August 19, 2025; Luke 9:1-27

Daily Dose of Hope

August 19, 2025

 

Scripture - Luke 9:1-27

 

Prayer:  Almighty God, We are in awe of you.  You are all-powerful and all-knowing.  You are the one who was, and is, and is to come.  We give you all the glory and praise.  We rejoice that you, the one who created all things, also cares so deeply for us.  We are overwhelmed by your love and grace.  Thank you so much, Lord.  As we think about our day to come, help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you...Oh Lord, how we need you.  We pray this in your powerful name, Amen.

 

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan.  As most of you know, we are currently in the middle of a deep dive in the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin Luke 9

 

This is a great chapter!  Just as God sent Jesus to proclaim and demonstrate the Kingdom, he sent his disciples to do the same. He sends them into the villages, into the neighborhoods, into the places where the people lived. He didn’t wait for the people to come to them–he sent them out. They didn’t need a lot for their journey either. I’m assuming this was an act of trust. God would provide what they needed. If they were welcomed, they would stay and proclaim the Good News of the Gospel. If they were not welcomed, they weren’t to sit around and complain, they kicked the dust off their feet and kept going.

 

Jesus sent them. Jesus sends us. John 20:21 reads, Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” He is sending you. He is sending me. The model is not to sit in a church building and wait for people to come. The model is to go into the neighborhoods, to go into the grocery stores, to go into the schools, the workplaces, the health clubs, the bars, the golf courses. You get the idea. We are to go. And we don’t need a lot of stuff–we just need Jesus. Do you live like a sent person?

 

I’ll be honest.  This concept of living like a sent person has changed how I think of mission.  Mission is not going somewhere to provide care or support for an underprivileged group of people.  Well, it is that, but it is so much more than that.   Mission is a way of life, in which we listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and recognize that God is calling us to share who we are in Jesus wherever we go.  Not just on special trips.  Not just on Sunday mornings.  We are SENT people and that touches every single area of our lives, all day long, every day, wherever we happen to be. 

 

One other interesting thing to note about this part of today’s passage is Herod’s reaction to what Jesus’ disciples are doing.  He is feeling threatened.  He wonders if John the Baptist has come back from the dead.  He doesn’t understand Jesus or his followers.  Friends, expect people to not understand you too.  Don’t be worried about that.  Just love them.

 

We go from there to the feeding of the 5,000.  This is a familiar passage which we have seen in the other Gospels as well.  The gist of the miracle is the same.  They are in a remote place and the people have followed them.  Not just a few people, but thousands upon thousands.  The disciples want Jesus to send them away.  Most likely, t