Contemplative Bible Reading

Luke 12:14 (New Living Translation)

13 Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”

14 Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?”

A man comes to Jesus with a personal problem. The man wants Jesus to solve his brotherly problem.

Jesus turns his back on the request. Jesus didn’t do this often. Jesus healed people when requested. Jesus raised people from the dead when requested.

Jesus turns his back on this request.

Why? Well, since I’m writing this blog I claim the privilege of speculating. I think Jesus is telling the man, “You and your brother are adults. Be adults and settle this yourselves.”

ooops. Why do I write oooops? Because too often I act like this man. I want some higher authority to settle something that I should settle. Why is it that the scriptures daily show me my failings? Perhaps that is a good reason to read the scriptures daily.