Daily Devotional • May 21
A Reading from Luke 8:16-25
16 “No one after lighting a lamp hides it under a jar or puts it under a bed; rather, one puts it on a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, nor is anything secret that will not become known and come to light. 18 So pay attention to how you listen, for to those who have, more will be given, and from those who do not have, even what they seem to have will be taken away.”
19 Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. 20 And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” 21 But he said to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
22 One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they put out, 23 and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A windstorm swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. 24 They went to him and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And waking up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 Then he said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were terrified and amazed and said to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water and they obey him?”
Meditation
In the eighth chapter of the Gospel according to Luke, Jesus opens with the parable of a sower sowing seeds on different kinds of soil. This sets the stage for the advancement of one of his favorite topics: the growth and flourishing of the kingdom of God. Much of its power and success depends on us, the “soil” and how ready we are to nurture the seeds of wisdom spread upon us.
Next is the passage we read today, three short pericopes that invite us to consider our spiritual light, and how we hide or reveal it, kinship, and how we can create wider communities than our biological ones, and our willingness to trust in the Lord to stay with us even in frightening and stormy times. These themes cover a lot of ground.
What ties them all together? The scattering of seeds, the shining of light, and the expansion of family are all about growth and building. Something that was once small is now becoming ever larger and more formidable. This can be said of the Kingdom of God as well. We also know that when there is growth and change, this can also lead to turbulence and conflict: a dangerous storm for a community of faith.
Jesus invites us to step out in faith, allow our light to shine, let the seeds of faith in us grow, and bear fruit by building up our spiritual families. He also comforts us with the assurance that when the inevitable storms come, if we stay in the boat with him, he will guide us safely toward the calm waters of eternal life.
The Very Reverend David duPlantier has served as Dean and Rector of Christ Church Cathedral in New Orleans, LA since 2002. He is founder and chair of the board of the Jericho Road Episcopal Housing initiative: https://jerichohousing.org
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
St. George’s Church, Dayton, Ohio
The Diocese of Montana – The Episcopal Church
