Luke 14:7-11 When Jesus noticed how the guests picked the
places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: “When someone invites
you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more
distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who
invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’
Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited,
take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you,
‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence
of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who
humble themselves will be exalted.”
Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups – porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite – telling them to help themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: “If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups have been taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.
Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups… And then you began eyeing each other’s cups.
Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live.
Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. Savor the coffee, not the cups! The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Worship God.
Author Unknown
Luke 8:11-15 Jesus replied, “This is the
meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s Word. The
seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to
have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from
believing and being saved. The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who
hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots,
they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. The
seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but
all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and
pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. And
the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who
hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.
Be fruitful in Christ, Brian
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