, which points to His death and resurrection when others request a sign from Him. He then discusses the need to have light in oneself, rather than darkness and to fill one's life with the life of Christ. As Chapter 11 closes He offers words of warning to the Pharisees and lawyers and others who were leading astray God's people and focused on the wrong things. When they object to His warning, He left them, but they were now conspiring all the more to do away with Him and hoping to catch Him with something they could use against Him. Chapter 12 continues with Jesus speaking of the Pharisees and how they should avoid their teachings and actions. In somewhat of a prophetic pronouncement He talks about not fearing those who can destroy the body, which of course is what eventually happens to Him by the religious leaders. He says that showing allegiance to Him means He will speak on your behalf before His Heavenly Father, but if you deny Him before men, He will deny you before His Father. Jesus then tells a parable about the rich fool who builds bigger barns and doesn't get the benefit of them, and points to not basing one's life and happiness on fleeting things. Rather than being anxious about what one has or doesn't have, know that the Lord will take care of you. Invest your life in true treasure, that which last for eternity. It's important to be ready, always being prepared for the Lord's return. When Peter asks the Lord if this parable was for them, and Jesus points to the reality that if you have been given much, much will be expected from you. Then we hear the surprising message that He came not bring about peace but division, essentially because one's greater call is to Him versus other relationships or priorities, which is a challenging thing for us to consider. He mentions to the crowd how it's important to be able to understand the signs, especially of the times in which they live. That they were able to know what was going to happen with the weather more so than what was going to happen with the times in which they live. He closes by telling them that it is better not to continue to get involved with disputes but settle conflicts.