the point of most resistance
"If you give what you have as alms, all will be wiped clean for you." —Luke 11:41
To have all our sins wiped clean, we must repent and give our lives to Jesus. This conversion is an interior decision expressed in a tangible way. For some, conversion is most pointedly expressed by changing jobs or changing friends. For others, forgiving an enemy or returning to church are critical issues. For still others, such as the Pharisees, the concrete expression of conversion is a matter of money, since the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Tm 6:10).
Many of the Pharisees observed only the letter of the law. They tithed (Lk 11:42) and gave alms. However, they did not live the spirit of the law, for they were avaricious men who gave themselves to money rather than to God (Lk 16:13-14). Jesus challenged them to heartfelt almsgiving. This would have been a sign of their conversion, and all would have been wiped clean for them.
What would be evidence that you have repented and given your life to Jesus? (see Lk 3:8) Where do you need to swallow your pride? Where are you holding back on the Lord? What are you doing only in the letter of the law and not the spirit? Give in; give all, and "all will be wiped clean for you" (Lk 11:41).
Prayer: Father, I give in to Your will at my point of most resistance.
Promise: "Let Your kindness come to me, O Lord, Your salvation according to Your promise." —Ps 119:41
Praise: Pope St. Callistus I, one of the early pope-martyrs, praised God by living a life of extraordinary forgiveness.
Reference: (To stay focused on seeking first the Kingdom, read the Bible every day. We have several tape series to help you. Overview of the Bible is six audio tapes starting with AV 10A-1 or three video tapes starting with V-10A. 15-minute Bible Teaching - New Testament is forty audio tapes starting with #700. An Introduction to each Book of the Bible is 32 audio tapes starting with AV 21-1 or 17 video tapes starting with V-21.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 24, 2014
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