Lessons from Luke

This month I was in charge of the lesson for our church circle.  In preparing, I was looking up verses from Luke that are important to me.  Of course, the Book of Luke is full of verses related to Jesus' birth.  But there is so much more to Luke....

In Chapter 12 Jesus warns us about worrying:

Luke 12:22-23, 25 NIV
Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.  Life is more than food and the body more than clothes...Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Luke 12:34 NIV
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 10:27 NIV
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.

This verse from Luke 10:27 went right along with the lesson I was planning to give.  My lesson was on being good neighbors...not just during the Christmas season, but all the time.

Over 2000 years ago, Jesus became human and moved into our earthly neighborhood.

John 1:14 The Message
The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.  

Jesus was not always welcomed into our neighborhood and still today has been met with ridicule, hatred, and closed doors.  Jesus chose to leave his life with God and lived the life of a human.  He was a loving neighbor.  He was caring and forgiving.  Sadly, many have neglected, ignored, avoided and refused Him.

How are you treating your neighbors?  I'm not talking about the family next door to you, but our neighbors in our school, in our community, in our state, in our nation, and in our world.  Each one of us are neighbors to each other.  If we choose to ignore those neighbors who need us, we are also choosing to ignore Jesus as our neighbor.

One of my favorite Christmas hymns is "Joy to the World".  Isaac Watts wrote this as a song of rejoicing, taking it from Psalm 98.

Joy to the world, the Lord has come.
Let earth receive his King.
Let every heart, prepare Him room.

Let      every      heart,      prepare      Him      room.

Every one of us needs to open our hearts to those in need this season. So many men, women, and children are suffering.  Don't close your door, your eyes, and your heart to those who need you to welcome them into your neighborhood.  Share a smile, be loving, be forgiving, share what you have, pray, and be a witness to others.

Matthew 25:40 NIV
I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.