For All the Saints Luke 6:20-31

This past week Halloween was observed. A few little Spidermen and dinosaurs braved the cold and rain to stop at the door for candy. They are probably enjoying their bounty now as I write these words. There is also another observance that will be done at worship on Sunday. Halloween got its name from “All Hallows Eve” which is the night before we recognize the saints on All Saints Day. We remember those martyred for the faith. We remember those faithful ones who were amazing examples of the faith to us. Each passing year my list of those who have died has grown. I miss them. I am thankful for them because of the great hope they have passed on to me.

This Sunday names will be read and candles will be lit to honor the saints. The saints who taught us in Sunday school. The grandparents who drove us to worship. Those who showed us how to face death with a living hope of a resurrection to come in Christ Jesus. The saints who walked among the terror, hate, violence, greed of this world and refused to surrender to its alluring manipulation. Their faith kept pointing to Christ and the kingdom of God where the pain, the sickness and death will be no more. The reading from Luke lists people the world thinks are a bunch of losers. The poor, hungry and excluded are called the blessed by God because their hope is kept in Christ and the kingdom.

The saints are simply those forgiven by God in Christ. Their lives are an expression of that new life forgiveness grants. By the grace of God, we too are the forgiven in Christ and numbered among the saints as well. It is now up to us to pass this blessing on to others. My writing is a little shorter today. Take the extra time to say a prayer of thanks for the saints who blessed you.

Peace.

Determined Prayer Luke 18:1-8

Prayer and the religious life go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. Vitality of one increases the other. We have our own prayer times and routines. We pray for others and ourselves. We pray for health. We pray for wisdom. We say prayers that reflect our thankfulness. We pray for the well being of creation. Again, we pray for these things in the lives of others as well as ourselves. So for Jesus to talk about prayer shouldn’t surprise us. Also for Jesus to connect prayer and faith shouldn’t be that surprising either.

As we look at the headlines of the world, what do we so often see? We see images of refugees fleeing brutal regimes, poverty and war. We see the powerful doing just about what ever they want without being held accountable for their actions. We see the weak so often being used with few coming to their defense. What does a life of prayer have to offer in a world like this?

Jesus is telling of a widow seeking justice from an unresponsive judge. This judge has no respect for anyone, not even God. Concern for the widow has strong support in Scripture and so the judge’s behavior is even all the more shocking. However, the widow will not be denied justice. While the reading describes the judge giving into the widow because of her pestering or bothering him, the meaning is far closer to her giving the judge, ‘a black eye.’ The widow was not passive in seeking justice. She would not be stopped even in the face of an unjust world. The life of prayer isn’t passive either.

The world may be slow to bring justice or even seek it. The message from the reading is that God is very different from this world. God will listen and respond quickly to his chosen ones who cry out day and night. This Jesus connects to his finding faith when he returns. Faith is fully believing that God and his kingdom have a strongly contrasting understanding of justice to the injustice we know full well. Prayer is not a passive but aggressive pursuing of God’s justice to come. Even, if it means giving the injustice of the world ‘a black eye.’ As Jesus taught us all to pray, “…thy kingdom come, thy will be done…”

The life of prayer is a privilege to know that God listens and responds. It is a privilege to be given the opportunity to bare the soul to God and know that we’ll find grace and justice. So take advantage of the life of prayer. When it comes to praying for God’s justice to be known, be like the widow and be unrelenting even to the point of giving the world’s injustice ‘a black eye.’

Peace.

More Faith, Please! Luke 17:5-10

This past week Amber Guyger was sentenced to prison for the shooting death of Botham Jean. By now, many of us have seen the picture of Botham’s younger brother, Brandt, give her a forgiving hug at the sentencing. We find Brandt’s act of grace inspiring. What an amazing act of faith to show the redemptive nature of forgiveness. Deep down we wonder how we would respond if we were forced to face the same experience. Would our faith hold up in the same way?

The reading begins with the apostles asking Jesus, “Increase our faith!” Jesus tells them if they had the faith of a small mustard seed, they could command a mulberry tree to be uprooted and planted in the sea and it would obey. So often we look at faith as having the power to accomplish great things. The reality is that we need faith more for ordinary life. “Increase our faith!” is the plea as we work to be supportive of a family member having a terminal illness. “Increase my faith!” is the plea if facing that terminal illness. “Increase our faith!” is also the prayer as we try to forgive when our ego has been bruised.

Jesus had just warned the apostles about sin that gets in the way of another person’s faith. If another sins against you seven times in one day and repents, and asks for forgiveness each time, forgive them. This is where the apostles ask for more faith. Jesus went on to say that this is simply doing what is expected of us. An act of faith is more than accomplishing dynamic moments to awe others. Faith is doing the hard work of restoring a broken friendship. Faith is moving beyond the bruised ego to accept another person’s repentance. Faith is so much a part of living out relationships. Our relationship with God was so central in Jesus’ teaching, crucifixion and resurrection.

How was Brandt Jean capable of showing such grace in that forgiving hug with Amber Guyger? Faith. Thankfully, few of us are put in situations where faith is challenged like the Jean family. Yet, each day we face situations where forgiveness is needed and broken relationships restored. Restoration and the redemption of relationships is so much a part of following Christ. For each and everyday, “Increase our faith” needs to be our prayer.

Peace.

Value of Money Luke 16:1-13

Money is a part of life. Nothing shocking about that statement. Money is needed to pay the rent and buy groceries. We donate money to support those organizations that we value for the work they do. Politics seems to be getting more and more dependent upon it and the influence gained is troublesome. Money gives us status. The car and house and boat and jewelry, etc. it buys makes people take notice. Money in many ways is power to be used for good or harm. Jesus is talking about money. He advises us to be wise regarding its use because money will either serve us and God’s kingdom or we will serve it.

Jesus told a parable. A man was placed in a crisis because he was about to lose his job. His status was changing from being a manager to hard physical work or begging and neither was what he wanted for his life. So he summoned his boss’s debtors and changed the financial books. The result was they were now indebted to him. In the end the man was still jobless but the boss praised him for his shrewdness. Jesus also seems to praise the man as well. So what gives?

Again, money is needed to purchase necessities and housing. Money also gives influence and power. Money is status. There are some people who understand this very well. Jesus commends the children of this age for knowing this better than the children of light. This is all about faithfulness with the wealth that we are given in life and knowing how to use it to further the kingdom of God.

Money can be used to keep people in slavery and indebtedness. Do we know how it can be used to set people free? Money can be used to the advantage of the powerful. Do we know how it can be used so the weak can find justice? Money can be used to exacerbate our desire for more. Do we know how it can be used to help those who don’t have enough? Money can be used to establish our importance. Do we know how it can be used to elevate the value of others?

Jesus wants us to know the real value of money. What is important falls under the category of faithfulness. What is important is to know who in the end we are going to serve.

Peace.

What??? Jesus is anti-family Luke 14:25-35

The words of Jesus are harsh, maybe too harsh for our ears to hear. Family is so central to what we are in life. What politician doesn’t carry the banner of being pro-family? Any organization seeking new members wants to be seen as supportive of family and uses family events as part of their recruitment efforts. Family Values may be a rallying cry but families do struggle trying to hold all things together. The addiction to screen time on the phone takes away family attentiveness to each other. Sports teams and other activities pull families in different directions trying to keep up with loyalty demands. Now Jesus is talking about hating family…hating life…the need to take up our cross to be his disciple…sell all possessions to be his disciple.

Jesus is inviting one and all to sit down and sort through the demands of discipleship. He is asking us to weigh the consequences of choosing a different way of life that he is modeling for us. The current way of life is consumed with possessions. We possess the things we purchase. We think we can possess people by seeking to control spouse, children, parents, etc. Life is something we assume that can be owned. In the end, we are possessed by things we think we control. This we call life. However, Jesus is telling us to give up possessions.

Jesus is inviting us to a different way of life called discipleship. Jesus is personally on his way to Jerusalem where he will find a cross in his future. The cross meant death for him in this world’s terms but to the glory of the Father, Jesus was raised to life in God’s terms. Jesus is telling us we must also take up the cross if we are to find life in God’s terms as well.

Will this cause a scowl as the phone is put down? Absolutely. Will there be division in the family over priorities? Of course. Is the coach going to be angry? You bet. Are you going to reconsider job and career goals? Very likely. Are you going to examine how you participate and support the ways that bring about injustice or violence to others or creation? For sure. How about ‘hating’ the ways of this world to know life as God gives — this is the cost that must be considered.

Jesus’ words are harsh to hear regarding the cost of discipleship. Yet to take up the cross is to discover family and life in a whole new way — God’s terms. For this, we must all weigh the cost.

Peace.

Social Etiquette Luke 14:1, 7-14

If you have ever been to a wedding reception, you know that there are assigned seats for guests at the meal. The main table is reserved for the wedding couple and their wedding attendants. Closer tables are reserved for the immediate family. There is nothing unusual here. This is how formal dinners function. The seats of greater honor are determined by relationship (family, business, etc.) to the host. If you don’t want to be embarrassed, then don’t sit in the wrong seat of importance.

Jesus was invited to a meal at a prominent Pharisee’s home. He recognized that the guests sat according to relationship with the host. Jesus then gave some advice on social etiquette. Don’t take a seat too high in status or you’ll be asked to take a lower seat, wouldn’t that be embarrassing? Instead take a lower place and when moved up, you’ll be honored. His advice wasn’t surprising, this is how our social connections work. We socialize with people like us. We use formal social events to get attention, conduct business, further spread our networking and define our place. Nothing unusual here. Then Jesus used the dinner party to get theological. He gave advice for social etiquette for the Kingdom of heaven.

When having a party, don’t invite guests that will build your business or define your status in the community. Instead, invite the poor and crippled and lame and blind. The very people who have nothing to offer in return. Why? They are people of value in God’s kingdom. Jesus takes our understanding of how relationships work and flips them upside down. Under God’s reign, relationships aren’t about using others for our gain but for grace to be shown. This is how our relationship with God is expressed, by how we live life now under his rules defining value. At the ‘resurrection of the righteous,’ God will decide the positions of honor at heaven’s banquet. Once more, Jesus takes life in a totally different direction by his teaching and how he lived life by the kingdom.

Peace.

A Sabbath Rest Luke 13:10-17

What is the Sabbath for? The word really means rest. So how are we to rest on the Sabbath (what we know as Sunday)? A day for sleeping in. Play a round of golf. A relaxing morning with coffee cup in hand. Watch the ball game. Attend a church service. Eat brunch at a favorite restaurant. A day to refrain from working. What is the Sabbath for? In the Ten Commandments we are told to ‘remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.’ Once more, what is the Sabbath for? The reading from Luke has Jesus giving a whole new spin on the Sabbath.

A spirit has left a woman crippled for the past eighteen years leaving her bent over and and unable to stand up straight. Jesus releases her from the infirmity. Set free, she stands up for the first time in eighteen years and praises God. Jesus was in trouble with the leader of the synagogue because this was the Sabbath. Why? The Sabbath was for rest and not for work. Jesus could have done the healing on a different day instead of violating the Sabbath’s command. However, Jesus called the leader and all on their hypocrisy. On the Sabbath, animals are led to water to be freed from their thirst and this is work. Shouldn’t she, a daughter of Abraham, be set free from Satan’s bondage? Now we are getting to Jesus’ point on the Sabbath.

Deuteronomy 5 directly connects observing the Sabbath to liberation from slavery in Egypt. The Sabbath was for liberating all from slave, servant, immigrant to animal from labor so they may find rest as God found rest from the work of creation on the seventh day. Jesus was living this out as he set the woman free and now fully free she could worship and give praise to God.

We are like this woman. A spirit seems to have crippled us. We are unable to fully observe the Sabbath. How? We are crippled by our refusal to recognize our pollution, waste and damage to God’s amazing creation. We are crippled by our prejudice and hate. We are crippled by our economics that reward only a few. We are crippled by our demand for power over others. We are all crippled and under bondage unable to fully praise the One who is our maker.

So how do we observe the Sabbath? Repentance is a good start. A repentance from the ways we keep those who also share in the image of God and the rest of creation under bondage. A repentance that admits we are in bondage to a spirit that keeps us all from being fully human and fully able to worship God. As Jesus was pointing out, the Sabbath is for all to know the liberation that allows all creation to be fully alive to sing the praises of God. This is what the Sabbath is for.

Peace.

Jesus against peace? Against family? Luke 12:49-56

Peace. We all want peace. We want peace in our family relationships. We want peace within our neighborhoods and towns. We want to peaceably go about our lives without the worry of violence. We want Jesus to give us the peace we seek. Unfortunately for us, this peace is not what Jesus is talking about in this reading. Instead he is talking about division, even in our most valued relationships of family.

So what gives? Why can’t we have what we want? Why won’t Jesus give us what we want? Jesus said he came to bring division instead of peace. He wanted to bring fire upon the earth and couldn’t wait for it to be lit. This doesn’t sound much like peace. The fire is the active presence of God establishing the kingdom’s presence over everyone. When God’s rule of forgiveness and mercy comes into contact with our understanding of peace, we start building crosses.

The trouble with wanting peace is that we want peace on our terms. We want peace that comes with being in control. We want peace where we have the power. We want the peace that prefers us over them. If we don’t get the peace we want, we blame our spouses, parents, neighbors, immigrants, those of a different race, the other political party. In reality this isn’t peace, it is abuse and violence of the powerful against the weak. This is not the peace that Jesus has come to support.

If we seek peace then we have two choices. One is the fake peace of violence, abuse and crosses. The other is the peace that comes from God who raised the crucified Jesus to life. This is the real peace that brings life in the place of death. This kind of peace asks of us to repent and seek the ways of the kingdom of God. We die to the old ways of violence and crosses so God can bring a new life that is peace. This change is going to be met with division, even within family.

Jesus called those in attendance a bunch of hypocrites. They could tell by the wind patterns if it was going to rain or bring a hot day. Yet, they could see what Jesus was doing and teaching but not recognize the action of God bringing his rule, his kingdom to the earth. The great challenge for us is to look at the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and see the work of God bringing his kingdom to us. This is the hard work of seeking peace on God’s terms.

Peace.

Mary, the nonconformist Luke 10:38-42

We have all had moments when pressured to conform. Maybe our group of friends seems to have a political viewpoint that we don’t agree. Yet we keep quiet, conform, so we don’t risk losing their friendship. Maybe we belong to an organization that has altered its goals which were too much of a change. We conform because we don’t want to be left on the outside looking in. We all have known a time when pressured to conform.

The story of Mary and Martha seems on the surface to be about Martha working too hard and Mary preferring to listen to Jesus’ words. Mary comes out on top receiving support from Jesus. However, there is more going on than merely overworking or resting.

Martha was doing nothing wrong being a good hostess. She had invited Jesus into her home. Hospitality was the cultural expectation in those days. Martha was fulfilling the cultural demands required of her. Mary wasn’t helping with the hostess work. Martha may have also been calling Mary into conformity.

Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening to his teaching. Women did not sit at the feet of a teacher. Men sat at the feet of a teacher. Men would later pass on the information they wished to share. Mary violated the cultural boundaries for gender of her time. You know what? Jesus preferred Mary’s perspective. There would be plenty of time for Martha to fulfill her hostess duties. There are times when a person needs to step outside of cultural demands to hear what Jesus has to say. What we learn from him won’t be taken away from us.

We have all had times when pressured to conform to culture. The topic list is huge from race to immigration, religion, politics, how to spend money, what to eat, gender roles, etc. Yet if we want to listen to what Jesus has to say we need to be at times like Mary, a non-conformist. We need to cross the boundary lines so we can listen. What we learn will never be taken away from us. We have Christ and the kingdom.

Peace.

Peace: accepted or rejected Luke 10:1-20

A couple points to consider.

First, are you at peace? This isn’t a trick question. Are you at peace?

Secondly, how does peace relate to your place in the kingdom of God?

Peace seems really in short supply today. The struggle to find peace is ongoing without a whole lot of success. The search for peace leads us to try practices like meditation or something called ‘being in the moment.’ These practices along with others can help us feel more relaxed and push off the stressors in life for a while but when you get cut off in traffic…you are hotly corrected for having the wrong political views…the boss expects more while offering less support…peace disappears. Our struggle for peace continues because we don’t quite understand how to make it happen. Peace doesn’t come by denying reality. Peace doesn’t come by having the biggest army. Peace is a gift and a gift comes through grace. Grace is an expression of kindness, a love that is given without merit or worth. Grace is hard to find in our polarized world. No wonder peace is so rare.

Jesus was sending out seventy followers with the instruction to offer their peace wherever they went. Their peace was directly related to being a part of the kingdom of God. Prior to this, Jesus rebuked James and John for wanting to destroy a Samaritan town with fire from heaven because the village wouldn’t receive them. Jesus was now giving a strongly different idea about being an emissary for the kingdom of God.

Jesus sent out seventy to the surrounding area where he was about to go. The first thing they were to do upon entering a town was to offer their peace. If their peace was rejected, the town wasn’t rejecting them but God. The response was not to destroy the town but to wipe off the dust from their feet. Since God was the one being rejected, God will deal with them.

If their peace was accepted, they were to stay at that home and enjoy the hospitality offered. The seventy were not to move from house to house. In other words, they were not to manipulate and play one home against another for their personal benefit. Rather they were to stay at the one place and receive the homeowners gracious hospitality. Do you know what happens when grace is met by grace? This is where the kingdom of God can be called near and peace is found.

The seventy returned excited over the ways that the kingdom’s presence was evidenced. Jesus commented that he saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Amazing how something as simple as an offering of peace, an expression of grace can undercut the essence of evil. What Jesus wanted them to celebrate wasn’t witnessing to the evidence of the kingdom but being secure of their place in God’s kingdom.

Does peace seem to be in short supply? Then share your peace. If it is received then both sides will graciously know that the kingdom of God is near. This is truly something to celebrate.

Peace