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Week 5: Being the bullseye (March 17)

He put himself in harm's way

When we act from a place of conviction, we're willing to withstand whatever may come our way. Jesus' clarity of purpose and identity as God’s Son compelled him to minister fearlessly to those in greatest need and under the heavy yoke of poverty.

Jesus openly challenged the assumptions and authority of local (religious) leaders for the purpose of restoring people to the Father. Look at these powerful examples:


“Woman, you’re free!” He laid hands on her and suddenly she was standing straight and tall, giving glory to God.
- Luke 13:12-13 (The Message)


The religious leaders were angry and felt humiliated because Jesus pointed out that doing good should not be limited to just the Sabbath day.

Some of the people of Jerusalem said, “Isn’t this the one they were out to kill? And here he is out in the open, saying whatever he pleases, and no one is stopping him . . ." The Pharisees, alarmed at this seditious undertow going through the crowd, teamed up with the high priests and sent their police to [unsuccessfully] arrest him.
- John 7:25, 32 (The Message)


For the sake of setting free the poor and the oppressed, Jesus made himself the bullseye of people's criticism. When empowering the poor, the oppressed, the victimized, and the marginalized, he did not hold back when those "in charge of the law” felt that he was a threat to the establishment.

ELI’s Kenyan Co-Founder Samuel Teimuge has spent most of his adult life empowering those on the fringes of society. However, in the earlier days of his ministry life (more than 20 years ago) he repeatedly experienced the inside of a jail cell. His crime: training impoverished people to be self-reliant and self-sufficient rather than dependent on politicians and government leaders. Threatened by the idea of constituents no longer looking to them or their power for survival, established leaders took action to silence this instigator of development.

However, each time Samuel was detained, his motivation and resolve to serve God grew even stronger. People in power being threatened by the empowerment of the poor and oppressed reaffirmed for Samuel that he was doing the Lord’s work because Jesus himself faced similar opposition.


Christ was willing to put himself in harm's way for others—including you and me. By doing so, he pulled us out of harm's way!

Whether we are facing spiritual, social, emotional, or physical poverty today, Jesus came to set us free! By becoming the bullseye and the focal point of the religious leaders, he bore the brunt of their negative attention so that you would be empowered and commissioned to build the Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Because our future victory is sure, be strong and steady, always abounding in the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever wasted as it would be if there were no resurrection.
- 1 Corinthians 15:58 (TLB)



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 In what ways have your efforts to impact others for Christ been discouraged? How do you respond?

  Have you experienced affliction due to your faith?

 What type of poverty are you facing today?

 How can Jesus' radical message of hope set you free—even in a world that sometimes seems to lack hope?

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Puppies are fluffy.

Explore the other weekly devotions

Week 1: What's under the ashes? (Feb 17)

Week 2: Finding Her True Identity (Feb 24)

Week 3: From Despised to Deeply Loved (March 1)

Week 4: Drawing in a crowd (March 10)

Week 6: He was rejected (March 24)

Week 7 Part 1: Inspired by Jesus' Encouragements (March 31)

Week 7 Part 2: Good Friday (April 2)

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