Book of Faith - Luke 11:33-36 - Your eye is the lamp

This passage was not immediately clear to the group.  The passage spoke of the eye being the lamp to the body and if it was healthy, the body was filled with light, but if it was not healthy, the body was filled with darkness.  The group's conversation began to focus on perspective.  The passage seems to suggest that how you perceive the world determines how you both understand and act in the world.  Someone pointed out that this has actually been tested for people who have a positive perception of the world and those who have a negative perception.  The data seems to suggest that the way you look at that world is hardwired to a large degree many.  If you have a healthy perception, that is reflected in your life.  If you do not, that unhealthy perception is reflected in your life.  Of course, the observation was made that all perception is filtered to one degree or another.  You never truly see things the way they are, but you can convince yourself that you are seeing things clearly and everyone else is wrong.  This is more easy to do as a group than as an individual.  We see this in the political process on both sides of the fence.  The group began to see the wisdom of Luke placing this passage before Jesus' attacks on the Pharisees and scribes.  They had a blind spot that distorted their perception of the world and of the faith.  That blind spot was deadly to them and those they taught. 

As a group, we also read the translation of this passage from The Message.  This translation was surprisingly helpful for many in the group.  "If you live wide-eyed in wonder and belief, you body fills up with light.  If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar."  We loved the image of living wide-eyed in wonder and belief.  We find the wide-eyed living so often in children and that wonder seems to disappear as we get older.  We also liked the image of squnity-eyed living.  If you look at the world in fear and distrust, your world gets smaller and smaller.  Jesus intends us to live wide-eyed.  In doing so, we give up our certainty about our perception and open ourselves the vision and understanding that God has for us.  All in all, not a bad way to view the world.

Peace,
Pastor Summer

Book of Faith - Luke 11:14-26 - Casting out demons, Luke 11:27-36 - Looking for signs

The past two weeks have been both exiting and challenging in our discussion of the 11th chapter of Luke.  Verses 14-26 always create conversation because we are talking about casting out demons.  In this case, Jesus is challenged that he is casting out demons because he is working for the devil.  Jesus response is that the same argument could be applied to his challengers' associates who are casting out demons, but those who challenge Jesus don't seem to be raising the issue with their associates.  The second response is even stronger.  How can a kingdom divided stand?  If Satan is divided, how can his kingdom stand? 

The group recognized the famous verse about a divided kingdom and how it has been used down through the years by politicians, notably Lincoln.  This led to a discussion of how passages from the Bible have been used appropriately or inappropriately.  Taking a verse from the Bible out of context is always dangerous.  The deeper concern for the the group was the business of casting out a demon only to have that demon and seven stronger ones return.  What was the meaning of that verse?  The discussion focused on the idea that you can't simply have something removed and not fill the void.  If the void is not filled, you are vulnerable.  A person can't just run from something, they need to be running towards something.  If a person overeats to fill a void in their life and they develop health concerns, they may choose to eat in a more healthy way, but that void in their life needs to be addressed or it will be filled with another form of addiction.  The grace of God not only takes away our sin, but fills us with new life.  

Verses 27-36 speak of looking for signs.  Looking for signs is a very human response.  Prove to me that you are what you say you are Jesus.  Jesus argues that all we need to know and see is before us.  The problem is that we don't have the eyes to hear or the eyes to see.  This is a repeated theme throughout the gospel.  In the end, no one can see Jesus, not even his disciples.  This certainly is a judgment of the people who gathered around Jesus, but also his disciples, including you and me.  Left on our own, we never truly see Jesus or understand him.  If we could, we would not need to be saved.  The cross puts an end to the game we play that we can win the game of life and faith on our own.  We can be in control.   We can punch our own ticket into the Kingdom of God.  It's like the addict who believes they can master their addiction on their own.  It's a tempting game.  I have the willpower.  I have the control.  I needed help to begin, but now I'm in charge.  It's a game they will lose ever time.  The starting point in AA is the admission that you are helpless and need a power greater than yourself.  For us as Christians, we begin with the understanding that we are sinners and that we cannot save ourselves.  We need to be saved and, if the cross puts an end to the game we play, the cross is also that sign of our salvation.  God's love cannot be denied even when we said "No" to God's son.  God says "Yes" to us.  As we Lutherans love to say, we are saved by grace.

Peace,

Pastor Summer 

Book of Faith - Luke 11:5-13 - Ask, and it will be given to you

This text was covered before Christmas and so there was little time to enter a blog, but now is a new year.  The Wednesday group had an exciting conversation about this text and what happens in prayer.  The story in Luke has a friend who comes to your house in the middle of the night and asks for bread.  Even though you are annoyed, you get up and give him bread just so he will go away.  The point being that if you know how to respond to the needs of another because they are persistent, how much more will God respond to our requests. 

This all sounds straightforward and wonderful, but not every prayer we offer seems to be answered.  I pray for someone to be healed, and the healing never happens.  The Bible makes it sound so easy, ask, and it will be given you, seek, and you will find.  Our experience tells us that's not always the case.  What to we say about this dilema?

If we say that God answers every prayer, then maybe God answers in ways that are not always obvious.  I may not be healed of a disease, but I am given the strength to face my disease.  My disease doesn't have to define or limit me. 

If I pray for someone else and what I request doesn't happen, maybe my prayer puts me is a different place and opens me to God in a surprising way.  The psalms give a witness to that shift.  In some of the psalms, the writer is angry or disappointed in God.  God has not delivered what they expected.  The writer gives full voice to their being upset.  And then something amazing happens.  As the psalm unfolds, the writer is moved from anger to praise, disappointment to joy.  How that happens, we are not told, however, that it happens is clear by the end of the psalm.  God invites us to bring everything in our prayers.  We are not to hold back one thought or emotion.  By praying, we open ourselves to the grace of God that can move us to a different and better place in the living of our lives.  Our prayers are answered, but not in ways we expected.

Finally, God has a different perspective on our lives that we do.  Sometimes the worse things that happen in our lives become the occasion for surprising blessings.  As I prayed for my father's battle with diabetes to end, he was brought back to life hrough the intervention of the hospital.  I was very upset that my prayer was not answered.  I do not believe that God wanted my father to suffer any longer, but God used that extra time given to have my father and I reconciled in a way that I had not imagined possible.  My father and I reconnected, and I will always be grateful for that gracious gift that was given, even if I had prayed for something different.

This covers our conversation about prayer.  We move on this week in the gospel of Luke.  Join the conversation, either the class on Wednesday at noon at the CEB or the blog on our website.   

Peace,

Pastor Summer