Luke 18: 1-8 Do Not Lose Heart

Luke 18: 1-8 Do Not Lose Heart

Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, "There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, 'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.' For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'" The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Once again Jesus tells us to hang on in the face of adversity. Such patience and persistence will surely be rewarded. If persistence works with regular folks and even those who are unjust, how much better will God deal with those seek his aid. Jesus has absolute faith in his Father’s ability to respond. That is not the problem. He says that rather, the difficulty is in finding any who shares his faith.

Luke 17: 22 – 37 Day of the Son of Man

Luke 17: 22 – 37 Day of the Son of Man

Then he said to his disciples, "The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. There will be those who will say to you, 'Look, there he is,' (or) 'Look, here he is.' Do not go off, do not run in pursuit. For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be (in his day). But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all. So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, a person who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise a person in the field must not return to what was left behind. Remember the wife of Lot. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it. I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left." They said to him in reply, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the body is, there also the vultures will gather."

The day of the Son of Man is the day that Christ will be vindicated. But first he must suffer much and be rejected by the present age. The inability of many from the present age to recognize Jesus as the Son of God is tragic but not a first. People down through the ages have found reasons not to believe. The refused to believe during the time of Noah, they found reasons not to repent and reform their lives in the time of Sodom. Eventually Jesus says, there will be no more time to change. The Son of Man will return and the hearts of all men and women will be revealed. All that we are and all that we have done will be laid open before God. Our actions and words will speak for us - no room for negotiation or prevarication. We will be judged on the facts of our lives. Not all will fare well that day. Some refuse repeated invitations to believe.

17:20 – 21 When?

17:20 – 21 When?

Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he said in reply, "The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, 'Look, here it is,' or, 'There it is.' For behold, the kingdom of God is among you."

For many months Jesus has been preaching about the coming of the Kingdom. People have greeted the news with awe, with fear, with joy, with apathy. The Pharisees want to know “when?” What are they to watch for? What are the signs, the evidence? Jesus replies that it is not a matter of “here” or “there”. Then he says something startling. “The kingdom of God is among you.” What does that mean? What exactly is the kingdom of God?

After thinking about this, I believe the Kingdom of God is in our relationships with God and others. Jesus has said over and over in many different ways: love God, love one another. John the Baptist was the one who foretold the coming of the Kingdom. He called people to repent and reform their lives. Then Jesus brings the message home. The Kingdom of God is at hand. It is in our hands, within our grasp. It is in our relationship with God and with others. All that it requires is that we love God and one another. Of course that is not always easy to do. It sounds like a big leap. We are more likely to be people of fear than people of trust. However, if we can do this – love God and others – through our words and deeds - we can live in a world, our world, oriented toward God. This is our part in the beginning of the coming of the Kingdom. Where it ends we do not know. It is still unfolding, unknown to anyone but God. We can choose to live in this Kingdom of love for God and for each other. That is our challenge and our choice. And our privilege. Amen.

Luke 17:11 – 19 Ten Lepers

Luke 17:11 – 19 Ten Lepers

As he continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met (him). They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" And when he saw them, he said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" Then he said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you."

This scripture passage is entitled “Ten Lepers” in my bible, but in my mind I call it gratitude. Jesus is met by ten lepers who beseech him for a cure. Jesus takes pity on them and tells them to go show themselves to the priests. Along the way they discover they have been cured. Nine of the ten take off back to their families, their loved ones , so great is their joy. Only one former leper, and him a Samaritan, returns to Jesus to give thanks. Who is gratitude more important to: the one who received the favor/gift? Or the one who gave it? Surely Jesus needs nothing from the Samaritan or from us. And yet, cultivating an attitude of gratitude to others and God helps us become aware of how much we need God and others. Jesus seems to be urging us not to take him or God for granted. Both faith and gratitude (an attitude that you have been gifted, or blessed) are attitudes to be cultivated.

Luke 17: 5 – 10 Mustard Seeds

Luke 17: 5 – 10 Mustard Seeds

And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to (this) mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. "Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'? Would he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'"

Jesus finds his disciples faith lacking. If they only had faith the size of a mustard seed they could truly accomplish wonders, says Jesus. Your job, says Jesus, is to have faith in me and my mission. If they do not, then they are the “useless servants” in this gospel passage. It was hard for them back then, as it is hard for us today to follow Jesus in faith. Working for the coming of the Kingdom, following Jesus' example of service and humility, shows our faith in Jesus and his mission. It is hard to act on faith. By its very nature, faith is a leap into the unknown. We don’t know how things are going to turn out. We just have to trust in him as he had to trust in his Father. We just have to have faith.

Luke 17: 3 – 4 Correcting Your Brother

Luke 17: 3 – 4 Correcting Your Brother

"Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,' you should forgive him."

This brief two verse scripture is astonishing. If your brother does wrong, correct him. If he repents, forgive him. Plain and simple. No words of retribution, no penances, no judgment, no condemnation. And not just once, but seven times a day (which I think means, as many times as necessary). Jesus counsels compassion and patience. We know right from wrong and should try to do that – in our own actions. That we can control and will be held accountable for. Other than that we have little we can and should do. Jesus is saying in this scripture, do not judge others, forgive them. That should take a load off of all of our shoulders.

Luke 17: 1 – 2 Sayings of Jesus Part I

Luke 17: 1 – 2 Sayings of Jesus Part I

He said to his disciples, "Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.

My version of the Bible mentions "scandalizing the little ones" vs. "causing them to sin". For the first time in any of the gospels to my knowledge Jesus speaks about avoiding scandals. “It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone around your neck than give scandal to little ones.” What does Jesus mean? What is a scandal? To me a scandal in an unexpected, unforeseen and damaging behavior – it is an action that not only breaks faith but destroys faith. Given that, I can see why Jesus takes scandal very seriously. Unfortunately, the only current context that I hear about scandal in is the context of the church covering up scandalous behavior (priest sexual abuse) so as to not “scandalize the faithful”. In a sense they were right to fear scandalizing the faithful – it did and does destroy faith. Covering it up, covering up any serious sin, is damaging both to the individual and to the institution. Jesus mission and message was to announce the coming of the Kingdom and to urge all who sought it to repent and turn towards God. In attempting to avoid scandal the church has made a bad situation exponentially worse. For whatever reason – pride, stubbornness - the church and individuals in it have resisted Jesus urging to repent, to seek God’s mercy, to seek the forgiveness of the individuals and the communities affected. I am not at all certain that even now the hierarchy of the Church “gets it”. Until it repents fully I think it will continue to struggle.
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Luke 16:19 – 31 Lazarus – Uh Oh!

Luke 16:19 – 31 Lazarus – Uh Oh!

"There was a rich man 13 who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, 14 where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.' Abraham replied, 'My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.' He said, 'Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.' But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'"

The first thing that I noticed in this story is Jesus’ description of “the netherworld”. He uses the word “torment” and “flames”. Is Jesus describing hell? This is not the only reference to hell in the gospels. In Matthew 25: 41-46, Jesus in describing the Last Judgment lays out two alternatives: eternal life for the just and eternal punishment for everyone else. Those who are condemned are “put out of my (Christ’s) sight and consigned “into that everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels”. How am I supposed to take this? Is it a euphemism? Is it literally true? How can a God who (I believe) is loving and merciful create such a place, never mind condemn people to it? Various religious traditions debate this. Some feel being banished from God’s presence (being put out of his sight) eternally is a kind of hell. Jesus describes something more graphic. I don’t know where I come out, but I can tell you unequivocally that I don’t want to find out the hard way.

Luke 16: 18 - By the Way - Divorce

Luke 16: 18 - By the Way - Divorce

"Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery."

Slipped right in after Luke’s comments about the Law is an emphatic statement about divorce. I seem to recollect from one of the gospels that Moses and the Jewish Law allow divorce. Here Luke (and Jesus) equates divorce with adultery, a prohibition against which is one of the Ten Commandments. Why so strong? There is no context given to help us. My theory is that Jewish society at that time is a very male-centric, paternalistic society. If men had all the property and the power on their side, a woman once divorced was effectively sentenced to poverty, losing her home, her support, even her children. She would be reduced to begging and perhaps even to prostitution to support herself. From a social justice perspective divorce was cruel and damaging for the female half of the population of that time. Taken this way – the statement seems firmly from the feminist point of view. How about that?

Luke 16:16 – 17 The Law

Luke 16:16 – 17 The Law

"The law and the prophets lasted until John; but from then on the kingdom of God is proclaimed, and everyone who enters does so with violence. It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for the smallest part of a letter of the law to become invalid.”

Luke draws a bright line around the time of John the Baptist. Up until his arrival, the Law and the Prophets were in force. After his arrival the good news of the coming of the Kingdom seems to trump both the Law and the Prophets. What does this mean? Instead of looking to the future for the coming of the Messiah, John says his arrival is imminent and his Kingdom is at hand. Business as usual won’t do. Radical change is necessary. Repentance, Reform, Renewal. Not the same old same old. People have been lulled to sleep, almost numbed by the long wait. John baptizes with water, not only to cleanse but to wake up, to shock! Something big is about to change.

Luke 16: 10 – 15 The Right Use of Money

Luke 16: 10 – 15 The Right Use of Money

The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. 8 He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and sneered at him. And he said to them, "You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.”

The eyebrow-raising previous scripture is followed by this: use your possessions to make friends in this world (presumably by doing good?) so that when your possessions fail you, you will still have your friends. Well that is certainly true on the level that at some point things fail to matter – if you don’t have love, if you don’t have your health. I also think Christ is saying that our goods are meant to be used and not hoarded, or just spent on ourselves. I believe we will be judged on how we use what is given to us. Perhaps that is part of the “trustworthiness” issue Jesus raised a couple of scripture ago. This scripture passage goes on to say famously that you cannot serve two masters - both God and Mammon by which I think is meant money or maybe this culture of consumerism. We must choose between them. Is what we are given by God – our talents, our resources, our possessions – a test in God’s eyes to see how we use them, to benefit ourselves or others? Or to hoard them? Perhaps.

Luke 16: 1 – 9 The Wily Manager

Luke 16: 1 – 9 The Wily Manager

Then he also said to his disciples, "A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, 'What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.' The steward said to himself, 'What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.' He called in his master's debtors one by one. To the first he said, 'How much do you owe my master?' He replied, 'One hundred measures of olive oil.' He said to him, 'Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.' Then to another he said, 'And you, how much do you owe?' He replied, 'One hundred kors 3 of wheat.' He said to him, 'Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.' And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. 5 "For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.” I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

This in another scripture that for me comes out of left field. The manager is about to have to make an accounting to his owner for “squandering his property”, that is, wasting it or using it unwisely. What does he do? He further dissipates it, marking down what is owed to ingratiate himself to the ones who owe it. What happens? The owner gives him credit for his enterprise! Here he has defrauded his owner and the owner not only accepts it but in a way admires it. Like unto like apparently – or it takes one to know one as my grandmother would say. I’m not sure of the larger point. Any ideas??? Also who are the children of this world vs. the children of light?