Reading Plan for July 19 - 25

July 19, 2026 | Luke 6:1-11
Reflection:
In today’s reading, we encounter two moments that show the impact of Jesus’ statement about the incompatibility of the new with the old. It may not be obvious at first, but the controversies about the Sabbath are in line with the teachings of new wine in old wine skins or new cloth not fitting with old. In these metaphors, Jesus links similar things with a common element: new wine and old wine skins. Wine is the common element. And the same with old and new cloth. Cloth is the common thing. With regard to the Sabbath, it’s not that Jesus’ teaching eradicates the teachings that hold to the holiness and rightness of observing a day of rest. What Jesus is doing honors the Sabbath: Jesus acts in ways that sustain and restore life. The parables on the old and new are not simply thought exercises. These teachings force a fundamental confrontation between time-honored ideas about what is the right way of doing things and the new way that is “life-saving.” Jesus puts himself at the center of controversy, taking action that embodies the meaning of his name: it is God who saves and rescues. What time-honored traditions that you hold might Jesus cause you to question in favor of God’s life-saving ways?

July 20, 2026 | Luke 6:12-26
Reflection:
Consider how “unlikeliness” or “absurdity” links these stories today. What were Jesus’ criteria for selecting the twelve apostles (“sent ones”)? If we came up with a list of qualifications for an apostle, it would be hard to match the twelve Jesus chose to the criteria. (Remember that one of them betrays Jesus.) They’re an unlikely bunch. Consider the absurdity of the crowds that come, seeking out Jesus for healing, and finding it! What trust or desperation drove these folks to do something absurd: putting their trust in a wandering preacher who seemed to have the power to cast out demons. Then comes this mini version of the Sermon on the Mount (here known as the Sermon on the Plain). What Jesus teaches is clearly unlikely and absurd: consider the poor; they actually possess riches that would constitute a kingdom. Read the rest of Jesus’ teachings here and allow the absurdity to startle you. What absurd thing could Jesus say to you to startle you into awareness that kingdom living is the godly way of living? Blessed are you who are experiencing cancer, for you will know wholeness for yourself and compassion for others. Do such absurd sayings annoy you or draw you into a closer relationship with God?

July 21, 2026 | Luke 6:27-36
Reflection:
Today’s passage offers us some tough sayings. We might even call these absurd: if someone takes your coat, give them your shirt as well? Love those who hate you? These teachings of Jesus are hard. Notice, however, where we end: be merciful to one another as God is merciful. Knowing this is where Jesus lands, reread all that precedes this. Does hearing that all Jesus’ absurd teachings lead us to mercy help you understand them better? Pray for a deeper understanding of mercy (which in Hebrew is chesed- lovingkindness).

July 22, 2026 | Luke 6:37-49
Reflection:
Consider today the word “reciprocity” as the theme for Jesus’ teachings. There is a parallel or mirror effect going on. Jesus calls us to see ourselves in others and to respond to this mirrored image with compassion. Jesus calls us to a deeper understanding of reciprocity. It is not “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” kind of living to which Jesus calls us. He wants us to look around and see what naturally flows from our actions. Good follows after good. Build your life upon a foundation of mercy, goodness, kindness, compassion, and love. Do you hear any other way of living to which you are being called in these teachings of Jesus? What fruit do you want to produce in your life, so that you yourself and all with whom you are connected in some way can experience the goodness of God?

July 23, 2026 | Luke 7:1-10
Reflection:
This is another passage where the ending helps us reread the whole passage with a better understanding. When Jesus proclaims, “I see you in such deep faith…such that I haven’t seen among my own people,” how does this help us pay attention to the details from the beginning? Now we see why this man’s being a centurion matters. He’s an outsider, and he’s part of the oppressing and much-hated occupying external force. Yet we are invited to see his humanity. He cares for his “slave.” And even though he’s an outsider to the religion of the people he’s charged with occupying, he comes with humility to someone who has a deep connection to that religion that is foreign to him. The man has compassion and faith. These two combine well to show us how Jesus responds to him. How have compassion and faith intersected in your life as you approach Jesus and seek to live your life in him, responding to you?

July 24, 2026 | Luke 7:11-17
Reflection:
Jesus never failed to stir things up. Yet, he does not do so without purpose. Jesus is motivated completely and solely by compassion. Jesus often challenges power structures, and here he challenges death itself. He restores one who is dead to life. And the world takes notice. What we are to see here is how Jesus does all this out of compassion. Think of how the apostle Paul tells us that “even though Jesus was in the form of God, he did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited, but he emptied himself and took on the form of a slave” (Philippians 2). We are told that Jesus enters this life in great humility and responds to the world around him in great compassion. Notice how the crowds react to Jesus’ compassionate power: they say, “God has visited us!” In what way would you want God to visit you?

July 25, 2026 | Luke 7:18-35
Reflection:
Our passage ends with a proverb: wisdom is vindicated by all her children. Use this saying as a lens through which to gain a clearer picture of the whole passage. Another way you could express this idea is: a tree is known by its fruit. John’s disciples are called to see in Jesus’ actions and deeds the pattern of the compassionate messiah, the Anointed One, who was to do the work of restoration. The world is called to see in John the power of God to call order out of chaos and light out of darkness. The world criticized both Jesus and John, yet their deeds and the transformation they bring about speak on their behalf. We are called to see the power of God at work in the world wherever such transformation is occurring. Where do you see “good news” erupting in the world? Do you see the fruit of such good news?