Pleasing God

Meditation from Luke Chapter 3

We are called to live a life pleasing to God and in this chapter we learn the signs of pleasing God through the life of John, Jesus & the People.

1.      John

Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests, but the word of God came to John; they were in the temple and the word of God came to John who was in the wilderness (Luke 3:2).

We live a pleasing life to God, wherever we are, by living according to the calling in which He has called us. The one who lives with indifference to his ‘call’ cannot please God.

Secondly, the word of God came to John to proclaim the good news of repentance. The high priests were caught up with “religious” matters that God could not entrust them with His message. We cannot please God if we live with indifference to the people who are living in sin and without knowing the gospel.

2.      People

When John preaches repentance there are two responses. These responses show whether we truly “bear fruits worthy of repentance” (3:8).

a)      Position or Background or Identity: These can be a barrier in truly repenting. That’s why John tells the people who come to him, “Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’…” (3:8).

When John pointed his sin to Herod, he could not repent and showed his position and authority (3:19).

b)      Response to Correction: The crowd, tax collectors and soldiers asked John, ‘What then should we do?’ (3:10,12,14). This shows the willingness to repent and change.

But Herod did not want to heed to John’s correction, so he ‘shut him up in prison’ (3:20).

When corrected do we heed and change or do we want to shut up the person who corrects, will show whether we are truly pleasing God or not.

c)      Acts of Repentance: John responds to the question of the people on what they should do and to summarize this is what he says – Share and be Satisfied (3:11,14). A heart of sharing our things with others in need and to be satisfied with what we have are acts of repentance.

3.      Jesus

When Jesus was baptized and was praying, a voice comes from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased”. (3:22).

We can please God only when we live constantly with the awareness & desire to please God, in everything and to please God according to His expectations.

Let’s always strive to live a life pleasing to God by living according to God’s call in our life, by having a true heart of repentance and by desiring to please God always in everything.