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Daily Devotional (GPS)

July 11, 2025

Jesus: God's Compassion Extends from Oxen to Humans

Daily Scripture

Luke 14:1-5

1 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to share a meal in the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees, they were watching him closely. 2 A man suffering from an abnormal swelling of the body was there. 3 Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, “Does the Law allow healing on the Sabbath or not?” 4 But they said nothing. Jesus took hold of the sick man, cured him, and then let him go. 5 He said to them, “Suppose your child or ox fell into a ditch on the Sabbath day. Wouldn’t you immediately pull it out?”

Daily Reflection & Prayer

Jesus’ challenge subtly added a key Biblical idea about animal treatment. “Animals deserved to be well treated…. Like people, animals deserve rest (Exodus 23:12; Deuteronomy 5:14) and water (Luke 13:15)…. You must help an ox in trouble (Deuteronomy 22:4), even if it is your enemy’s (Exodus 23:4). Jesus heals… on the Sabbath because any decent person would help an animal on that day (Luke 14:5).” * Our world often treats animals as unfeeling objects. Have you ever realized Jesus cares about such attitudes?

  • The religious leaders present at the meal in today’s passage were silent when Jesus asked the question in verse 3. “Healing, or treating illness or injury, counted as work. Some Jews believed such work should be avoided on the Sabbath unless a person’s life was at stake (Luke 13:14).” ** Jesus believed helping people and animals took precedence over any fussy rules about what was or wasn’t work. Was he an impractical dreamer, or was he right?
  • John Wesley, Methodism’s founder, believed cruelty to animals should pain every Christian heart. He based his sermon “The Great Deliverance” on Romans 8:19-22. *** He believed that following Jesus linked a person’s heart to God’s character of love and compassion, expressed toward animals as well as people. How might God’s concern for both human and animal welfare reflected by Jesus and other Bible writers, lead you to rethink the ways you think about and treat animals?
Prayer

Lord God, I know that cruelty toward other humans breaks your heart. Teach me how to remember that you also created all other life and sensitize me to how to avoid cruelty in all areas of life. Amen.

GPS Insights

Picture of Skylar Guarini
Skylar Guarini

Skylar Guarini, who currently serves as a summer intern on the Adult Discipleship team at Resurrection, wrote today's Insights. She is an upcoming senior at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, where she studies creative writing. She also loves drawing and making spreadsheets!

On my very last day of middle school, I saved a crow.

At 14 years old, I was still undoubtedly in my environmental phase. I was subscribed to National Geographic, would try to convince my parents once a week to let me be vegetarian, and would go around telling people to install solar panels on their house—“just do it!” I didn’t quite understand the nuances of the topic yet, but I certainly had one thing perfected: my passion. My absolute favorite subtopic was animals, of course—I had volunteered at the Kansas City Zoo, gone to animal camp multiple times, and even been in an enclosure with a lynx!

So on the morning of my last day of eighth grade, I was walking to school like I did every morning when I found an injured crow on the side of the road. It didn’t seem to be in pain or have any visible wounds, but it was grounded, and its wing was sticking up at an awkward angle. I couldn’t stay for long since I was running late, but on the rest of my trip to school I was already hatching a plan.

Fortunately, the last day of school was always a half day to wrap up loose ends, so I was only away for two or three hours. We had our annual final assembly, and then they had us go out the back doors, where the rest of the students signed yearbooks outside before their parents arrived. But I didn’t have time for that. I ran (ran, literally—at full speed) around the building to the front doors and got a janitor to let me in since they were already locked. Then my other similarly nature-loving friend and I went to my favorite teacher to help us.

We ended up getting a cardboard box from the pile of boxes meant to store teachers’ supplies, and though we couldn’t find a blanket or towel, we scrounged up a plastic tablecloth. It wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do. My friend and I thanked the teacher and then ran half a mile to where the crow was. He’d been in my thoughts and prayers all day, and thankfully he was still alive. I helped put him in the box, and then my friend’s parents took her and the crow to the wildlife hospital down the road.

In the midst of all this, I hadn’t told my parents where I was, so when they finally found me, they were less than pleased. Maybe there’s a lesson to be learned as far as communication goes, but there’s also a lesson to learn from my eighth grade self. I always took the time to notice God’s creatures, even those that other people might walk right by (and probably did, for the few hours I was gone).

To this day, I always try to take time to do what’s right—even when I’m busy. Even if that means possibly inconveniencing others. The most vulnerable don’t always have the luxury of time, so I instead trust the people around me to give me grace.

Recent GPS Entries

July 11, 2025
Jesus: God's Compassion Extends from Oxen to Humans
July 10, 2025
Plants, Animals, Humans: One Sacred Web
July 9, 2025
Every Species Matters to God's Heart
July 8, 2025
Different Details, Same Divine Love for Life
July 7, 2025
Every Living Thing Reflects God's Creative Love
July 6, 2025
Prayer Tip--God’s Delight in and Care for Animals

What is the GPS?

Resurrection offers a free tool for those who wish to read the Bible daily. Our Grow/Pray/Study guide (GPS) provides a Bible reading, Scripture reflections based on the passage, inspirational quotes from leading Bible scholars, questions to help readers apply the Bible to their faith journey, and a daily prayer guide at the end of each day’s reflection. Many readers have told us the GPS has strengthened their spiritual growth and helped them better understand how to let the Bible guide them in Christian living.