Luke 17:20-37
“Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather” (Luke 17:37). Of all the sayings of Jesus that we might quote on a day to day basis, this is certainly not one of them. I doubt that many kindergarten Sunday School classes have ever been taught this verse. It’s certainly not something we would tell our children as we tuck them in at night. Nor are we apt to use it at the bedside of a hospital patient. (How horribly inappropriate would that be?) So what is this verse doing here in Luke’s gospel, in the “good news” of Jesus Christ?
Actually this verse makes perfect sense. No, it is not appropriate for all times and places, but it is profound in its simplicity and directly on point. The disciples have asked Jesus where the people of God will gather when the end times come. Jesus ignores that question—it’s not really important for them to know that bit of information––and instead warns his followers to be about the work of God here and now, today, because when the time comes they will know it, but it will be too late to put their houses in order.
In his poem “Grass”, Carl Sandburg speaks of the human tendency to forget even the most horrific of events:
Pile the bodies high at Austerlitz and Waterloo,
Shovel them under and let me work--
I am the grass; I cover all….
Two years, ten years, and passengers ask the conductor:
What place is this?
Where are we now?
I am the grass.
Let me work.
Jesus doesn’t want us to forget who we are or whose we are. Jesus doesn’t want us to forget what it is that we are supposed to be doing. Be aware, he says. Bear good fruit in your lives, be about God’s work lest you come to realize someday that the vultures are circling and it is too late. The where and the when are in God’s hands. In the mean time we have important work to do.
Prayer: Lord, help us to be about your work and to trust you and your care for us. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Sown in Peace
James 3:12-4:12
Luke 17:11-19
I wish there was a way to convey the words of our reading from James to those in positions of leadership, especially the ones who have participated in so badly polarizing American and international politics. James already takes a dim view of “the world” (meaning, I believe, those who choose to live outside God’s covenant), but we should experience added distress when we read two verses in particular. “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruit, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace” (James 3:17-18). According to James, God’s wisdom is that which leads us toward all of the blessings we find in true community: purity, peace, gentleness, willingness to yield, mercy, and good fruit. This is how God’s people are called to live, “without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.” In other words, openly, lovingly, with genuine concern for the other. And in the end those who make peace will harvest the righteousness sown in that peace.
Jesus already knew that one of the ten lepers who approached him was a Samaritan, but he healed all of them, including the foreigner (Luke 17:14). Jesus reached across many lines of division: from health to illness, from purity to uncleanliness, from the people of Israel to a foreigner. There was no attempt to exclude, berate, convert, or otherwise dismiss the Samaritan leper. In doing so he demonstrated a community built not on the normal vestiges of nation, culture, etc., but in peace and mercy, gentleness and a willingness to yield, and in a very, very real sense, purity. How blessed our lives would be if we were to follow suit and to live in peace with others, displaying the love of God for all people, and looking forward to the day when righteousness becomes the norm, not the exception.
Prayer: Lord, heal us of our sins so that we may help to share your good news and the promise of your coming kingdom with others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Luke 17:11-19
I wish there was a way to convey the words of our reading from James to those in positions of leadership, especially the ones who have participated in so badly polarizing American and international politics. James already takes a dim view of “the world” (meaning, I believe, those who choose to live outside God’s covenant), but we should experience added distress when we read two verses in particular. “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruit, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace” (James 3:17-18). According to James, God’s wisdom is that which leads us toward all of the blessings we find in true community: purity, peace, gentleness, willingness to yield, mercy, and good fruit. This is how God’s people are called to live, “without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.” In other words, openly, lovingly, with genuine concern for the other. And in the end those who make peace will harvest the righteousness sown in that peace.
Jesus already knew that one of the ten lepers who approached him was a Samaritan, but he healed all of them, including the foreigner (Luke 17:14). Jesus reached across many lines of division: from health to illness, from purity to uncleanliness, from the people of Israel to a foreigner. There was no attempt to exclude, berate, convert, or otherwise dismiss the Samaritan leper. In doing so he demonstrated a community built not on the normal vestiges of nation, culture, etc., but in peace and mercy, gentleness and a willingness to yield, and in a very, very real sense, purity. How blessed our lives would be if we were to follow suit and to live in peace with others, displaying the love of God for all people, and looking forward to the day when righteousness becomes the norm, not the exception.
Prayer: Lord, heal us of our sins so that we may help to share your good news and the promise of your coming kingdom with others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Faith In What?
Luke 17:1-10
According to Luke Jesus’ followers made what most of us would consider to be a fair request: “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). We can’t know for certain what the apostles meant by this, but as usual Jesus presents the whole matter in a new light reminding us that faith requires an object and that if we intend to follow Jesus the object of our faith must be God.
Jesus is clear. Faith isn’t about heading out on our own or trusting in ourselves and our own perspectives. In Luke’s gospel faith says, “not my will, but yours be done” (22:42). Faith says, “your kingdom come” (11:2). Faith is not a spiritual ATM ready to dispense whatever we want. It is the harmony that results when we add our voices to those of the courts of heaven, praising God, and that we find on earth when our actions are those that God wills for us.
Jesus’ reply to the apostles might actually have been this: “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed (and God willed it), you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you (as agents of God’s will)” (17:6 with additions). To whom or to what then are we faithful, ourselves or God, our desires or what God seeks from us? That may be the most important question we ever have to wrestle with.
Prayer: O Lord, increase our faith in you and help us to do your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
According to Luke Jesus’ followers made what most of us would consider to be a fair request: “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). We can’t know for certain what the apostles meant by this, but as usual Jesus presents the whole matter in a new light reminding us that faith requires an object and that if we intend to follow Jesus the object of our faith must be God.
Jesus is clear. Faith isn’t about heading out on our own or trusting in ourselves and our own perspectives. In Luke’s gospel faith says, “not my will, but yours be done” (22:42). Faith says, “your kingdom come” (11:2). Faith is not a spiritual ATM ready to dispense whatever we want. It is the harmony that results when we add our voices to those of the courts of heaven, praising God, and that we find on earth when our actions are those that God wills for us.
Jesus’ reply to the apostles might actually have been this: “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed (and God willed it), you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you (as agents of God’s will)” (17:6 with additions). To whom or to what then are we faithful, ourselves or God, our desires or what God seeks from us? That may be the most important question we ever have to wrestle with.
Prayer: O Lord, increase our faith in you and help us to do your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Undeniable?
Habakkuk 2:1-4, 9-20
Luke 16:19-31
“(Abraham) said to (the rich man), ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead’” (Luke 16:31). These words, spoken by Jesus, make clear the connection between his ministry and the words of prophets like Habakkuk. On the one hand the Hebrew Bible—what we commonly refer to as the Old Testament—was the only scripture that Jesus and the early church had. It guided their lives and helped their understanding of God. But listen again to what Jesus says: “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” Isn’t Jesus really talking about himself here? Is he not pointing ahead to the resurrection and the fact that afterwards many will remain dubious of the gospel? If this is what Jesus is saying—and I’ve got to believe it is—then the connection between him and the prophets is airtight.
Nothing that Jesus does or says should come as a surprise to anyone who takes the prophetic writings seriously. Jesus may represent God’s will in unexpected ways, but he remains truly faithful to God’s word though out. “(T)he earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea,” writes Habakkuk (2:14). In his ministry Jesus did just that, filling the world with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. Even the image of the waters is appropriate as Jesus established the sacrament of baptism as a mark of belonging to God. “Look at the proud!” Habakkuk says. “Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith” (v. 4). Over and over again Jesus makes this same statement. How else could the wealthy man be brought low even as a poor beggar like Lazarus resides with Abraham in eternity (Luke 16:19-31)? How else could the tax collector be justified before God instead of the Pharisee (18:9-14)? How else could Mary, the mother of Jesus, rejoice in God lifting up the poor and hungry (1:46-55)?
If we aren’t willing to hear the words of the prophets and take them to heart, if we aren’t willing to live according to their view of a just and righteous society, if we aren’t willing to give up our greed and instead turn to those in need with generous hearts, then what difference will the resurrection really make in our lives? The proud may assume it is within their own power to determine their fate, says Habakkuk, but only those who begin by trusting faithfully in God called righteous.
Prayer: Lord, help us to live as your people, hearing your word and responding in faithful obedience. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Luke 16:19-31
“(Abraham) said to (the rich man), ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead’” (Luke 16:31). These words, spoken by Jesus, make clear the connection between his ministry and the words of prophets like Habakkuk. On the one hand the Hebrew Bible—what we commonly refer to as the Old Testament—was the only scripture that Jesus and the early church had. It guided their lives and helped their understanding of God. But listen again to what Jesus says: “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” Isn’t Jesus really talking about himself here? Is he not pointing ahead to the resurrection and the fact that afterwards many will remain dubious of the gospel? If this is what Jesus is saying—and I’ve got to believe it is—then the connection between him and the prophets is airtight.
Nothing that Jesus does or says should come as a surprise to anyone who takes the prophetic writings seriously. Jesus may represent God’s will in unexpected ways, but he remains truly faithful to God’s word though out. “(T)he earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea,” writes Habakkuk (2:14). In his ministry Jesus did just that, filling the world with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. Even the image of the waters is appropriate as Jesus established the sacrament of baptism as a mark of belonging to God. “Look at the proud!” Habakkuk says. “Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith” (v. 4). Over and over again Jesus makes this same statement. How else could the wealthy man be brought low even as a poor beggar like Lazarus resides with Abraham in eternity (Luke 16:19-31)? How else could the tax collector be justified before God instead of the Pharisee (18:9-14)? How else could Mary, the mother of Jesus, rejoice in God lifting up the poor and hungry (1:46-55)?
If we aren’t willing to hear the words of the prophets and take them to heart, if we aren’t willing to live according to their view of a just and righteous society, if we aren’t willing to give up our greed and instead turn to those in need with generous hearts, then what difference will the resurrection really make in our lives? The proud may assume it is within their own power to determine their fate, says Habakkuk, but only those who begin by trusting faithfully in God called righteous.
Prayer: Lord, help us to live as your people, hearing your word and responding in faithful obedience. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Pure Religion
James 1:16-27
Generally speaking I am not fond of the book of James. I think it gets awfully close to supporting works righteousness, the idea that we have to earn our salvation through good deeds. As a Calvinist I do not believe I am capable of earning my salvation, but instead am totally dependant on the grace and mercy of God in Jesus Christ. But I also believe we must let the entirety of scripture speak to and challenge us, not just the parts we agree with. For this reason I think that James offers an interesting definition of religion in today’s reading. “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father,” we read, “is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:27).
On the one hand this seems fairly straightforward. Pure religion requires pure actions: helping others and refraining from the world. But really there is a great deal here about relationships, too. Those who would live in right relationship with God (“religion that is pure and undefiled”) should also be in right relationship with others, especially those in need (widows and orphans), those who are hurting the most and yet count for the least. And there are relationships to be avoided, too, namely those with the world that would stain or sully us. To focus on God’s will draws our attention past the easy and the expedient and on to what is likely to be far more difficult.
When I’m feeling a bit cynical I sometimes say that the church would be a great place if it weren’t for the people. But according to James we need to be very careful how we think about each other. We must do what we can for those in need while not allowing the world to take us in directions that we are not called to go. Living with “pure religion” is a tough challenge, but ultimately it leads us to that place where God is sending us. Thanks be to God.
Prayer: Lord, may our religion be guided by you and may we praise and glorify you all our days in word and deed. Amen.
Generally speaking I am not fond of the book of James. I think it gets awfully close to supporting works righteousness, the idea that we have to earn our salvation through good deeds. As a Calvinist I do not believe I am capable of earning my salvation, but instead am totally dependant on the grace and mercy of God in Jesus Christ. But I also believe we must let the entirety of scripture speak to and challenge us, not just the parts we agree with. For this reason I think that James offers an interesting definition of religion in today’s reading. “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father,” we read, “is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:27).
On the one hand this seems fairly straightforward. Pure religion requires pure actions: helping others and refraining from the world. But really there is a great deal here about relationships, too. Those who would live in right relationship with God (“religion that is pure and undefiled”) should also be in right relationship with others, especially those in need (widows and orphans), those who are hurting the most and yet count for the least. And there are relationships to be avoided, too, namely those with the world that would stain or sully us. To focus on God’s will draws our attention past the easy and the expedient and on to what is likely to be far more difficult.
When I’m feeling a bit cynical I sometimes say that the church would be a great place if it weren’t for the people. But according to James we need to be very careful how we think about each other. We must do what we can for those in need while not allowing the world to take us in directions that we are not called to go. Living with “pure religion” is a tough challenge, but ultimately it leads us to that place where God is sending us. Thanks be to God.
Prayer: Lord, may our religion be guided by you and may we praise and glorify you all our days in word and deed. Amen.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
When He Came to Himself
Luke 15:1-2, 11-32
The verse that I have always found most compelling in the story of the Prodigal Son is “But when he came to himself…” (Luke 15:17). Faced with starvation and neglect, separated from all those who loved him, reduced to menial labor the son “came to himself,” which I take to mean he “woke up” or he “finally figured it out.” I think we are all likely to have those moments when we finally get the big picture, that our own choices have been poor and have led us astray. But that is only the moment of realization. What follows is the question “now what?” Inspired by that question a few years ago I wrote the following liturgical poem for use in worship settings. It is entitled “Where Can We Go?”
When we come to ourselves,
where can we go?
If we feel like we’ve outlasted our usefulness or outstayed our welcome,
where can we go?
If we’ve fallen on hard times,
or fallen away,
or fallen by the wayside,
where can we go?
If we’ve lost our way or turned away,
lost our will or lost our nerve to do God’s will,
where can we go?
If we’ve lived to ourselves and not to God;
if we’ve made poor choices based on bad judgment;
if our human-ness has pulled us away from God’s desires for our lives;
where can we go?
If the dark night of the soul finds us grasping for what is right;
if the glaring lights of false prophets leave us aching for what is true;
where can we go?
We can go to the only place where we have ever been truly welcome;
we can go where our return is celebrated with waiting, open arms.
When we come to ourselves we can go beyond ourselves.
We can go to God.
Prayer: Lord, help us to see the need to turn back to you, and give us the courage to take the steps that lead us to your wil
The verse that I have always found most compelling in the story of the Prodigal Son is “But when he came to himself…” (Luke 15:17). Faced with starvation and neglect, separated from all those who loved him, reduced to menial labor the son “came to himself,” which I take to mean he “woke up” or he “finally figured it out.” I think we are all likely to have those moments when we finally get the big picture, that our own choices have been poor and have led us astray. But that is only the moment of realization. What follows is the question “now what?” Inspired by that question a few years ago I wrote the following liturgical poem for use in worship settings. It is entitled “Where Can We Go?”
When we come to ourselves,
where can we go?
If we feel like we’ve outlasted our usefulness or outstayed our welcome,
where can we go?
If we’ve fallen on hard times,
or fallen away,
or fallen by the wayside,
where can we go?
If we’ve lost our way or turned away,
lost our will or lost our nerve to do God’s will,
where can we go?
If we’ve lived to ourselves and not to God;
if we’ve made poor choices based on bad judgment;
if our human-ness has pulled us away from God’s desires for our lives;
where can we go?
If the dark night of the soul finds us grasping for what is right;
if the glaring lights of false prophets leave us aching for what is true;
where can we go?
We can go to the only place where we have ever been truly welcome;
we can go where our return is celebrated with waiting, open arms.
When we come to ourselves we can go beyond ourselves.
We can go to God.
Prayer: Lord, help us to see the need to turn back to you, and give us the courage to take the steps that lead us to your wil
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
The Economy of Redemption
Joel 1:12-19
Luke 15:1-10
God must not have taken the same Intro to Economics class that I did in college, or maybe I just paid less attention than I thought. Either way God demonstrates a lavishness of forgiveness and salvation that defies human understanding. After spending the opening verses condemning God’s people for their waywardness, the book of Joel suddenly veers in a new direction. “(God) is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abiding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing…” (Joel 2:15). “I am sending you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied,” says the Lord (v. 19). If the people will simply return to God they will find all they need provided by God’s hand.
But the lavishness really becomes clear in the gospel account for today. There Jesus tells us of a shepherd who is willing to leave 99 perfectly good sheep to go look for one who is lost (Luke 15:3-7). What a crazy idea! I’ve been told by “real” shepherds that losing 6 or 8% of a flock in a year is not unusual, not with illness, age, predators, and so forth. So who risks 99 sheep to save one? Only God would take that kind of risk, would lavish that kind of salvation.
For many of us in the church this is stewardship season, the time of year when financial pledges are made and budgets are drafted. Perhaps, then, this is a good time to reflect on the lengths to which God is willing to go on our behalf before we determine what our commitment will be to God and the work of the church. Don’t expect God’s side of the ledger to add up, at least not in human terms. But while God is pouring out grain and oil and wine, and while the Good Shepherd is refusing to lose even one sheep out of 100, maybe we should strive to live more in accordance with God’s economics and less with what the world considers appropriate. I’m sure the one sheep would agree.
Prayer: Lord, forgive us our sins and our shortcomings and help us to live lives of generosity. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Luke 15:1-10
God must not have taken the same Intro to Economics class that I did in college, or maybe I just paid less attention than I thought. Either way God demonstrates a lavishness of forgiveness and salvation that defies human understanding. After spending the opening verses condemning God’s people for their waywardness, the book of Joel suddenly veers in a new direction. “(God) is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abiding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing…” (Joel 2:15). “I am sending you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied,” says the Lord (v. 19). If the people will simply return to God they will find all they need provided by God’s hand.
But the lavishness really becomes clear in the gospel account for today. There Jesus tells us of a shepherd who is willing to leave 99 perfectly good sheep to go look for one who is lost (Luke 15:3-7). What a crazy idea! I’ve been told by “real” shepherds that losing 6 or 8% of a flock in a year is not unusual, not with illness, age, predators, and so forth. So who risks 99 sheep to save one? Only God would take that kind of risk, would lavish that kind of salvation.
For many of us in the church this is stewardship season, the time of year when financial pledges are made and budgets are drafted. Perhaps, then, this is a good time to reflect on the lengths to which God is willing to go on our behalf before we determine what our commitment will be to God and the work of the church. Don’t expect God’s side of the ledger to add up, at least not in human terms. But while God is pouring out grain and oil and wine, and while the Good Shepherd is refusing to lose even one sheep out of 100, maybe we should strive to live more in accordance with God’s economics and less with what the world considers appropriate. I’m sure the one sheep would agree.
Prayer: Lord, forgive us our sins and our shortcomings and help us to live lives of generosity. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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