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Luke

In Bible Study, Blog, Luke on
December 19, 2023

It’s a Christmas Miracle

Christmas is truly one of my favorite times of the year. I love everything about it—the classic music, the festive decorations, the delicious treats, the parties, the presents, and of course, the movies. There are a handful of Christmas movies that really are some of my top movies of all time, but my family refuses to watch anything remotely Christmas-y outside of that month or so between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, so we always have to cram them all in before the holiday season is over.

One reason why I (and probably many others) love Christmas movies is that they feel so comforting and nostalgic to watch, and I think that’s often because they use tropes that we all know and love, like Santa actually being a real person, Christmas being in danger and in need of saving, the importance of family, the grump who has a heart change, and the couple who falls in love over the holidays (even if they hated each other in the beginning). One trope that appears in a lot of Christmas movies is the Christmas Miracle.

The Christmas Miracle trope usually pops up near the end of the movie at a point when everything seems lost, and then by some sudden stroke of Christmas magic, a miracle occurs and all is saved or made right. In Home Alone, Kevin is about to be tortured by Harry and Marv, but then his not-so-scary neighbor rescues him, the cops show up to arrest the Wet Bandits, and Kevin’s mom finally makes it home on Christmas Day. In Elf, Santa and Buddy are about to be caught by the Central Park Rangers, but then Jovie is able to inspire enough people to sing and have Christmas spirit so that Santa’s sleigh can fly. And in your average Hallmark movie, there is always some way for the big city character to save the failing small-town Christmas cookie store, Christmas tree farm, or some other Christmas-themed business.

But I believe the best example of a Christmas miracle is not found in a movie or book but in the small city of Nazareth around two thousand years ago.

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In Bible Study, Blog, Luke on
September 19, 2022

Jesus Draws Near to the Lost

Zacchaeus was a wee, little man, and a wee, little man was he. He climbed up in the sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see.

If you grew up going to Sunday School or attending a Christian school, you’ve probably heard and sung this song before. The happy tune tells the biblical story of Zacchaeus, a strangely short man who wanted to see Jesus so much that he climbed up a tree.

However, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Zacchaeus was man who was lost, ostracized in his own community, desperate for hope and spiritual healing, and Jesus met him right where he was—yes, in a sycamore tree. If we want to know Zacchaeus’s story—the whole story—we must go back to Luke 19.

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In Bible Study, Blog, Luke on
August 21, 2022

Jesus Draws Near to the Children

We live in a culture that despises children. In 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle vowed to not have more than two children in an effort to fight overpopulation and climate change. This promise was applauded by mainstream media and society, and they were even given an award with a $695 prize for their “enlightened decision.”[1]

Harry and Meghan are not the only couple who has pledged to limit their number of children or to even never have children at all. Those who do get unexpectedly pregnant are often told that the child inside their womb will only ruin their lives and are paid to get rid of it, even if it requires them to cross state lines to do so. Many women who do carry their children to term participate in what has been dubbed “toxic mommy culture,” where they regularly complain about, curse at, and try to get away from their kids (and for some reason, always need a glass of wine to get through the day). And the kids who somehow survived climate hysteria, abortion, and toxic mommy culture are often indoctrinated in radical gender and sexuality ideology in what they read in picture books, what they watch on TV, and what they’re taught in the classroom.

Like I said, our culture no longer appears to value children. To our society, children are only good for what they can do for them or their cause or their agenda. In all honesty, our view of children is not all that different from that of ancient Israel when Jesus walked on this earth.

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In Bible Study, Blog, Luke on
July 16, 2022

Jesus Draws Near to the Anxious

We live in a fast-paced world. We’re always busy, busy, busy—jumping from one thing to the next, scrambling to get everything done in time. I know I can relate! My days are so full of working, and writing, and reading, and many other things that some days it feels like I barely have two seconds to stop and take a breath.

Because our lives are so anxious, and busy, and chaotic, we often neglect the tasks that we deem not as important, which sometimes, unfortunately, includes reading the Bible and praying. We all know that reading our Bibles and praying to God are important. But life happens. We have research papers due at 11:59, dirty diapers that need to be changed, reports that need to be turned in first thing. We have early mornings and late nights, and there’s so much going on that those dusty little Bibles on our nightstands just slip from our minds.

This forgetfulness can leave us feeling guilty or ashamed, but we need not lose hope. We can actually be encouraged because the truth is Jesus does not condemn us for forgetting these important daily disciplines. In fact, He does the complete opposite. He draws near to us.

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In Bible Study, Blog, Luke on
June 20, 2022

Jesus Draws Near to the Hopeless

For many, many years, anxiety has been my nemesis. It looks and feels different from day to day. Sometimes I get this panicky, jittery feeling in my chest or I have difficulty breathing normally. Sometimes I develop stomach aches or become very scatter-brained when I try to think through what needs to get done for the day. Sometimes I’m much more emotional about something than I might normally be. There are some days when I barely feel any anxiety at all, but they are other days when I am absolutely miserable and wish it could all just go away.

I’ve struggled with anxiety for a long time, and I’ve prayed over and over again that the Lord would take it away from me. But He never has. I know there must be a reason that God has allowed me to wrestle with these feelings and symptoms for so long. I know He is no cruel dictator and that He loves me greatly, far greater than anyone else ever could. However, at times, I just feel hopeless, like there’s no hope of ever being free and at peace.

Perhaps you feel the same way—hopeless, like you have no chance of finding any peace or relief from whatever is your greatest struggle. But these people—those who have lost all hope—are exactly the kind of people Jesus draws near to. And we can see this clearly in Jesus’ encounter with a hopeless woman in Luke 8.

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