Day 22: Simplicity

The simplicity of so many of Jesus' answers is amazing to me. When asked difficult questions in today's reading, Jesus' response was most often than not, very direct and yet very simple. An example of this is found in the passage Luke 21:21-26. "Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?" But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, "Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?" They said, "Caesar’s." He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s."

The beauty of this response is that it left the hearers speechless. I like things that are simple. That means it is easy for me to understand what I am supposed to do and how I am to act. However, I have found in my life that sometimes the answers are not easy or simple. I try under my own understanding to work things out and to make it happen on my own initiative. I was reminded in a message yesterday of the simplicity of this statement from Proverbs 3:7, “Do not be wise in your own eyes.”

Again I am stirred by Jesus words that when you look deeply into all that He said, we are instructed that there are actually only two things, which everything else hinges upon--Love God and Love your neighbor.

Simple living is the goal of "The Jesus Walk.” Everyday trying to discover simple truths that we can rely upon for our journey in faith. I have discovered that I don't need to figure everything out before I act. I can trust God to go before me and prepare the way. My task is to follow. Sounds easy enough!