Paul Miller

Jesus says, __ou hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother__ eye_ (Matthew 7:5). You see these dynamics when David arrives at King Saul__ camp, bringing food for his older brothers. David is surprised to hear Goliath taunting the Israelites and their God. He is shocked that no one has the courage to challenge Goliath and blurts out, __ho is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?_ (1 Samuel 17:26). David reacts to the split between Israel__ public faith and its battlefield...

We know that to become a Christian we shouldn__ try to fix ourselves up, but when it comes to praying we completely forget that. We__l sing the old gospel hymn, __ust as I Am,_ but when it comes to praying, we don__ come just as we are. We try, like adults, to fix ourselves up. Private, personal prayer is one of the last great bastions of legalism. In order to pray like a child, you might need to unlearn the nonpersonal, nonreal praying that you__e been taught.

The parable about the Good Samaritan tells how a Samaritan rescues a man who is mugged and beaten by robbers on the Jericho__erusalem road, a notoriously dangerous stretch of highway. To understand how this story must have shocked the Jews, imagine someone telling a story about __he Good Nazi._ The Jews and Samaritans hated one another.

Even on especially hard days, I began to notice him everywhere, setting a table before me in the presence of my enemies, pursuing me with his love. Both the child and the cynic walk through the valley of the shadow of death. The cynic focuses on the darkness; the child focuses on the Shepherd.

Loving means losing control of our schedule, our money, and our time. When we love we cease to be the master and become a servant.

Jesus opens his arms to his needy children and says, __ome to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest_ (Matthew 11:28, NASB). The criteria for coming to Jesus is weariness. Come overwhelmed with life. Come with your wandering mind. Come messy. What does it feel like to be weary? You have trouble concentrating. The problems of the day are like claws in your brain. You feel pummeled by life. What does heavy-laden feel like? Same thing. You have so many problems you don__ even know where to start. You can__ do life on your own anymore. Jesus wants you to come to him...

little children never get frozen by their selfishness. Like the disciples, they come just as they are, totally self-absorbed. They seldom get it right. As parents or friends, we know all that. In fact, we are delighted (most of the time!) to find out what is on their little hearts. We don__ scold them for being self-absorbed or fearful. That is just who they are.

When I think of how Jesus loved people, the word __herish_ comes to mind. When we cherish someone, we combine looking and compassion__e notice and care for that person. We don__ shut him or her out.

We begin to resemble what we focus on. If we devote our lives to our jobs, then we mentally take the office to our daughter__ lacrosse game.

God also cheers when we come to him with our wobbling, unsteady prayers. Jesus does not say, __ome to me, all you who have learned how to concentrate in prayer, whose minds no longer wander, and I will give you rest.