Jonah 4:9-11 For They Know Not What They Do

Jonah 4: 9-11 For They Know Not What They Do

[9] But God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?" And he said, "Yes, angry enough to die." [10] Then the LORD said, "You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. [11] And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?"

What is happening in this story? I love the story of Jonah for many reasons. I think the main reason is that I can identify with Jonah so much. God asks him to go in one direction, and he goes the other. God tells Jonah to warn the terribly sinful city of Ninevah that if they don’t change their ways and turn to him he will destroy them. Jonah is surprised and disappointed that they repent and God shows mercy. He wanted to see justice done. He got angry, angry enough to die! That’s pretty angry. God tries to teach Jonah by sending a bush to provide shade for Jonah in the hot sun, then lets it wither and die. Jonah whines about the poor little bush and his hot head. God confronts him with “You are concerned about the bush…should I not be concerned about Ninevah, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons
( foolish though they may be) and also many animals?” The book abruptly ends there.

How is this happening in the world today? – Recently someone I know was railing about the stupidity of such and such a group, and the futility he felt about the current political races. He had much to support him, including ridiculously designed negative and inflammatory ads accusing every opponent of everything from lying to little old ladies to harboring terrorists. I found myself saying that I didn’t trust any politicians. I remember in the sixties when a large group of my generation decided to turn on, tune in, and drop out. Let’em all go to the devil! It’s what they deserve, we say to each other. But then I remember: They is US.

It’s really easy these days to take an arrogant, holier than thou position to all the craziness we witness. Pretty soon, if we’re not careful, we become brittle and bitter, like the two old grouchy muppets in the balcony, skeptical about everything and everyone. That’s IS the safest position to take. That way no one can make a fool out of you, right?

Jesus taught us to love our neighbor as ourselves. How can we do that and remove ourselves from our fellow human beings, even if we do think they are stupid? God warned Ninevah, and surprise surpise: They listened! They repented, including especially their king. Then God had mercy on them and saved them. Jonah was furious. Where was the justice? The justice was in the love, and the love came first.

Should I not be concerned about Ninevah, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons and also many animals?

How is this story my story? – Eternal God, I can see myself in Jonah, and I can see myself in the people of Ninevah. We talk of your wrath, but you send forgiveness. We deny you and pollute your creation, and you send grace. We forget you and you send your son. We kill him and you send resurrection. We resent your justice, until we are the recipients of it. Thank you gracious creator, for your love that is unearned and poured down on us like cooling waters.

Luke 11: 24-26 In Order, Swept Clean and Ready for Relapse

Luke 11: 24-26 In Order, Swept Clean, and Ready for Relapse

[24] "When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but not finding any, it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' [25] When it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. [26] Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first."

What is happening in this scripture? – Jesus is talking to the temple elite who are criticizing him for casting out demons. They tell others that he does so in the name of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons. Jesus asks them by what power their exorcists work. He tells them a house divided against itself will not stand, so why would Satan allow him to cast out demons?
Another saying of Jesus, about a strong man who is overpowered by one stronger than he is suspiciously inserted here. And then this last few verses about the tendency of unclean spirits to return to the house from whence they came. Jesus tells them that when the unclean spirit cannot find another place to rest, it returns and finds that place swept and in order, and it brings seven other spirits more evil than itself and then they enter that ordered, swept house and live there, and the person is worse off than before.
We cannot really know what context Jesus was referring to here, and scholars can only do their best to guess. But one thing we all know from experience is that when we are trying to overcome our past bad habits or addictions we sometimes reach a point when temptation to return is stronger than ever. It seems to be that at that point we are the most vulnerable. We have put our house in order and swept it clean, and then we relapse. Then the hopelessness really sets in. We have failed, again. There is no health in us. We might as well give in and give up. But if we can hold on to God and his promise for a new life, that makes all the difference.

How is this happening in the world today? -- In the recovery movement they speak of God as our Higher Power. They explain that once an addict, always an addict, but taking things one minute, one hour, one day at a time, by realizing our powerlessness and asking God to restore us, we can have new life. Jesus called this being born from above, and that requires us to become as humble as a little child, who knows he does not know, and who is not in control. Once a sinner, always a sinner, but it is letting go of the illusion of control that allows God to step in and save us from ourselves. The Buddha said the same thing. The attachment to the illusion of being in charge blinds us from the saving grace of God’s love for us. We get things in order and we sweep our houses, and we think we are ready. Then old demons come back to torment us, bringing even more pain, and more attachment.

How is this story my story – For some reason Lord, you made me with a short memory. I forget that you are there and try to put myself in charge. I tell myself if I am in control, of myself and everyone else, I can make life the way I want it. But it never works, Lord, and people aren’t interested in being controlled by me. I whine and gripe, but you wisely give me the pain of futility and the blessing of hopelessness, for that is when I start to remember who is in charge.

Luke 10: 38-42 Remember and Notice

Luke 10:38-42 Remember and Notice

[38] Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. [39] She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. [40] But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." [41] But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; [42] there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."
What is happening in this scripture?

What is happening in this scripture? – Jesus and his followers have entered a village where two sisters live. They offer him their hospitality, shelter and food. Martha and Mary live there. Martha busies herself, preparing food for her guests. Mary, on the other hand, sits at the young rabbi’s feet listening to every word Jesus says. Martha gets irritated. She asks Jesus, Don’t you care that my sister has left all the work to me? Jesus tells Martha she is worried and distracted by many things but the one thing that is of need, the most important thing, Mary has chosen, and he will not take that away from her.

How is this happening in the world today? - How did Martha feel hearing Jesus’ answer? Did she ponder what he said, learning from him, or did she just get even more resentful? It is so easy for us, in our fear of not being treated fairly to be resentful of others. I can see Martha’s point. Here she is, doing all the heavy lifting, so to speak, and Mary is just sitting there, mesmerized by the young traveling preacher. Here is the point, I think: Both Mary and Martha know someone really important is in their home. Martha is doing what is expected of a hostess, preparing the necessary. Many caretakers spend each and every day of their lives doing the necessary, most of the time under-appreciated, un-noticed, or without any returned gratitude. Martha was doing the necessary. You can’t share a meal, which is a sacred activity, unless someone prepares it. Mary, on the other hand, is so taken with Jesus, with his words, that she has totally lost her focus in the daily tasks before her. Martha was probably the oldest, don’t you think? She sounds like an eldest child, and Mary like a youngest.
But I think the real point is that Mary chose what she did, and Martha just did what she thought she had to do. I believe that when we choose, intentionally our form of service to God and each other, then whatever we are doing is sacred and important. Nowhere in the story does it say that Martha had to do what she was doing, but her sense of responsibility and duty went before her, and she too was lost in the moment, but in a different way from Mary. Martha was lost in what she thought everyone else expected of her, not in her joy of doing what she was doing. Mary chose; Martha did what she always did, and she resented doing it.
Resentment robs us of the ability to see the sacred, God, right in front of us. As Jacob said at Bethel, "God was in this place, and I, I did not know!"

How is this story my story? – Lord, help me to remember that you give us choices. When I choose to focus on the sacredness of life, in every moment, you turn everything I do into sacred activity, no matter how mundane the rest of the world may think it is. Sometimes a touch heals. Sometimes a kind word, or a "Be careful driving!" is really the voice of God reminding us that I am loved and cared about. Sometimes, "Can I get you a cup of coffee?" or any other expression of hospitality reminds me that God welcomes me to his un-earned grace and love. God help me to notice and remember, no matter what I am doing, that you are in it all, every second.-RSP

Luke 10: 21-22 The Power of the Powerless

Luke 10: 21-22 The Power of The Powerless

[21] At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. [22] All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

What is happening in this scripture? – Jesus has just heard from the seventy he sent out. They have rejoiced and told him that in his name that even demons had submitted to them. Jesus shares with them a vision; tells them he saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven and that he has given them authority to tread on scorpions and serpents, and have all power over the enemy, and nothing could hurt them.
The author of Luke-Acts wants us to know that Jesus empowered his proclaimers, and protected them. There is no escaping the claim made here that Jesus, as God’s son, had given divine authority over the powers and principalities of evil. The Encarta dictionary’s first definition of the word divine is “having god-like qualities”. In this scripture we hear the rejoicing of men and women who have gone out at Jesus’ command, proclaiming the nearness of the Kingdom of God, and have returned to him saying that they experienced power such as they had never known. Jesus then prays and thanks God for hiding this knowledge or power from the so-called wise and intelligent and revealing it to these “infants”. Yes, Father for such was your gracious will. The author of Luke-Acts wants us to know that is God’s gracious will, to empower the powerless, not those who weld power of Caesar’s kind. It is, as Jesus says in the next verse, a knowledge that the Son chooses to reveal.

How is this happening in the world today? – What are god-like qualities? It depends upon the nature of your god, doesn’t it? What is the nature of God? Through Jesus we see the nature of our God. He is empowering. He loves justice. He heals. He feeds. He offers hope. He forgives. He stays in close touch with his Father through prayer. He afflicts the comfortable and he comforts the afflicted. And he challenges us, all of us, to love God with all our heart, soul and might, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. He loves justice, and his power derives from that justice, that love.

What is this scripture saying to me? – I could get all caught up in believing that Jesus will empower me to do god-like things. But, as Jesus, warns his followers, Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written
in heaven." In other words, “Don’t let it go to your head! Just be glad God knows and loves you. That’s the real reason to be happy.”

Luke 10: 1-4 "Where Waits Your New Life?"

Luke 10:1-16 “Where Waits Your New Life?”

[1] After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. [2] He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. [3] Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. [4] Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road.

What is happening in this scripture? – Luke’s version of Jesus sending disciples out into the world. We do not know all of the whys and wherefores of Jesus’ instructions to them, but it is not hard to understand these words: See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. He tells them to carry no purse, no bag, and no sandals, and to greet no one on the road. Why? Perhaps this was Jesus’ way of expressing, through the lack of money, supplies, and even sandals to protect the feet of these disciples that he really knew of their poverty. Perhaps it was a way to say to these people, it isn’t about empire, or money, or possessions, or staffs or even swords. His advice to greet no one on the road might have been so they wouldn’t be mistaken for common beggars, simply looking for a meal. These people were looking for those who would listen. These people were to be seen as open handed, non threatening, like lambs, and they were sent to harvest. Jesus once used the term fishers, maybe a good metaphor for the coastal people. This time it was for the agrarian communities – harvesters. I can imagine them saying something like, “I come to proclaim that the kingdom of God is near. If you are angry, hungry, lonely, afraid, listen to me. I can help. Let me tell you about a man I know. His name is Jesus. He is a simple carpenter from Nazareth. He has shown us a better way. May I come in and tell you about him?”

How is this happening in the world today? – Sadly, so many have come to people in the name of Christianity with ulterior motives. Some come seeking money, others want to tell you what to believe, what to wear, what to eat, what to think, how to vote, who to accept, who to reject, etc. Jesus wanted these pilgrims to proclaim the kingdom of God, that kingdom that harvests followers with love and kindness, healing, forgiveness, a common meal, and a promise of a new life. They spoke of a better way, better than Herod, better than Caesar.

When is the last time you encountered a person who simply offered hope to you, no strings attached? When is the last time you were that person? Our religion has gotten so cumbersome, so weighed down with ifs ands or buts that it is easy to imagine Jesus shaking his head. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. These people weren’t salesmen. They were witnesses.

How is this scripture your scripture? – What do people like us know about speaking a simple truth? What do we know about being lambs among wolves? How does one tame a wolf? Who do we know in our lives, reaching out to us with a simple truth? Who is standing at your door, wanting to give you some good news? Where does your new life wait?

Luke 9: 51-55 When the Days Drew Near

Luke 9: 51-55 When the Days Drew Near

[51] When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. [52] And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; [53] but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. [54] When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" [55] But he turned and rebuked them. [56] Then they went on to another village.

What is happening in this scripture?
(Historical context of Jews and Samaritans) - Israel and Judah split into two kingdoms in the ninth century. King Omri, ruler of the Northern Kingdom bought the hill of Samaria. He built the capital city of Samaria there. During the Babylonia siege of Jerusalem or thereabouts, many of the citizens of Samaria were also carried off. Some farmers and others were not. Eventually there were marriages with other peoples. The second book of Kings says that the king of Assyria sent a priest from the exiled people to teach the Samaritans left how to worship Yaheweh appropriately. Apostasy, the worship of other gods had begun to take place on a large scale.

Cyrus of Babylon finally permitted the Jews to return. Samaritans tried to welcome them back but they were seen by the returning Jews as not faithful. Their help in rebuilding the temple was refused. This created even more hostility between these peoples. Nehemiah says that a grandson of the high priest Eliashib married a daughter of Sanballat, the governor of Samaria. Nehemiah drove Eliashib from Jerusalem for defiling the priesthood, by marrying outside of the faith, even though Sanballat worshipped Yahweh.

The Jewish historian Josephus wrote that Sanballat had a temple built on Mount Arizim so his son-in-law Eliashib could carry out his priestly duties. A full and final break resulted between the Samaritans and the Jews.

A very interesting scripture here. Jesus, who had told the parable of the good Samaritan, and who had spoken with the Samaritan woman at the well, sends messengers ahead of himself, after setting his face towards Jerusalem. The Samaritan village will not receive him, (receive his teaching or extend the hospitality of food and shelter, or both?) after finding out that he had set his face upon Jerusalem. James and John, highly offended, asked Jesus if he wanted them to ask God to send fire down upon their village. Jesus stops, turns, and rebukes James and John for suggesting such vengeance. Then he sets out for another village.

In this scripture, no one is getting it. The Samaritans allow their age old animosities to block them from accepting the good news, and the disciples allow their prejudice from hearing what the good news is. Jesus is teaching the two commandments, love God with all you have and love your neighbor as yourself. The Samaritans are jealous because Jesus has his face set upon Jerusalem, another slam against the Samaritans and who has the REAL temple. James and John want Godly revenge. Even as the days draw near, as the scripture says, Jesus is still not understood by those he has tried to befriend or even those closest to him. Luke tells us there was little difference between the Samaritans or the disciples, as far as understanding Jesus. Both allowed resentment, hate, fear, and past offenses to block the proclamation that the kingdom of God was near.

How is this happening in the world today? – How many people like us can identify with either the people of the Samaritan village or James and John? The kingdom of God, the opportunity to do new things, brave things, love one another without reservation, comes to our village, and we, out of fear, prejudice, resentment, past hurts, miss the opportunity? How many people like us can identify with James and John, ready to ask God to hurl down fire upon those we feel have offended or rejected us? Jesus has his face set, in Jerusalem, on confronting the normalcy of our everyday evil. He is walking fast, and we can join him or get caught in the webs of our own hatred.

How is this story my story? – Lord, I know your kingdom is near, as near as the next breath I take, as near as the face of the other person I am speaking to. Give me the courage to receive you into my village with hospitality, and not let my fear, hatred or resentments block me from setting my own face towards my own Jerusalem.

The daily Lectionary is a free service of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) To learn more visit http://www.pcusa.org/devotions/lectionary/index

Psalm 32: 1-5 Happy Are Those

Psalm 32:1-5 Happy Are Those

[1] Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
[2] Happy are those to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

[3] While I kept silence, my body wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
[4] For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

[5] Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD",
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

What is happening in this scripture? – The Psalmist writes a song of gratitude for forgiveness. He makes some good points. He says in this song that when he was doing things, transgressions, (we don’t know what they were), his body wasted away, he groaned all day long. He says he felt the hand of God heavy upon him and that he had no energy. He was not a happy man.
Then he says that he acknowledged his sin to God; that he stopped trying to hide his wrong doings, and he received forgiveness. Perhaps he went to his temple, participated in the rituals, paid his temple fee, and received priestly reassurance. But what he points out is that he admitted what he was feeling guilty about. Confession, they say, is good for the soul. It truly is. But it wasn’t confession that the Psalmist says made him happy, it was the forgiveness, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
As a counselor, I have seen what guilt can do to a person, or a relationship. I have seen what lies can do to a life. I have also seen what honest confrontation with yourself can do. It’s very hard work, and sometimes it is terrifying. But with it comes great relief and release. The first thing a recovering addict learns to do is tell the truth. The second is to allow himself to receive the truth, that he is worthy of a new life, and that he is not his disease. It seems to me that this is one of the most important truths of Christianity: We are not our disease. We are not our sins. We may identify with them, we may let them define us, but we do not have to do so. There is another way to live. No one is perfect, we all miss the mark, sometimes on purpose, sometimes accidentally. But Jesus reminds us that we are the children of a creator, who loves us unconditionally. The hard part, in my experience, is forgiving yourself.
There is happiness and release, and new life, waiting for us, if we will only tell the truth to ourselves and to God.

How is this happening in the world? – Questions to Ponder:
Where in the world today do you see others spending all their energy on propping up denial? What do you know about people like us, who moan and groan all day under the heaviness of living a lie? How is God calling us to release and relief through honesty?

How is this story my story? – Denial is not a river in Egypt. When I deny the truth, I deny you God, because you are the source of that which really is. Sometimes the truth is ugly, but if I don’t face old lies, how can I face new life? If you love me, I must be worth saving. Help me to realize the value which you have placed upon me, so that I may do the same.

Luke 9:18-27 The Loneliest Question

Luke 9:18-27 The Loneliest Question

[18] Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" [19] They answered, "John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen." [20] He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "The Messiah of God."

[21] He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, [22] saying, "The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."

[23] Then he said to them all, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. [24] For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. [25] What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?

What is happening in this scripture – These verses always take me to a place of contemplation. Jesus, prays alone. Then, he asks his disciples, those near him, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” What must have been going on inside of him at that point? Am I doing this the right way? Does anyone understand what I am saying? It seems like a lonely question to ask. How many times have we asked lonely questions of ourselves, of those nearest to us? The disciples tell him some think he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, referring perhaps to the Jewish belief that Elijah would return just before the Messiah appeared to the world. And some others believed that one of the other ancient prophets had returned. Then Jesus asks another lonely question: “But who do YOU say that I am?” Peter says, “The Messiah of God”.
Jesus gets stern and orders and commands them to tell no one that. Then he seems to speak in the third person about himself, saying that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering and be rejected by the temple elite, to be killed, and on the third day to be raised. Jesus wants them to know that he is not just Jesus, their friend, a clever and winsome healer, or even a great new prophet. No. He speaks of himself as something universal, something quintessential, and his words resonate for anyone who faces the normalcy of civilization with the truth. It is not just Jesus who will be rejected by the authorities, killed by the system. It is anyone who takes up their OWN CROSS daily and follows him.
The lonely question, “Who do you say that I am?” invites us to ask two other lonely questions: “Who do YOU think Jesus is?” and “Who do you think YOU are?” The answers to those two questions should not be given as fast as Peter answered Jesus. Why? Because these two questions are the biggest questions you will ever ask. And the answers will make all the difference, shaping your life and perhaps your destiny.

How is this happening in the world today? – There are many, and have been many, who have attempted to answer that lonely question, “Who do you say that I am?” There are thousands who think they know the answer to that question, or they want someone else to answer it for them. I think the question is answered, like Peter, too quickly. Because what Jesus then asks his disciples to do is to deny themselves. How many people do you see these days who are really doing that? How many are willing to take up their own crosses and try to follow this amazing transcendent, immanent, Son of Man? Do we really know where he is leading us with that cross of his? The cross was an instrument of execution. How many would follow an electric chair or gas chamber? There are many who have gone before us who have done just that, stood up to evil and to hate and to power and forfeited their lives.
Jesus promises us that those of us who lose their lives for his sake will save them. Does that mean a ticket into heaven, or a doorway into the kingdom of God, here and now? Jesus used the word, daily. That means NOW.

How is this story my story? -- Who do you say that I am? Jesus asks us. The answer will tell you who YOU are.

Don’t answer too quickly. It’s a really lonely question.

The daily Lectionary is a free service of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) To learn more visit http://www.pcusa.org/devotions/lectionary/index

Luke 8: 40-56 Get Up! The Kingdom Is Here!

Luke 8:40-56 Get Up! The Kingdom of God is Here!

[40] Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. [41] Just then there came a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his house, [42] for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, who was dying.

As he went, the crowds pressed in on him. [43] Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. [44] She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. [45] Then Jesus asked, "Who touched me?" When all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the crowds surround you and press in on you." [46] But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me." [47] When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. [48] He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace."

49] While he was still speaking, someone came from the leader’s house to say, "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer."
[50] When Jesus heard this, he replied, "Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be saved." [51] When he came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with him, except Peter, John, and James, and the child’s father and mother. [52] They were all weeping and wailing for her; but he said, "Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping." [53] And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. [54] But he took her by the hand and called out, "Child, get up!" [55] Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he directed them to give her something to eat. [56] Her parents were astounded; but he ordered them to tell no one what had happened.

What is happening in this scripture? – Here is a story, with a story inside of it. It’s like a sandwich. Jesus greets a crowd waiting for him, and they welcomed him. The leader of the local synagogue, Jairus, falls at his feet and begs him to come to his house to heal his 12 yr old daughter, who is dying.

On the way, a woman who has been hemorrhages for 12 years touches the fringe of his clothes, and immediately the hemorrhage stops. Jesus feels power go out from him, asks who touched him, and the woman, trembling falls before him and declares before the entire crowd why she touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. Jesus, instead of withdrawing from her, for a menstruating woman was considered unclean, says to her “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. In front of a crowd, on the way to the synagogue, Jesus blesses a woman who is bleeding and tells her HER faith healed her. Can you hear the walls falling down?

Luke wants us to know that the leader of a local synagogue falls down before Jesus. As the story continues, someone says to Jairus, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer.” It’s too late. Might as well accept reality. No need to trouble the healer any longer. It’s too late. But Jesus says, “Do no fear. Only believe and she will be saved.” He continues to the sad home. Many are weeping. Some laugh at him when he tells them something only a crazy man would say, “Do not weep, for she is not dead, but sleeping.” He takes her by the hand and calls out “Child, get up!” Her spirit returns, and she gets up at once. Jesus tells them to give her something to eat. Jesus swears them to silence.

A desperate father falls at Jesus’ feet, he begs for a dying child, a hemorrhaging woman, a pressing crowd, his fringe touched, power goes out, healing happens. Again falling at Jesus’ feet. A dead child, weeping and laughing disbelievers, a hand is touched, a spirit returns, a child is revived. Illness is conquered. Death is overcome. The Kingdom of God is present.

To me this story is not about special effects, or even about if you believe enough, your dying child or your cancer or whatever is wrong, God will cure. It is about healing. It is about humbling and begging. It is about loving your daughter so much you will do anything to save her. It is about being so aware of Jesus and what he can do, that even being on the fringe of his love will stop whatever is bleeding you to death. It is about not giving up, even in the face of death, even after death has brushed you with his wings.

Rev. Frederick Beuchner once said that at times like this, God is useless, meaning we cannot somehow manipulate God into doing what we want him to do. He goes on to say that it is his presence that makes the difference, and our presence too. We may not always be able to cure, but through Christ we can be healed, and by carrying his presence to others, be part of this healing for others. We can help spirits return to those thought dead. We can take people by the hand, and feed them. This is how God changes the world, one preacher, one bleeding need, one lost and spiritless and hungry child at a time. And we are all lost, spiritless, hungry children.

But we cannot allow the walls that we erect to keep us apart, stop us from reaching out and saying to people, Get up! Jesus is here!

The daily Lectionary is a free service of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) To learn more visit http://www.pcusa.org/devotions/lectionary/index

Luke 8:26-31; 35-37 Seized With Fear

Luke 8:26-31; 35-37 Seized With Fear

[26] Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. [27] As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. [28] When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not
torment me"--[29] for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) [30] Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. [31] They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.

[35] Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. [36] Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. [37] Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear.

What is happening in this scripture? – This is the story in Luke of Jesus healing the demoniac. Several phrases really catch me in this scripture: “a man of the city” “For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.”
Jesus asks the man, (or the demon) “What is your name?” The answer given is “Legion”. Of course this word means, many, but it is also the name of the units of Roman troops occupying Judea. In this scripture, Jesus is in complete control over the demons. They beg him not to send them back into the “abyss” (the man had been living in the tombs). Is this allegory? Whether it is or not, the imagery is powerful. Jesus sends the demons into the unclean swine, and then to their death, over another kind of abyss.
Then another curious thing happens. The people of that area see the man clothed and healed and they become afraid. They in fact, were seized with fear. Two kind of seizures: First the man of the city was seized by demons, a legion of them, then the people were seized by fear. What were they afraid of? Why did they not rejoice? Why did they ask Jesus to leave their area? Was it Roman retribution that frightened them? Did seeing a man they had known as possessed for so long, healthy and normal just blow their minds so much that they just got scared? Maybe they thought, “If others hear about Jesus being here, and doing this, we’ll be overrun with sick, crazy, possessed people wanting a cure.”
One thing is for sure. They wanted to be rid of Jesus.

How is this happening in the world today? – Not too many years ago, the mentally ill used to be considered possessed. I am glad those days are over. But looking at this story, there is more than one definition of being possessed.
Imagine you live in a little village in Poland or France or Austria during World War II. The Nazis have invaded and now occupy your finest buildings. Patrols are in the street, night and day. People who have spoken out have disappeared. Anyone with a Jewish heritage has been taken away. A young wandering minister comes along and somehow the Nazis are powerless over his presence. Some of them even run off a cliff, to their death. You live in this village. What do you feel? You know the village will surely pay a price for this. Someone will pay. Would you not want this young man to just get out of your town?
Or consider that you are addicted to something. For years you have tried, over and over and sometimes break the shackles of the bottle, the pills, the needle, only to wind up in the wilderness of the alley or the bars, and you go right back to the habit. There seems to be no hope for you. You are possessed. A young man with eyes like you’ve never seen before comes up to you, tells you that you belong to God and you are loved, forgiven, and gives you something you’ve never had before, real hope and self respect. You are no longer naked, exposed to the ridicule of others or the exploitation of the pushers. Jesus tells you to go form a local 12 step chapter and share the love.
One more. You are a Roman Centurion. Daily, you are called on to do horrible things to people, to keep the Pax Romanus. One day a young man named Jesus sees you, calls you out, and says the he loves even you. You must leave now. If you stay you will be caught and killed as a deserter. But you will never forget this young Jewish healer, who offered you a new way to live.

How is this story my story? – Lord, without your grace there is no health in me. You call me out of my life among the tombs. I am possessed by the culture in which I live, and the only alternative is to the wilderness of self contempt, or believing in your Grace. This is not the level of love we are used to seeing, and frankly it is frightening in its power and scope. Can the world really work this way? Are we to believe this is possible, to love and forgive and treat each other like we would treat ourselves?

Do we send you away Lord, or do we accept your acceptance?

Matthew 15: 21-28 Down and In

Matthew 15:21-28

[21] Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon.
[22] Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." [23] But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us! [24] He answered, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. [25] But she came and knelt before him, saying, Lord, help me! [26] He answered, It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs. [27] She said, Yes, Lord, yet even the
dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table. [28] Then Jesus answered her, Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish. And her daughter was healed instantly.

What is happening in this scripture?
If there is every any doubt that Jesus was Jewish, culturally and religiously, let this scripture remind us. A Canaanite woman of Syro Phoenician descent “comes out” and starts to shout. Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; (addressing his Jewish ness); my daughter is tormented by a demon!” Jesus did not answer her at all. Matthew wants the reader to know this. The disciples entreated Jesus to send the woman away, mistakenly thinking that the woman is shouting for them. But she wasn’t. She was shouting to Jesus.
Matthew’s Jesus answered: I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But the woman, desperate, did not go away. She came and knelt before him. Matthew also wants the reader to know that. She knelt before him. Then she said, Lord, help me. Matthew’s Jesus then said, It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs. Sounds cruel to us, but we don’t know the full context. But whatever the reason, again, Matthew wanted to reader to know about this encounter. The woman, now kneeling, said to Jesus, Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table. Then Matthew’s Jesus said this: Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish. And Matthew tells us that the daughter was healed instantly.
Several questions come to my mind. If Jesus was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, then what does this say about the woman, her faith, and Jesus’ healing?

How is this happening in the world today? Matthew seemed to want us to know several things: The woman was not Jewish. The woman was desperate for the well being of her daughter. She was totally powerless, an outsider, not just as a woman in this culture, which was bad enough, but also a resident alien, and outside the cultural envelope. She was the marginalized of the marginalized. The Jewish people in Roman occupied and controlled Tyre and Sidon had it bad enough. But she wasn’t even accepted by them. It’s like being thrown out of the slums. You can’t get much lower than this woman was, and she faced the torment of her daughter to boot.
She has nothing, and nothing left to lose but her daughter. She has nothing but her faith, and probably this faith was in the form of terror, not the quiet peace of belief. Someone once wrote that you don’t always find God by looking up and out, sometimes you find him by looking down and in, at the very bottom of your life. Where the crumbs fall. Maybe that is what Matthew’s Jesus wanted us to know. One phrase from Jesus and her daughter was healed instantly. And that phrase was : Woman great is your faith.

How is this story my story? I think most parents would do whatever it took to rid their child of a demon, whether it be a disease, mental or physical, or something like uncontrolled anger, violence, or a terrible addiction that was destroying their life. But this woman put every fiber of her being into her plea to Jesus, Lord, help me. Maybe this is what it means to love God with all your heart, your soul, and your might. Maybe, when we realize how much we love our children, we are reminded of how much God loved his only begotten son, and what it meant for him to be sent to love us, the way this woman loved her daughter. I think Jesus ached to say Let it be done for you as you wish. But in order to receive this healing, this restoration, this exorcism of our demons, we must surrender. We must know that we are the lost sheep of Israel, all of us. Even the dogs under the table eat their masters’ crumbs.
But you have to go down, to the floor, and know you are lost.

Luke 8:11-15 What Do You Do With the Word?

[11] Luke 8: 11-15 - What Do You Do With the Word?

"Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. [12] The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. [13] The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. [14] As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. [15] But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.

What is happening in this scripture? – Jesus is traveling with his disciples around the countryside. He tells the gathered crowd another parable, this one about sowing seeds. Then he tells his disciples who ask him the meaning, after saying that he uses parables so that some “others” hear him but won’t really understand. I think he was talking about either the Roman or Temple authorities who might have been watching and listening for a way to have him legitimately arrested.
The “inside” meaning he gives to his closest disciples is given. The seed is the word of God. The good news, or gospel he has been spreading is that God is on the side of the poor, economically, politically, and spiritually. He speaks of “the devil” coming and taking away the word from the hearts of those who have heard this good news. In this context, the devil is probably the rule of the Roman civilization, the belief in power, the domination systems of the day.
Jesus speaks of those who receive the gospel with joy but when tested, as they surely will be, fall away. Then he speaks of those who hear the gospel but are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. The seed in the good soil represents those who hold fast with an honest and good heart, with patient endurance.

Questions to Ponder in our world today:

1. What do people like us know about hearing the gospel with joy, but when tested, fall away?
2. What “devils” want to come and take this good news away from you?
3. How does the rule of normalcy want to take away the good news?
4. When are we choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life? How does this keep us from maturing as companions of Christ?
5. Who is someone you know who seems to hold fast with an honest and good heart, with patient endurance? What must we be honest about? What does a good heart mean?
6. What do we need to patiently endure?

How is this story my story? – I can imagine being in the crowd and hearing this parable. I can imagine getting really uncomfortable when he spoke of being choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and how that prevents their fruit from maturing.

The Daily Lectionary

The daily Lectionary is a free service of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) To learn more visit http://www.pcusa.org/devotions/lectionary/index

Luke 7: 50 Down On the Floor

Luke 7:50 - And he said to the woman, "Go in peace."

What is happening in this scripture? - This is from Luke 7. These are the words Jesus spoke to the woman who had kneeled behind him, washed his feet with her tears, and dried them with her hair. This is the woman who somehow acquired expensive ointment in an alabaster jar and annointed Jesus' feet with it. Legend has it that it was Mary Magdalene, but there is absolutely no evidence of that. Simon the Pharisee saw this happen and was appalled that Jesus would allow such.
In those days, when a guest arrived you did two things to welcome and show respect in your home. People walked in those days and their feet were almost always dirty. So you greeted them with a kiss and embrace and you offered them water. Hospitality was extremely important in that part of the world. In addition, a man was not to allow a woman to touch him in public, even his wife, and certainly not a woman who was not married to him. To do so told the watching world that the woman was a prostitue, and for a mand of God, a prohet, to allow such was especially inappropriate. Jesus never cared much for rules, especially if they placed barriers between people.
But the the most important thing to me in this scripture lies in the last lines, when Jesus said to the woman, "Your fiath has saved you; go in peace." He did not say, "I have saved you." Perhaps that is implied, but I think he wanted to focus on HER faith, and her FAITH. What is faith? Whatever it is, it had cetainly moved this woman into action, and she didn't care what others would think. She just wanted to love Jesus and somehow make him more comfortable. She showed more hospitality and love than the respected but stuffy Simon the Pharisee, who like many of us, was caught up in protocol and judgement. Not feeling worthy, this woman met Jesus where she thought she could, at his feet. These were the same feet that would be pierced by the cruel nails of the cross.

How is this happening in the world today? - Sometimes, even though we know better, we begin to feel unworthy. Maybe we're affected by the news we see, or worried about money, our kids, or maybe we're angry or hurt by something someone close to us has said or done. We want to forgive, but we jsut can't, at least not for a while. Or maybe we're just feeling the weight of life. This world bleeds a little every day. Sometimes it bleeds a lot. Whatever the reason, we feel unworthy.
There we are, on the floor, and we just feel like crying. I think that's how this woman was feeling, but mingled with her sadness, she had seen something, found something, in this wandering rabbi from Nazareth, this gentle man with the kind eyes, who made her feel something she hadn't felt in a long long time: accepted.
Our faith in this Lord, this Jesus, this man who somehow was God in sandals, saves us, from ourselves and from the criticisms and rejections and pain of the world. We begin to think, if Jesus can accept us, maybe we are worth something.

How is this story my story? - Eternal God, I am a tiny speck in a vast universe which seems to never end. Sometimes Lord, I sit on the floor and feel like weeping before you. But you lift me up and tell me I am loved, and you give me your blessing, your benediction, just the way I am, and then you send me into the world in peace. This peace truly passes all my understanding and it heals me. For this one thing Lord, I am truly grateful and amazed.

Luke 7: 31-35 The Children In the Marketplace

Luke 7: 31-35 – The Children In the Marketplace
“To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? 32They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not weep.' 33For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, 'He has a demon'; 34the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' 35Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

What is happening in this scripture? – Jesus has just sent two of John’s disciples back to John, after they came to him and asked on behalf of their master, the Baptist, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we wait for someone else?” Jesus tells them to tell John what they have seen, the blind, lame and sick healed, and the dead raised. After sending them to John, Jesus turns to the crowd who now is following him pretty much everywhere he travels.

One might ask, why did Jesus stay on the road? Why didn’t he stay put and let people come to him? Perhaps he was recruiting others, to see what he was doing and to join in. Jesus knew the Roman authorities would be after him eventually, and its harder to find a moving target.
So Jesus says, “To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like?” He compares them to children in the marketplace, calling to one another, whining, actually about each other’s behavior towards the other. They are a people divided, in an occupied land, as they had been so many times before. They were faced with a choice: Follow Caesar, or Follow God. Jesus chastises the Jewish authorities for criticizing anyone who comes from outside the system and excites the people. He says they called John crazy for fasting and abstaining from wine, but then they turn around and criticize Jesus for eating and drinking with the people. Who one ate with, and where they sat said a lot about a person in those days, and to a large degree it still does today.

I find it interesting and intriguing that Jesus tells them they are like children in the marketplace of all places. It is the marketplace that expresses clearly what a people’s priorities are. Whether it be Roman coinage, containing images of Caesar the Divine, or the Temple coinage which had to be exchanged from Roman to Jewish, at a profit, for sacrifices and fees, the process of currency and what it represented was a concrete expression of the systems in charge.

Jesus ends his confrontation with Nevertheless, Wisdom is vindicated by all her children. In Proverbs, wisdom is called Sophia, and is present along side God at the very creation of the earth. This statement from Jesus seems to say that regardless of the criticisms both John and he received, the truth would ultimately be revealed by the days to come. God’s justice over Caesar’s power would not be denied.

How is this happening in the world today? – Where is the marketplace of our world today? Who are those like whining children, criticizing any outsider who bucks against the system? How are we a people divided, and who are our occupiers? How do we worship and follow Caesar? How are we following God? What is the wisdom, crying out to be heard? Who are wisdom’s children in our world, and will they be vindicated?

How is this story my story? – Like the disciples of John, do I still wait for the Messiah, or do I see his healing reality already happening? Like the children in the marketplace, do I cry out for others to dance to my tune, or complain when others do not weep with my private pain? Is it about me, Lord? That’s how I act. Or is it about your kingdom, which includes all of us? I somehow know, deep inside, that wisdom will be vindicated by her children. The day will come. Perhaps it is already here.

The Daily Lectionary is a free service of thePresbyterian Church (U.S.A.). To learn more,visit http://www.pcusa.org/devotions/lectionary/index.htm.

Comments from James

My thoughts:

God is a God of Justice. And what is Justice? Justice is being righteous and fair. God is all powerful and yet loving. He gave us covenants that show us how our relationship with him can be rewarding, lasting and fulfilling. He shows us how we can live to acquire our utmost potential, to accomplish his plan for us. We can join him. Jesus was sent to us so we could and we are called and then sent by him to the rest of the world to proclaim what we have come to know and experience. Jesus represents us to our creator and blots out our shortcomings and failings. He presents us to our Father who used Jesus to allow us to come to him by being cleaned and redeemed.

The Bible, in both the OT and the NT speak of a “Day of the Lord”, judgment. It is coming. It has to. How can you have justice without it? How can you be fair without it? What is the reason for righteous living and obedience to the one True, Holy God, Father, Creator, and Judge? It is simply to be with God and be like him.

The covenants are fair. They have only been broken on the human side and yet God still finds a way to allow us to be forgiven and still come to him. This is fair, this is justice. This justice also includes judgment and punishment. Not sent, by God unfairly, but allowed by him because of the unfairness and wrongness of man. Many times he has, and still does, calls for repentance and a turning away from what is wrong and evil. A call to come to him and listen, learn and obey and receive many blessings he has in store for us.

It requires of us a decision. He gives us the right to say no as well as yes. It is our decision to live with the consequences of our actions. Remember, it is almost never too late to accept, but it may be later than we think.

Psalm 42:1-3 - Longing For God

Psalm 42:1-3 Longing For God

1As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
2My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and behold
the face of God?
3My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me continually,
"Where is your God?"

What is the nature of God? – I have been fascinated by the work on one John Dominic Crossan. Crossan is the author of several books on historical perspectives of Jesus and the people of that part of the world in the first century. I have several of them, including The Birth of Christianity and Jesus, A Revolutionary Biography. As a member of the controversial Jesus Seminar group, he has certainly caused a lot of stir among ecclesiastical circles and readers of all types. Some love him, some seem to hate him, and some are confused enough to want to read more. I have even attended a weekend seminar of his, and have listened to tapes of that seminar several times. One of his most interesting themes which he seems able to back up with a reasonable high degree of scholarship is the idea of a Covenental Kingdom (Jesus) and a Commercial Kingdom (Caesar), provoking questions about how that plays out in our centuries.
At one point in the seminar, Crossan gets down to an almost whispering reverent style of speaking as he talks of the difference between believing in the nature of God as a Creator God, believing in God as a Killer God. He asks the question, “What is the nature of your God?” and depending upon that answer, how do you act that out?.
Crossan sees Jesus sending out, not disciples or students, the original twelve, but all people, as God’s companions, who would be God’s companions in establishing a Covenental Kingdom on this earth. He also says there are two motifs running through the entire Bible, Old and New Testaments: God as a Killer or Destroyer/Punisher God, to reach Justice, or God as a Creator/come to the Banquet/ Graceful God. Crossan says he is glad Revelations is in the Bible because it puts the nature of our own violence in front of us. He speaks several times of one scene in Revelations in which the justice of god results in blood being bridle-high for 200 miles. He also speaks of some examples of non-violent resistance the early Christian church acted out in Rome, and of the shop-churches formed to band together and collect alms to bank for widows, orphans and single women without means, to keep them from having to become prostitutes in those days.
Crossan provokes me into really thinking, what IS the nature of my God? This Psalm reminds me that all over the earth, most of us thirst for a living God who will offer us the cool, quenching waters of Grace, Forgiveness, Salvation, and Peace on Earth. The Psalmist says, My tears have been my food, day and night, while people say to me continually, “Where is your God?”
At one point Crossan admits to being a Christian and a believer, but he defines this as believing that justice makes the world work properly because God is a god of justice. He says all of creation is God’s creation, and so it is a just creation, and will only work as a just creation. Food, better than tears, for thought. May it be so. -RSP

Some of Us

Some of Us
RSP

Some of us are simple,
Accepting God is there,
Looking down upon us,
Showing that he cares,

But some of us we question,
We want to get it right,
We want to know there’s solid,
In the middle of the night.

God please don’t let this happen,
God please don’t take my heart,
God please if you are there,
Let us make another start.

We look for one to hold us,
To comfort all our screams,
We look for one to tell us,
What happened to our dreams.

So some of us believe,
And some of us we doubt,
But in the throes of trauma,
All of us we shout,

God please don’t let this happen,
Tell me you are there,
Let me know your presence,
Show me that you care.

Some of us believe,
And some of us aren’t sure,
Some want firmer answers,
To stand on to endure.

But all of us do suffer,
And all of us do love,
And in the painful moments,
We cry to the Above.

Luke 7: 1-17 Approaching the Gate of the Town

Luke 7: 1-17 - Approaching the Gate of the Town

[11] Soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. [12] As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother's only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. [13] When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, "Do not weep." [14] Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, rise!" [15] The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. [16] Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen among us!" and "God has looked favorably on his people!" [17] This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.

What is happening in this scripture? – When you read this story, and imagine, from a first century perspective, what the author of Luke is telling us here, consider these things:
(a) other gods and goddesses of the day were believed to have resuscitated the dead. Some were worshipped as a great healers. Most Jews believed in the fleshly (as opposed to spiritually) process of the resurrection of the martyrs and just (faithful to the faith) ones in Sheol, not just in an exclusive resurrection of Jesus. (b) No right-thinking Jew of the time would have touched a dead person’s bier, except the carriers, who would later have to go through purification rituals.
Some would say that this story, then, is about Jesus approaching a widow and her dead only son, and a large crowd. If you were a widow in those days, and your only son died, you were in big trouble. Who would support you. Who would look after you? Jesus communities beginning to spring up when Luke was probably written were saying to others, “The resurrection has begun. The kingdom of God has come. Come see how we live!" They were gathering in shops and villas, telling the story of the Christ and singing hymns. But most of all they were collecting a tithe from everyone, and they used this money to support those in the community who had no one to support them. They were resisting the tyranny of civilization in those days, by loving and helping each other; by living out the commandments of their faith, Love God with all your heart, soul and might, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Perhaps Jesus really brought this young man back to life. Perhaps this is a story about bringing a community, a large crowd, who knew about dead sons and widows, back to life. Whatever, you think, the message is clear: A great prophet had risen among them!, and God has looked favorably on his people! According to the scripture, that word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country, like a million mustard seeds that started to sprout up everywhere.

Questions to Ponder:

What does this scripture tell you about the nature of God? The style, or Way, of Jesus?
What does this scripture tell you about our responsibility to those who have nothing and no one?
What does this scripture tell you about the Kingdom of God, here and now, and your role in that?

Luke 6: 39-42 When you HAVE to be RIGHT...

Luke 6:39-42 “When you HAVE to be Right…”

[39] He also told them a parable: "Can a blind person guide a blind
person? Will not both fall into a pit? [40] A disciple is not above
the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher.
[41] Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice
the log in your own eye? [42] Or how can you say to your neighbor,
'Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,' when you yourself do
not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out
of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of
your neighbor’s eye.

What is happening in this scripture? – This is a piece of the collected sayings and aphorisms and parables in Luke that is referred to as the Sermon on the Plain or Level Place, as compared to Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. Parables were probably acted out and took a long time to present, so scholars believe this is a short “Parables for Dummies” version of the parable or parables listed here: blind leading blind, removing the speck from your neighbors eye. Perhaps they were connected because they were about seeing or not seeing. I will focus (no pun intended) on the speck in the neighbor’s eye saying.
Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Good question. Why do we not notice the log in our own eye? This is a ludicrous thought really. Have you ever had a speck of something in your eye? You cannot help but notice it, and it drives you crazy until it’s out! But here Jesus exaggerates it to a log! What an insult, really. Parables were provocative and evocative. One can imagine the crowd being highly offended. Later on, Jesus resorts to a bit of name-calling, to boot: You hypocrite! I imagine Jesus acting this out like a Punch and Judy show, offending the imaginary character in the parable, but really talking to the audience. A sneaky way to hit the nail on the head.

How is this happening in the world today? – What does it take to feel generous and righteous enough to offer help to someone who needs it less than we do? Arrogance, maybe? How is arrogance a form of blindness? “I think you need to go to counseling!” or “You’re obviously wrong!” or “Now, if you would just take my advice…!” and so on.
Who in our world in acting out of arrogance today? Who is assuming they have all the answers? How do you or other listeners feel when given unsolicited advice from someone with egg on their face? Are you apt to take the advice from them? Does your own arrogance partially blind you from feedback that, although unwanted, might really be helpful? What is the source of arrogance? When we get too sure of ourselves, isn’t that when learning grinds to a halt? As a counseling intern, I once heard a psychiatrist tell a very stubborn client, “When you have to be right about everything, it makes learning very painful!” But sometimes being right is so important, and being wrong is so dangerous, that we begin to feel we HAVE to be RIGHT.

How is this story my story? – Jesus, guard me against becoming too sure about anything, even you. I don’t want to stop learning, even when it hurts. May it be so.

The Daily Lectionary is a free service of the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). To learn more,
visit http://www.pcusa.org/devotions/lectionary/index.htm.

Hosea 4: 11-19 A People Without Understanding

Hosea 4:11-19 A People Without Understanding

[11] Wine and new wine take away the understanding. [12] My people consult a piece of wood, and their divining rod gives them oracles. For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have played the whore, forsaking their God. [13] They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and make offerings upon the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is good.

Therefore your daughters play the whore, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery. [14] I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery; for the men themselves go aside with whores, and sacrifice with temple prostitutes; thus a people without understanding comes to ruin.

What is happening in this scripture? – After Solomon’s reign, the people of Israel found themselves in a culture full of diversity and choices. Solomon had married many wives, political deals, so to speak, and the texts tell us that he was very liberal about building altars, temples, etc for the other gods of his many wives. The fear was about apostasy, or the watering down of the true faith and the turning away from God’s commandment to have no other gods before me. Eventually the kings that followed, in succession were almost all guilty of this apostasy.
The writers of Hosea probably wrote about the reign of King Jeroboam, but it could have been any of a number of kings who allowed other faiths to bring their gods and idols into the culture. Some scholars believe that Hosea’s wife, Gomer, truly was unfaithful to him and he used this event to symbolize what he saw as the state of Israel.. By now the northern and southern kingdoms had formed. The texts tell us in 1st Kings that God caused Jeroboam’s royal line to die and his kingdom to fall apart.
The prophet says wine and new wine take away understanding. He says his people consult a piece of wood for a god. They depend upon divining rods for signs and guidance. He then says a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have played the whore, forsaking their God. It is clear that Hosea uses the definition of whore to mean someone who has betrayed a sacred trust or vow. He sarcastically says the people make sacrifice on mountain tops, hills, and under oaks, poplars, and terebinth, because their shade is good. Hosea ridicules the shallowness and comfort seeking, drama seeking people who have turned their worship into matters of show and convenience. He rages against the worship of nature and the emptiness of their gods and their worship. Hosea sees this adulterated religion as the source of the sexual adultery of the young women, including the married women, or daughters in law. But he says it is not their blame, but rather the men who take prostitutes and whores for their companions. He ends with what he begins: Thus a people without understanding comes to ruin.

How is this happening in the world today? – How can we know what is right when we don’t know who we are, or where we came from? How can trust and develop consistency in life when we break the promises and covenants we have made with others who depend upon our being honest and dependable? No one is perfect, and we all make mistakes, but Hosea is speaking here of people who are making selfish, conscious decisions to be unfaithful; to put their personal pleasure before all else, even their God and their life partners. There is a spiritual hunger in this country. People are searching for God, and they are leaving churches and looking in New Age Philosophies, altered states of consciousness offered by designer drugs, gambling, sports, addictions, sexual promiscuity, or falling in love with power and the ladder of success.
Why are they not looking towards the traditional churches? Some church services look more like concerts and “The God Show” than worship these days. Why is that?
Are we trading easy, feel good religion for the authentic questions that haunt us, that have haunted us since our birth? Is this the way we run away from a real relationship with the God in whom we live and move and have our being? Where is the solemnity, and as Tillich put it, where is the embarrassment? Where is the reverence? Does gathering at the house of the Lord God look any different than The Tonight Show? It should.
How many of us really study our legacy? Do we know what we are talking about, or are we just repeating the words of some charismatic speaker? Whose relationship with God are we having?

11] Wine and new wine take away the understanding. [13] They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and make offerings upon the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is good.

How is this story my story? – Lord, I know we change. Our cultures change, our fashions change, our customs, slowly, change. But you are steadfast Lord. You are the great un-nameable, un-exploitable one. When we call out to you, when we pray to you Lord, keep us humble and ignorant. We do NOT have all the answers Lord. Help us to remember that faithfulness to you means faithfulness to justice and to love, even when the shade is not good. Help us to be still and know Lord. May it be so.

Luke 6: 1-11 Another Way to Live

Luke 6:1-11 Another Way to Live

[1] One sabbath while Jesus was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. [2] But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?" [3] Jesus answered, "Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? [4] He entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave some to his companions?" [5] Then he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath."

[6] On another sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. [7] The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. [8] Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come and stand here." He got up and stood there. [9] Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?" [10] After looking around at all of them, he said to him, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was restored. [11] But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to
Jesus.

What is happening in this scripture? – The author of Luke-Acts continues in this chapter to present Jesus’ defiance of one group of Pharisees in his day who seem more interested in their strict interpretations of the Torah than in the needs of the people who look to them for help. By now, Herod and others are very Romanized. The power of Rome that ensures peace and a booming economy is easy to follow. Unfortunately, the distribution of wealth, food, hence life itself, was not egalitarian. The absent tenant farming system by then required that an entire class of cheap laborers be readily available for those fortunate ones who slowly, through foreclosures and taxes, had taken over the land. Because the land was taken, so was the food. Even the fishing boats were controlled now by tariffs and taxes. Mom and Pop business was quickly fading away. Sound familiar?
The point is that the system evolved into something you couldn’t fight, and even the temple authorities supported it by being enamored with the letter of the Torah, instead of the spirit of the Torah. Jesus had a plan though.
Jesus decided to fight the system, using God’s reign, and the common history of his people to non-violently oppose the lack of economic justice which Rome depended on.
Here, in these scriptures, we see Jesus answering those who are looking for a way to use the law to persecute Jesus and put an end to his challenges. Jesus scholar Dominic Crossan says that the normalcy of civilization killed Jesus. He said that one of the purposes of civilization is to find ways to get around the expectations that our gods, or God, place before us. Where are the exceptions? Where are the loopholes?
Jesus tells them, the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. Some think he was talking about himself. Others believe this term was used to indicate the quintessential man, or the common man. In that case, we can see why this group of temple elite were furious with him. Imagine if Jesus said, The people are Lord of the Sabbath, not the other way around. In other words, “You guys are servants of the people, and you seem to have forgotten that!” They want to argue and Jesus will have none of it. He brings them back to the simple truths: God is in charge. These are God’s people. This is God’s temple. If God’s people are hungry, let them eat. Don’t get in the way of God’s people and their food (their life!).

How is this happening in the world today? – What do we do with this today? How do we make life available to all of God’s people? We know God’s power, where is his justice? Whose job is it to usher that justice in? How would God’s justice look now, economically, politically, socially, spiritually? They killed Jesus for trying to do this. They would probably kill us too. So, what can we do? What can Christ’s church do?

How is this story my story? – Jesus, when I study you, what you ask me to do scares me to death! I know if I curse the darkness that is a huge waste of time, but there is so much darkness. Explain to me Lord why 5 little Amish girls are shot and killed in their little one room school house? Explain to me how their parents can forgive? And yet I am told they have. Jesus, I have a long long way to go. And yet, you call to me Lord. You call to me. Help me find my courage and strength Lord. I need it. We all do.

The Daily Lectionary is a free service of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). To learn more, visit http://www.pcusa.org/devotions/lectionary/index.htm.

Luke 5:12-13 Then Jesus Stretched Out His Hand...

Luke 5: 12-13

12] Once, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean." [13] Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do choose.
Be made clean." Immediately the leprosy left him.

What is happening in this scripture? – Luke tells stories of Jesus’ healing. Jesus was once in one of the cities and a man was covered with leprosy. He didn’t just have leprosy, he was covered with it. When he saw Jesus, the man bowed his face to the ground, and begged him, Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean. The text says that then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, I do choose. Be made clean. And the leprosy left him.
What catches me the most about this poignant powerful text: The man was covered with leprosy. He bowed with his face to the ground (probably lying prostrate upon the dirt, as low as you can get), and doesn’t ask Jesus, he begs Jesus. But he begs by making a statement of faith. Addressing Jesus as Lord, he says, “If you choose, you can make me clean!” Then, dramatically, in a move that took only a second, but somehow forever, for the space between other people and the leper had been infinite, Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and chose to do so. Jesus made the man clean by touching him.
Again, with Luke, we can stop at the surface, or we can go deeper. If we go deeper, which is what I usually prefer, Jesus chooses to do three things: (1) stretch out his hand, (this is a creative act of power, God power, reminiscent of God creating the world in Genesis, and of Moses, stretching out his staff); (2) Touch him (Unheard of! No one would touch a leper! They were, well, UN-touchable. How would it feel for you to be un-touchable?  How cut off and isolated would you feel? How lonely and hopeless and alone?; and (3) By touching him, he made him clean. Once again, Jesus crosses forbidden boundaries, and in so doing, he heals. And he does so because he chooses, consciously to do it. Immediately, says Luke, the illness leaves.

How is this happening in the world today?-- Some questions for us: Who are the ones covered with leprosy today? Who is bowing their heads and begging? What do you know of being a leper, untouchable, and blamed for your illness? The leper does one thing differently from any of the other days he had lived: He told Jesus that he knew he could heal him if he chose. He called out to God. What needs healing in us these days? Are we calling out to Jesus? Do we believe he can heal us? Do you believe he would choose to? Why or why not?

How is this my story? – Lord, I am covered with sickness. All of us in this world are covered with sickness. It is all around us. Are we too proud to bow before you? Do we refuse to participate in our healing? You stretch out your hand to us Lord. You are waiting, waiting to touch us. You choose to make us clean Lord. What will we choose to do?

Bible Study and the Sound of God

Bible Study and The Sound of God


It says in Genesis that God made such and such, and saw that it was good. This essential goodness in all that God created, he saw; untainted so to speak. I really am provoked to thought by those lines; because it feels like the more I seek, mostly through these past few years of bible study, the more clear a vision of God is emerging for me. These stories we read and discuss and discover: they are about God. They are about you and me, and our relationship with God, but more importantly, with God through each other. These stories were told for hundreds of years to groups of people, before they were written. These stories were meant to be heard, not just read silently. They still are. For God to be heard, he needs a voice. For God to have a voice, he needs to be heard. This is relationship.
We read these stories about how God spoke directly to these people. What if God speaks directly to us now, to you, and to me? What if the only difference is that those people expected and believed that God could and did speak to them? What if they knew how to listen?
In our post-modern world, we are so convinced that God doesn’t do that anymore. Maybe we have forgotten how to hear God’s voice. In our culture, if someone says “God spoke to me” it’s either a television evangelist who is getting ready to ask us to dig deep into our pockets, or to justify some political position he has taken, that we shy away from even the possibility that God could and would speak to us, individually, like a person would, or speak to us by manifesting into everything we see and touch and feel.
What if God is always right there, in front of us, in the sounds we hear; the sounds of our everyday lives, the ticking of the clock, the pitter patter of rain, the click of the little oscillating fan in the office, or the muffled background noises in our buildings; the rush of traffic, and even in the sound of people fighting? What if we heard God calling to us in the horrible explosions of bombs, the popping sounds of rifles being fired, and the pain and agony of people slowly dying of some senseless stupid violence? What if God is talking to us, in the voices of our children, our neighbors, those in need, even those who are angry with us? If we heard God in those sounds, perhaps we would realize that he is often in agony, in our midst.
Maybe we take our images of God and clean them up too much; make them pleasant and sweet. There is certainly nothing wrong with wanting God to sound pleasant and sweet, but that is only one side of our lives, and it seems to me that when we need to hear God the most is when there is absolutely nothing pleasant and sweet going on. Maybe we think God has abandoned us because we always want God to sound a certain way. Jesus was called Immanuel, or “God with us”. If God is truly with us, all the time, then God is with us through it all. It is not a matter of having no place to hide. That would make God the great cosmic spy, constantly bugging us. But if this is God’s world, and we are the tenants, and part also of his creation, then how can we ever be away from God? If sin means estrangement, then when we sin, we stop listening and stop looking at God. That makes sense to me.
In my bible study over the past several years, what I have come to realize is that these stories are indeed about us, you and me; that this is God’s world, and that it if we are in a companion relationship with God, then one of our missions is to witness his grace and his love and to share that with others. I used to think that witnessing was about converting, and I shyed away from that word. What I realized witnessing to be now is that I have the priviledge, the honor, and the reverent joy to observe the wonder of God’s creative power, his justice, his patience, his love, and his grace. I know I use that word grace a lot, but I can’t get away from it. It keeps cropping up. I feel, can almost see lines converging, and the faint outlines of what Jesus called the Kingdom of God is coming into clarity. It’s not some eternal afterlife, although that may be a part of it; I’ll just have to wait on that one, leave that up to God. Rather, it is here and now, present and eternal in a vertical direction.
And it is as close as this time honored tradition:

Let me tell you a story.

The words of the Lord. Thanks be to God. -RSP

Luke 5:4-11 Go Away From Me, Lord!

Luke 5: 4-11 Go Away From Me Lord….

[4] When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." [5] Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." [6] When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. [7] So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them.
And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. [8] But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." [9] For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; [10] and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. [11] When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Last evening a study group I facilitate was studying the stories of Abraham and Sarah, and the stories of Lot. We were discussing the hospitality that Abraham and Lot had extended, on two separate occasions to messengers of God. Abraham had killed the fatted calf and brought out the best of what he had for the three strangers. Later when they traveled to visit Lot in the village, he protected the three strangers from a rabid crowd who wanted him to give them the strangers for sexual sport and assault. Two of the questions we were working with were,
What do we do when hospitality is extended to us ? and Why do we extend or not extend hospitality to others? We were connecting our answers to these questions to the reality of God’s hospitality, or blessings, to Abraham and Sarah, Lot and his family, and to us. In Luke 5:8 it says this, after Simon had pulled in more fish than he could handle at Jesus’ direction: But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!"
Has anyone ever given you a really nice, generous gift? How did you feel? How did you react? Most of us would feel really uncomfortable. How many times have you heard, especially at Christmas time, “Oh, but I didn’t give you anything!” It embarrasses us; sometimes we get ashamed, or even resentful.
We humans make a mess of gift giving. Nowadays we even tell others specifically what we want them to give us, like a catalogue order filler. We’ve taken the joy and surprise out of gift giving, perhaps because we don’t want to feel obligated or we simply don’t know what to do with the gift. Peter tells Jesus, when he realizes what he has done for him, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”
Jesus offered Peter abundance, generosity, overflowing boats of food and potential income. And Peter couldn't handle it. What did Jesus then say to Simon Peter? “Do not be afraid.” Jesus knew the feeling coming from Peter, and from all of us, when confronted with authentic generosity or love: the emotion of FEAR.
We are afraid, but of what? Obligation, unpaid debt? Fear that the giver will use the unbalanced scale to manipulate us through guilt? One of my group members admitted she often doesn’t’ feel she has EARNED the generosity. And there lies the rub, especially with God. If love is a gift from God, and if generosity is a form of love, are we not expressing our fear of love? Jesus is God’s manifestation of God’s free gift of grace and he asks us to repeat it, to do likewise. Otherwise, it stops with Jesus. What has to happen inside of us to learn how to accept God’s love and generosity, unearned? But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." You want to give me something in return, Peter? Don’t let fear stop you, or the fear of being unworthy because of your sin. From now on, Peter, you will be catching people! Questions for all of us: “Who would you like to catch? What fear is stopping you?” How are you asking Jesus to go away from you, because you are sinful? How is Jesus calling out for you to be not afraid?