Hello my friend Dr. Brad Miller here with the Daily Bible Refresh.

This is your daily reading of the Bible from a progressive point of view.

In a bit I will read the New Testament lesson selected from the Revised Common Lectionary for this very day.

The reading is understandable.

I use the message version relatable.

Please listen to the points to ponder and applicable with action steps you can take.

We pray and are done in less than 10 minutes.

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Here's today's reading.

Reading from Luke 18:18 30 from the message it's about the Rich of the Rich Official One day one of the local officials asked him, good teacher, what must I do to deserve eternal life?

And Jesus said, why are you calling me good?

No one is good.

Only God.

You know the Commandments, don't you?

No illicit sex, no killing, no stealing, no lying.

Honor your father and mother.

And he said, I've kept them all as long as I can remember.

When Jesus heard that, he said, then there's only one thing left to do.

Sell everything you own and give it away to the poor.

You have riches in heaven, then come follow me.

This was the last thing the official expected to hear.

He was very rich and became terribly sad.

He was holding on tight to a lot of of things and not about to let them go.

And seeing his reaction, Jesus said, do you have any other do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who have it all to enter God's kingdom?

I'd say it's easier to thread a camel through a needle's eye than to get a rich person into God's heaven.

Then who has any chance at all?

The others asked.

No chance at all, jesus said.

If you think you you can pull it off by yourself.

Every chance in the world, if you trust God to do it.

Peter tried to regain some initiative.

We left everything we owned and followed you, didn't we?

Yes, said Jesus.

And you won't regret it.

No one who has sacrificed home, spouse, brothers and sisters, parents, children, whatever will lose out.

It will all come back multiplied many times over in your lifetime.

And then the bonus is of eternal life.

That ends the reading.

Let's talk about the radical Economics of Jesus, my friends, I was just thinking about this passage here while taking a walk with my wife.

And we came to understand this passage here in such a way that it relates to you in the sense of reflection.

Today's reading from Luke hits differently in our modern context and reminds us of conversation I have had in my cancer support groups.

When people face a life changing diagnosis, they often realize what truly matters.

And you know what, it's rarely their bank account.

So let's explore this challenging perspective that might make us think differently about this familiar story.

The first is the privilege problem.

You know, I like to watch the Indianapolis Colts play football and when you have great seats, it's wonderful.

But it's also a privilege that many people can't afford.

And Jesus wasn't just talking about money here.

He's addressing systems of privilege.

When he says it's harder for a rich person to enter God's kingdom than for a camel to go through the needle's eye.

He's not just being clever, he's calling out how wealth can become a spiritual barrier.

My wife, I've been married, you know, coming up on 34 years and we've raised three, three wonderful children.

And I've learned that true wealth isn't in bank accounts or stuff, but in our relationships with our kids and our grandchildren and how we serve others.

Another point is about radical redistribution.

This really isn't about charitable giving.

Jesus is suggesting something that is even more revolutionary.

When he tells the facial to sell everything, he's not offering a prosperity kind of investment strategy.

He's talking about dismantling systems of inequality.

Reminds me when my granddaughters actually want to share their toys and they don't.

Often when they share, they're not calculating the return.

You know, if I give you this, you'll give me that.

They just have a lot of joy in it.

And maybe we as adults need to relearn sharing and that kind of generosity.

One more point is the community promise.

Notice how Jesus promises returns in the community family, brothers, sisters, homes.

You know, one of the things I like to do is watch basketball games, Indiana Fever, Indiana Pacers, others.

And it's really a joy multiplied when things go well, when they're shared unison and good plays and the team wins.

What we're talking about here, friends, is not about individual salvation, but it's about a team effort.

It's about creating beloved community.

We're all in this together.

In my work with cancer patients, I've seen how community support is a great part of the healing process here's your action step this week.

Examine an area of privilege in your life.

It might be financial, social, educational.

And choose some concrete way to use that privilege for sharing in your community or building community.

Maybe it's mentoring some other person or sharing your resources or maybe advocating for some systematic change of injustice.

We're going to pray here in just a minute, but I want to remind you that we have a great resource for you.

It's called the ABC123 Bible Study Guide that's going to help you with your at home Bible study.

Go over to our website voiceofgoddaily.com it's free for you there.

Let's pray.

Oh God, you are divine.

Love Help us loosen our grip on the things we think we can't that we can't live without.

Show us how our abundance can often become can become freedom rather than from bondage.

But give us courage to trust in your economy of grace where giving multiplies joy and create and sharing creates abundance.

Help us build communities where everyone has enough, no one has too much.

And guide us in using our privileges to create pathways for others.

Amen.

My friend, I am delighted.

My friend, I am delighted you chose to join me for today's reading.

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Thanks much.

My name is Dr. Brad Miller and I'll be right here tomorrow with your Daily Bible Refresh.

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Remember, God's loyal love doesn't run out.

His merciful love hasn't dried up, it's created new.

Every morning.