Luke 13

When Jesus speaks, we all should listen. As Peter said in John 6, "To whom else would we go? You have the words of eternal life."

Here Jesus continues to give life-giving words to his listeners. He speaks about the value of the smallest bit of our faith (a mustard seed, a bit of leaven) and how God can use that to make much (a towering tree, 3/4 of a bushel of leavened flour). We have a God who delights to give us the kingdom (12:32) and all we need to bring is the smallest measure of faith.

In the midst of that overflowing and available grace, Jesus encountered leaders who made it their business to place themselves between the children of God and God himself. Just like getting between a momma bear and her cubs (times about a billion), that is a dangerous place to be, and Jesus calls them out. They critique him for healing a woman sick for 18 years on the wrong day of the week; they question whether when bad things happen, it makes the victims bad people; they ask him how many will be saved. He answers each in turn - the people whom God loves are more important than the rules. Bad things happen to the good and the bad - we need to each examine our own hearts and see whether we've been faithful with what we've been given (whatever it is).

The determinant of whether many are saved is the sum of how each individual responds to the call of Jesus. His call goes out to all, but we don't get to pick who He is. He is Who He is and that's the God who calls us into relationship with Him. He is fully explained in Jesus. If you want to know God, know Jesus. If you want to follow God, follow Jesus. If you want to love God, Love Jesus - and Love His family.

Let's continue to drink in the words of Jesus and walk in the Spirit. As Jesus said in John 6, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and are Life."

  TOM ALBERS | Elder Chairman

Tom committed his life to Christ as a junior in high school in 1975. After moving to Austin in 1995, Tom and Cindy attended Hill Country Bible Church in Cedar Park before becoming part of the HCBC Pflugerville and Hutto Bible church plants. Tom serves as a Small Group Leader and in Youth ministry and in other ministry oversight roles. Tom and Cindy were married in 1986 and are parents to Will, Emily, Clare, Hannah and Nathan and grandparents to Owen.