Understanding God's Secrets

S - "I have explained the secrets about God’s kingdom to you. But for others I use stories, so they will look, but not see, and they will hear, but not understand. … Pay attention to how you listen! Everyone who has something will be given more, but people who have nothing will lose what little they think they have. Jesus’ mother and brothers went to see him, but because of the crowd they could not get near him. Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to see you.” Jesus answered, “My mother and my brothers are those people who hear and obey God’s message.”" Luke 8 TS

O - What's the secret to understanding the secrets? Is heaven playing favorites? Who determines who is in and who is out; who gets more and who loses what they already have?  The beautifully shocking answer is we do.  Anyone can be Jesus' mother and brothers.  Anyone can understand and receive more.  The determining factor is how anyone chooses to listen and to live as a result of hearing.  To hear and engage is to be guaranteed more.  To hear and merely consider is to be guaranteed loss.    

A - The followers are engaging and therefore gaining the understanding of God's Kingdom and the more which is sure to follow. It's not a matter of performance but of following and living out loud that which is the substance of God's Kingdom which is near. It is in the how we listen … with our lives not just our brains. The invitation remains wide open to all. Jesus says "follow me and I will make you …"  I will follow and listen with how I live.

P - God in Heaven above and on earth below,

Thank you for sending Jesus to clarify everything … including the identity of your family and the way to understand any and all secrets. It is clearly not religious and is completely relational. Thank you for the incredible dignity given to all people … an invitation to follow and the individual right to choose to respond or not. I am choosing (and will need your help to do it) to listen by how I live out loud not just by what I say out loud. You are completely amazing and I am completely amazed.

Steve