Luke didn’t have to mention the decree in his story. None of the other Gospel writers mention it. But Luke is also the author of Acts, which introduces us to Paul, who ultimately travels to Rome and establishes a church there. The Gospel of Luke has a purpose, and one of those purposes is to show us that it is possible to live a life of faith within the restraints of a powerful and authoritative government.
At this point, I know, it’s easy and perhaps fair to protest that while God may indeed know our needs, certainly many – far too many! – needs go unmet in this world. But I wonder: is the poverty that characterizes too much of our world caused by God not providing enough resources or is it a result of too many of us hoarding and misusing these resources because we are dominated by a sense of scarcity and inadequacy?
Today’s scripture reminds us that interpretation of the law has always been difficult for humanity. We have never been of one mind. However, if we filter our interactions through the lens of love, it is possible to arrive at a consensus. What we put into the world is part of the ongoing creation of the world.
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Luke didn’t have to mention the decree in his story. None of the other Gospel writers mention it. But Luke is also the author of Acts, which introduces us to Paul, who ultimately travels to Rome and establishes a church there. The Gospel of Luke has a purpose, and one of those purposes is to show us that it is possible to live a life of faith within the restraints of a powerful and authoritative government.
At this point, I know, it’s easy and perhaps fair to protest that while God may indeed know our needs, certainly many – far too many! – needs go unmet in this world. But I wonder: is the poverty that characterizes too much of our world caused by God not providing enough resources or is it a result of too many of us hoarding and misusing these resources because we are dominated by a sense of scarcity and inadequacy?
Today’s scripture reminds us that interpretation of the law has always been difficult for humanity. We have never been of one mind. However, if we filter our interactions through the lens of love, it is possible to arrive at a consensus. What we put into the world is part of the ongoing creation of the world.
As we recognize our Saints on All Saints Sunday, it's important for us to remember on All Saints Sunday that the faithfulness and legacy of those who have gone before us has not been in vain. Saints are the people who God shines through. Each saint shows us a different part of God.
When Jesus challenges him with the question, “What do you want me to do for you?” I think Bartimaeus surprises the crowd by saying, “Teacher, let me see again.” I think they probably expected him to say, “Don’t you see that I am blind? Give me food. Give me money. I’ve heard that you can do anything.” He was a beggar, after all.
Today’s scriptures call us to a level of sacrificial living that most of us never truly experience. Our modern world is somewhat different than the ancient world, because it is possible to have wealth and be generous at the same time. When we read this passage and apply it to our modern lifestyles, we discover that although most of us seek opportunities in which we can redistribute or share our wealth by making donations to organizations and ministries that we identify as making a difference, these donations can be ongoing because our level of wealth can be maintained, making it possible to make donations over and over again.
A lot of people believe that inheriting eternal life is like walking a tightrope, and it is in a way, but not in the way that most people think. The common attitude seems to be that as long as a person stays focused on their goal and doesn’t make any mistakes, he or she will be ok with God. The rich young man in our Gospel thought this way.
The question is, how do we, as modern-day followers of Jesus, reach out to the alienated in our own communities? We begin by filtering our interactions through the lens of kindness. Today’s scripture describes God’s nature as “kind” – especially to those who turn their backs on God’s invitation to be kind. What we put into the world is part of the ongoing creation of the world.
Participating in the kingdom Jesus proclaims is of such importance that we should get rid of anything that keeps us from it. Hands, feet, eyes, whatever inclinations or habits or actions that may keep us from participation in the new community Jesus forms must be put away. All will struggle, Jesus promises, but not all will endure.
For others, though, a great team isn’t necessarily a team that’s going to win, but a great team is a team that all your friends are on. In this case, if you’re a captain, when you start deciding who you’re going to choose to welcome onto your team, you only pick those kids who are going to help you achieve your goal of greatness.
Grace is enough, they claim. But Wesley reminds us that it is because of God’s grace that we are able to have faith, and faith is grounded in our love of God and neighbor. Wesley claims that it is impossible for a person to truly love God and not also love their neighbor. And this is what James is saying also. James wants people to act out the implications of their beliefs.
Ritually clean hands, while rooted in a sound knowledge of the law, need to be the starting point of their faith, not the sum of it. According to Jesus, it’s what we do, the words we use and the way we behave that determines whether we are clean or defiled.
The challenge here is to those of us who already consider ourselves disciples. Jesus keeps stretching our faith. Jesus keeps saying, “You have come this far, come a little farther. You have committed this much, commit a little more. You love these people, now open your arms to these people.
But can we really give thanks for all things at all times in a world that, even though God may be gathering up (or has gathered up) all things in Christ, still hasn’t fully realized that redemption? Do we have to forget all the brokenness in the world and simply give thanks to God for all that is? No. The call to give thanks is not a call to forget but, in fact, to remember. Part of what it means to be children of God is to be attentive to what is possible, even when we can’t clearly see it.
He wasn’t interested in being the bread provider. He wasn’t interested in being King. And he wasn’t interested in making people’s lives easier by providing manna everyday. He wanted us to recognize that in him there is life – an everlasting life. Bread sustains life, but you have to eat it everyday.
When Jesus responds to the people, "What Moses gave you was not the bread from heaven; it is my Father who gives you the real bread from heaven. And this bread, the bread of God, gives life.” The people say to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus had a shadow mission and that was to be a messiah without suffering. That was what the temptation in the dessert was all about. You don’t have to be hungry. Turn these stones into bread. Bow down and worship me (Satan) and I’ll give you this whole world. You don’t have to suffer, just call on the angels to rescue you.
Considering this makes space for the possibility that God actively enlists us in God’s work. This does create the unfortunate, and sometimes tragic, possibility for resistance, certainly, but it also invites our partnership and, in this way, makes holy (to use a Wesleyan word) our daily activities and actions in the world.
But Jesus wanted more for her. He wanted her to have peace. He wanted her to be restored to her community. When he asked, “Who touched me?”, he wanted to have a personal relationship with her so that she could experience the loving nature of the Kingdom of God.
As a result of this inner change, or transformation, a change in behavior occurs. In other words, we begin to treat our neighbors differently. When Sister Helen and Rev. Hood began visiting inmates condemned to death, they were putting this understanding into practice. They did not expect to change the outcomes of the inmates’ death sentences; rather, they hoped that their relationships would bring some peace and help them to experience the grace and compassion of God.
When Jesus listeners first heard this, they must have thought Jesus was being ridiculous. Intentionally planting a mustard seed anywhere near your field would be downright stupid. Not only does the seed start out small and grow really big, but the seed also spreads rapidly – much like a weed. In only one season mustard plants would have spread so prolifically that all the other crops would be choked out. It would compare to sowing dandelions or bamboo in the middle of our garden or wheat field.
Today’s scripture shows Jesus and his followers taking a risk as they walk through some grain fields and decide to break off the heads of the wheat in order to get something to eat. This occurs on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees are appalled that they would even travel to the grainfields, let alone actually harvest it for a meal.
If you paid attention during earth science, then you know that the air that the dinosaurs breathed is the same air that we are breathing now. It is the same air that Adam and Eve breathed, and it is the same air that Jesus breathed. When Jesus let go of his last breath, God captured it and blessed it and then set it loose on earth. It grew in strength and volume, until it was a mighty wind, which God sent through that upper room in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
The problem is that in today’s world, people spend an awful lot of energy trying to turn the odds to their favor. Waiting on the will of God requires having an awful lot of trust and acceptance. And this isn’t an easy thing because most of us have been betrayed more than once. The good news, though, is that the Lord knows the hearts of God’s people.
