Luke 14:1 – 11 Love vs. Law

Luke 14:1 – 11 Love vs. Law

On a Sabbath he went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking, "Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath or not?" But they kept silent; so he took the man and, after he had healed him, dismissed him. Then he said to them, "Who among you, if your son or ox 3 falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?" But they were unable to answer his question. He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, 'Give your place to this man,' and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, 'My friend, move up to a higher position.' Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Just in case you missed it earlier, Jesus reiterates his message of the previous chapter. By curing someone on a Sabbath Jesus confirms that an action of love and compassion is more favorable in God’s eyes and “keeping the Sabbath”. His audience here is specifically identified as Pharisees and lawyers, the religious and community leaders of the day. Not only is a loving action more favorable to God than rite and ritual and law, but those who seek status or see themselves as important in the current hierarchy are dangerously deluding themselves. “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted”, says Jesus. Humility seems to be much valued in God’s kingdom. I am thinking of another favorite passage of min which lists the “fruits of the spirit” in Galations 6:22 which are love, joy, peace, patient endurance, kindness generosity, faith, mildness, charity and self-control. We must respond to God’s invitation with loving action and with humility.

Luke 13:22 – 30 The Narrow Door

Luke 13:22 – 30 The Narrow Door

He passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" He answered them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, 'Lord, open the door for us.' He will say to you in reply, 'I do not know where you are from.' And you will say, 'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.' Then he will say to you, 'I do not know where (you) are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!' And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out. And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God. For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."


Jesus continued on his journey through small towns on the way to Jerusalem. What he has to say to the Jews who come to see him is unsettling to say the least. The “chosen people”, Jesus says, are not assured salvation. Many who assumed they will be saved will not be. Complacency and the appearance of being a follower (“We ate and drank in your company. You taught in our streets.”) are insufficient. We must respond and those actions must clearly identify us as Christ’s followers in word and deed. To add even more fuel to the fire, outsiders, that is no- Jews from the north, south east and west are also invited to be saved. Some who are last will be first, and some who were first will be last. Jesus is warned from someone in authority that he is in danger. He foretells his fate – to be slain as have other prophets who were sent to Jerusalem. His desire is to save the people, to gather them safely to himself, but he cannot if people refuse to heed his message.

Luke 13:18 – 21 The Reign of God

Luke 13:18 – 21 The Reign of God

Then he said, "What is the kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that a person took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and 'the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.'" Again he said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed (in) with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened."

To what shall I compare the reign of God? To a mustard seed, to yeast, says Jesus. In both cases something really small becomes something really big. But not something that is just small, something that from the outside, anyhow, looks insignificant. It is, however, something that has to grow, something that has to be nurtured. So the reign of God shall grow to have a profound impact on our world. Coming on the heels of the previous scripture that rebuked religious leaders as hypocrites Jesus seems to be saying that the reign of God, although small and seemingly humble to start will grow to life changing and life sustaining proportions with God’s help and our small efforts to nurture it.

Luke 13:10 – 17 The Sabbath Cure

Luke 13:10 – 17 The Sabbath Cure

He was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, "Woman, you are set free of your infirmity." He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, said to the crowd in reply, "There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the Sabbath day." The Lord said to him in reply, "Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering? This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the Sabbath day from this bondage?" When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.

In this passage, Jesus cures a woman – on the Sabbath! The chief of the synagogue is highly offended. The Sabbath is supposed to be a day of rest and worship. In my mind this is a case of knee jerk religion. The laws, the rituals, the structure that upholds the religion or at least it’s hierarchy have somehow become more important, at least to this individual, than the people the religion is supposed to minister to. Jesus cuts right through that nonsense. True religion, he seems to be saying, is acting out our faith by loving God and by loving and serving others. Don’t get me wrong – I am a big believer in setting aside the Sabbath or Sunday for worship, rest, family and friends, sharing a meal with loved ones. This world will take everything you’ve got, have you working around the clock, seven days a week, if you will let it. How wise our Father was to ask us to set aside the Sabbath/Sunday one day a week for something different, for something better. We desperately need that day to rest and recoup, and be present to Him and to those we love.

Luke 13: 1 – 9 Guilt by Association

Luke 13: 1 – 9 Guilt by Association

At that time some people who were present there told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He said to them in reply, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them --do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!" And he told them this parable: "There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, 'For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. (So) cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?' He said to him in reply, 'Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.'"

Who is more guilty? Those who are directly involved in a bad situation or those nearby? Those nearby have maybe just escaped for the moment. Unless they break free of what is going on around them, unless they in Jesus’ words “reform”, their judgment is only delayed, not done away with. This in another of Jesus “signs of the times” warnings. Look around says Jesus. See where you are heading, if you allow yourself to be swept along with the crowd. He finishes with a short parable about a barren fig tree. A farmer had a fig tree that had not produced one fig in three years. He is ready to throw in the towel and cut it down. But his laborer asks for a little more time- to fertilize it, to cultivate it, to give it one more chance to produce. Apparently time and patience are not infinite, for either fruit trees or people.

Luke 12: 49 – 59 Trouble Maker

Luke 12: 49 – 59 Trouble Maker

"I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." He also said to the crowds, "When you see (a) cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain--and so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot--and so it is. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time? Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an effort to settle the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable throw you into prison. I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”

Jesus days, “I have come to light a fire on the earth”. What??? What happened to the guy who spoke about not breaking a bruised reed or quenching a smoldering wick? Jesus says he has come to sow division between mother and daughter, father and son, etc. This is Jesus as the revolutionary, the incendiary. It is not a Jesus I am used to thinking about. I seem to have developed a preference for the patient, wise, loving Jesus. The one who speaks of mercy and forgiveness, love and peace. What is happening? Has Jesus just reached the end of his rope? Does he need a vacation? A few days off? I think this is his acknowledgement that what he is preaching goes against the status quo, hence father vs. son. What he is calling for is going to upset established traditions and require new ways of thinking and being. It is not easy to break people out of their habits and ask them to set up new ones – feelings are going to be hurt, relationships broken up, patterns changed. Those tied to the old ways are going to be resentful, maybe even hostile to those trying to break free of old ways and follow Jesus’ new path. Jesus knows what is in his future, what his path will cost him and his followers. He says, “How I wish the blaze were ignited. What anguish I feel until it is over!” His humanity shows through in his anxiety, but so too his disillusionment. If I look around today at our status quo, our present culture, I can see how difficult it would be to break free. I can also see how necessary it is to follow Jesus’ path. Our world, our culture is heading in a dangerous, harmful direction. Jesus closes by saying - we know better. We need to “judge for ourselves what is right”. We already know deep in our hearts what is right. If we leave it up to “the law”, to outside “judges” we have surrendered our freedom and our responsibility. Jesus calls us to live according to God’s spirit within us and not according to outside laws.

Luke 12:35 – 48 Preparedness

Luke 12:35 – 48 Preparedness

Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." Then Peter said, "Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?" And the Lord replied, "Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute (the) food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant's master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master's will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master's will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.

Jesus tells a parable about preparedness. We are to be like servant who are wide awake and on guard, ready for the master’s return. Peter questions Jesus about who this message is for? Is it for those who are his followers? Or for everyone? Jesus gives a bit of a roundabout answer but finally gets down to it. This parable is for those of us who follow Christ. We do not know when the Son of Man will return, but we must stay ready. We are fortunate to be God’s chosen ones, but that benefit comes with a responsibility. “To whom much has been given, much will be required, to whom much has been entrusted, more will be asked.” Jesus, like his Father is a respecter of persons. We have been given a great opportunity in our exposure to the word of God and Jesus's example to emulate. We have also been given freedom. God will not compel our obedience, our participation. It is a free gift, not a command - and yet it is not eternally open. The Son of Man will return. Will we be awake and ready or lost in our culture?

Luke 12:32 – 34 The Heart’s Treasure

Luke 12:32 – 34 The Heart’s Treasure

Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

This is a very short passage – three verses only – but so difficult and countercultural. First Jesus tells us we should not fear – this in an age rife with it, a time when 9 out of 10 voices we hear say “fear”, “strike before you are struck”, “protect what is yours”, etc. Apparently a lot of our problems in Jesus analysis come from what we have. We have, but we want more, and the getting of things is nearly all consuming. Then once we have, the keeping and protecting is exhausting as well, and cause us to do things that are against what God calls us to do – make war, be greedy, keep people down. We cannot hide our true heart from God – or from anyone else for that matter. And why? What good does all of this stuff do us? Instead Jesus tells us – the Father has given us the kingdom, all we have to do is take it. We can tone down our attachments to things, be more generous, take the time and energy thereby freed up to spend more time to be with our families, our friends, with God. To let go of the tension and anxiety our culture promotes. Jesus's love and hope for us come through strongly in this passage – Trust in God, be grateful for what you have, be generous with your gifts. God has given you the greatest gift – all you will ever need – access to the Kingdom. All you have to do is claim it.

Luke 12:31 Seek First The Kingdom

Luke 12:31 Seek First The Kingdom

As for you, do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not worry anymore. All the nations of the world seek for these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these other things will be given you besides.

I want to revisit Jesus’ last works in this passage. “Instead, seek his kingdom, and these other things will be given you besides.” This has been an important scripture in my life and a favorite of one of my sisters. We have discussed it many times. I kind of picture us in this culture as being on a ladder, always climbing and even when you think you have arrived somewhere, seeing that there is another rung above you. My health and wealth put me fairly far up the ladder, certainly there are many below me. What I am seeing is that any who are on this ladder, who have bought into this climb are only seeking after everlasting climbing, with no arrival, no satisfaction. Jesus says let it be the kingdom that we seek – where status, wealth, etc. do not matter. In that blessed equilibrium we are all loved and cared for by God through each other. Amen.

Luke 12:22 – 31 Dependence Upon God’s Providence

Luke 12:22 – 31 Dependence Upon God’s Providence

He said to (his) disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life and what you will eat, or about your body and what you will wear. For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. Notice the ravens: they do not sow or reap; they have neither storehouse nor barn, yet God feeds them. How much more important are you than birds! Can any of you by worrying add a moment to your lifespan? If even the smallest things are beyond your control, why are you anxious about the rest? Notice how the flowers grow. They do not toil or spin. But I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass in the field that grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? As for you, do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not worry anymore. All the nations of the world seek for these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these other things will be given you besides.

Jesus continues on his theme of how we are to live: trusting in God, orienting our lives toward love of God and others instead of pursuit of things that this time values. He is speaking to a crowd of thousands, many of whom are poor. How are they processing his message? Perhaps poverty was less cruel in those days – the gap between rich and poor less dramatic, the (popular) culture less relentless about what you need to be happy, fulfilled, successful. Jesus uses two examples from nature to make his point – the lilies of the field and the raven. They both have all they need right where they are. But I feel I am missing something. Sure, I can hear this message and from my nice home, my healthy body, with my hardworking and well paid husband, and my wonderful family and friends, and feel, yes God has been good. But what about those struggling with poverty, isolation, physical and mental illness, abuse, etc. How do those words, “ Do not be concerned for your life, what you are to eat , or for your body, what you are to wear.” For them, I’m sure those words are bitter ones, small comfort in time of real need and pain. What are they supposed to do? How does be patient and trust in me sound to them?

This is a very uncomfortable passage for me. It calls me to feel grateful, but gratitude is not enough. I feel like Christ is here, watching me with gentle eyes but prodding me to do more – to be more compassionate, to be more generous. If I want to try to put on the mind of Christ, then the works of Christ must not be far behind. What do I have that I don’t really need? Why do I keep holding onto it? Giving stuff away to Goodwill is a start. Getting and keeping all that stuff takes so much time and energy, not to mention money. This makes me hark back to the passage about the passage about the man who built up his wealth and just when he thought he had it made, his time on earth is ended. This pursuit of “stuff” looks like a trap from which I need to escape. If you have less “stuff” you have less of a “stuff” habit to break. As I said above, it’s a start.

Luke 12:13-21 Trust in God, Not Possessions

Luke 12:13-21 Trust in God, Not Possessions

Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me." He replied to him, "Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?" Then he said to the crowd, "Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions." Then he told them a parable. "There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, 'What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?' And he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, "Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!" But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?' Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God."

The individual who speaks in the beginning of this passage must have joined the gathering late. He asks Jesus to adjudicate a dispute between him and his brother about money – something that Jesus couldn’t less about. Jesus then proceeds to tell the parable about the man who spent literally every day of his life building his wealth. On the very night he finally felt he had arrived – his life was taken from him. Jesus finishes this passage by saying that is the way it works with a man who grows rich for himself instead of growing rich in the sight of God. We may think we have time to serve two masters, our ambitions and God, but that habit is hard to break and easy to put off until it is too late – as happened with the rich man in the parable. I don’t know if it is our competitiveness or perhaps fear that keeps us focused on what our gifts can do for us and not on what we can do with our gifts. It is like being lulled to sleep instead of truly living. If we don’t push back against that fear, that pride in accomplishment, we are in danger of squandering the gifts Goes does give us, the talents, the means, good health, etc.

Luke 12: 8 – 12 Holy Spirit, Part II

Luke 12: 8 – 12 Holy Spirit, Part II

Coincidentally, (or not) I have come across a passage from 1 Corinthians about the Holy Spirit. I heard this scripture when I attended mass on a Wednesday morning recently – something I had not done literally for months. (So I guess I was meant to hear it.) The specific verses were 1 Corinthians 2:6- 16. The passage began with a definition of True Wisdom. True Wisdom, St. Paul says, is not a wisdom that can be found in this age, and it is hidden from most. How do we perceive True Wisdom? It is revealed to us through the Spirit which is God’s spirit. What the Spirit calls us to do - concerning loving our neighbor, being merciful and forgiving, being generous and trusting, seeking justice, etc. may make no sense by the world’s current standards. In that light such behavior is absurd. By being blessed and baptized with God’s Spirit, accepting it, by asking for the ability and wisdom to develop and strengthen and utilize the gifts of the Spirit (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and awe/fear of the Lord), we put on the mind of Christ. This feels like a “eureka” moment to me. Accepting that I have God’s spirit in me, strengthening my understanding of my spiritual gifts and utilizing them for the good of others – that sounds like what I am/what we are meant to do. Maybe that is why Jesus is so harsh about those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit – God’s spirit/presence on earth in men and women.
?? Is this an argument for a more personal faith and meant to be a counterbalance to the church??