Book of Faith - Luke 13:10-30 - The Narrow Door

The opening story of the woman, who had been crippled for 18 years and then was healed by Jesus, seemed straight forward to the group.  The only wrinkle was that Jesus does the healing on the Sabbath, and since the woman's being crippled was not an emergency, the law would have prescribed that the healing should have taken place on another day.  The leader of the synagogue raises this issue, but Jesus challenges him, and anyone else who agreed with him, calling them "Hypocrites!"  The group spotted a difference in the translations after Jesus' response.  Were people shamed or felt ashamed?  This is an important distinction.  If they were shamed, they may never have felt they were wrong, but were publicly embarrassed.  If they felt ashamed, they they realized they were wrong.  

Jesus talking about the mustard seed and leaven in connection with the Kingdom of God opened the door to talking about the surprising way the Kingdom unfolds in the world and in our lives.  There is almost an invasive quality to the mustard plant, which you would not plant in a garden, and the adding of leaven to bread.  Certainly, the Kingdom Jesus was announcing turned things upside down.  Healing on the Sabbath was, in an of  itself, radical to some.  

Where we spent most of our time was with the narrow door.  Jesus says we are to strive for the narrow door and that many will be barred by the owner.  Jesus is saying we should not assume we are inside looking out, but rather outside looking in.  Again, Jesus is challenging us to face the truth of our lives.  The door to the Kingdom is narrow, and, on our own, we will not squeeze through.  We try to widen the door by our justifications, or assume we are good enough to get into the banquet.  We certainly can feel that way in comparison to others.  Jesus knocks down those ideas.  In the end, we are at the mercy of God.  We are powerless.  The amazing news is that is where God meets us in grace.  In the movie, An Officer and A Gentleman, Mayo, who is training to be an officer, tries to work the system.  He does everything he is suppose to do, but he's still playing a game.  The Sargent keeps pushing him, saying he should quit.  One day, he's pushing Mayo, yelling, "Why do you want to stay?"  Finally, Mayo breaks and says, "I have nowhere else to go."  Everything changes at that point.  The same dynamic can be found in AA.  You have to hit bottom and own your helplessness before you can truly begin recovery.  This is never easy.  The group asked the question, "How you can own the truth and not give into despair?"  When you face the darkness of your life, how can you see the light? There are people who never seem to see the light.  How does the grace of God break in?  Our conversation ended with these questions.  We will take them up next Wednesday.  How appropriate is it that we explore these issues during Holy Week.

Peace,

Pastor Summer

Book of Faith - Luke 13:1-9 - Innocent Suffering

At our Wednesday Book of Faith, we listened to Jesus tell the stories about the Galileans who were killed by Pilate and the 18 people who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell.  Jesus raises the question of whether they were worse sinners because they died.  The story of the Galileans sounds so contemporary.  The Romans were the occupying force in Judea.  Pilate wanted to build a needed water system for Jerusalem.  He used Temple money for the project.  He didn't realize the offence he committed by using that money.  There was a cultural lack of awareness which has been often repeated by occupying forces down to the present time.  Pilate wanted to control the mob reaction and placed disguised troops in the crowd gathered at the Temple.  Many in the crowd were Galilean.  Unfortunately, things got out of hand and people died in the process.  Again, this all has a very contemporary feel.  

Jesus was not making a statement about the use of Temple funds, he did want to address the belief that we live in a just world where good things happen to good people, and bad things happen to bad people.  God is the one who guarantees that the world is just.  Of course, our experience tells us different, though we still cling to the idea of a just world.  We can hear ourselves say when something bad happens, why is God doing this to me?  What have I done to deserve this?  The group realized that this was the cry of Job.  In fact, the idea of innocent suffering was already being expressed in writings like Job.  Jesus makes it clear that the world is not a just place.  In fact, Jesus will push the idea even farther.  Not only is there innocent suffering, but innocent suffering (the cross) can become a means of God's grace.  

Jesus is also making the point that suffering or not suffering is not the sign of our need for repentance.  The bottom line is that we all need to repent, whether there have been consequences for our sin or not.  We all are separated from God.  Jesus' call is for everyone to repent i.e. change direction.  It's like watching someone driving toward a cliff.  Jesus' heart is breaking as he cries our, "Repent, turn around".  We all know that pain as we watch friends, even our own children, making poor choices and heading down roads that our dead ends at best or cliffs at worse.  Our voices may be strident, but our fear and love is that great.  

The said truth is that we do listen to the voice of Jesus.  We need to repent, but we are unable to do so on our own.  The good news is that God opens the door for us.  That is the power of grace.  In and through God's grace, my life can take a new direction.  The cross is where I lay my pride (I can do it on my own) down.  I am no better than those who died when the tower fell, but I have been saved through grace.

One final note, if there is innocent suffering where God is not the cause, what about the other end of the spectrum?   What about miracles?  Do we see the hand of God in the world making things happen?  The answer from the group was "Yes".  The only qualifier is that we do not control God's actions.  Miracles are not a given because we ask for them.  We are to live our lives open to the possibility of God acting.  We live our lives with a sense of gratitude for all those surprising times when it happens.  As we talked in the group about the saints that we have known, these characteristics of openness to God and Gratitude to God seem to be so much a part of their lives.  Their witness is a powerful one for us.  

Again, it was another great week.  We invite you again to join the conversation.

Peace,

Pastor Summer 

Book of Faith - Luke 12:35-59 - Bringing the fire

This week, the conversation picked up where we left off last week.  Chapter 13 will have to wait.  The opening questions was about Jesus bringing fire.  Fire is not a comforting image.  Jesus also talks about bringing division.  Again, not a comforting image.  Fire, in scripture, represents judgment, and certainly Jesus bring judgment.  Jesus speaks the truth, which is not always comfortable.  However, the truth is spoken not to condemn, but to save.  Redemption and reconciliation begin in truth.  

The question was asked whether Jesus knew what would happen through the cross.  He knew the cross was on the horizon, but did he fully know what it meant.  The synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) seem to suggest that Jesus may not have known everything.  In those gospels, Jesus is surprised and even changes direction.  In one story, Jesus is not going to heal the woman's daughter because she is not a Jew.  Jesus argues that it was not right to feed the dogs the food from the table for the children.  The woman does not take no for an answer and argues in return that even the puppies eat the crumbs that fall from the table.  Jesus is amazed by her response, and more importantly, her faith.  Jesus heals the woman's daughter.  The story seems to suggest the Jesus changes his mind.  Is it possible that Jesus sense of mission changes during his ministry?  Did he initially believe his mission was to his own people and, through his experience, expand that mission to the world?  Does this speak to the humanity of Jesus?  If Jesus can change, does that challenge our understanding of Jesus?

Of course, the gospel of John paints a different picture.  Jesus seems to have a clearer understanding of his mission.  He moves toward the cross without seeming doubts or struggle.  This raised questions about the witness of scripture.  There seem to be many voices speaking.  We, as Lutherans, are drawn to Paul, but his is not the only voices.  We need to appreciate, as the wisdom of scripture makes clear, the many voices that witness to the truth.  We Lutherans may not have all the answers.  In fact, we do not.  There is much we can learn from other faith traditions.

Finally, we talked about the authors of the gospels.  Was Luke written by Luke (the physician who traveled with Paul) or John written by John?  There can be an argument made that Luke and John were the authors, however, the dating of the material would make Luke and John extremely old, even by contemporary terms.  The other possibilities would be that someone, who sat at the feet of either Luke and John, wrote down their witness.  Another possibility would be an independent writer who gives credit to Luke or John and, by giving credit, gives the writing authority.  The question was raised whether authorship is critical?  Does the gospel of Luke or John have to be written by Luke or John to be true?  

Again, the conversation was rich and meaningful.  We're looking forward to moving into chapter 13 next week.  Please join our conversation by either attending Book of Faith on Wednesday at noon at the Christian Education Building or by following this blog.  Keep reading and discovering.

Peace,

Pastor Summer

    

Book of Faith - Luke 12:36-59 - Is this going to be on the test?

"Is this going to be on the test?" was our favorite phase from Wednesday's session.  The passage from Luke we read this week seems very harsh, particularly following the gentle words of Jesus in the section before this passage, "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."  By contrast, in verses 36-59, we have Jesus making sure we are ready when the master comes, wishing to cast fire upon the earth, talking about cutting people into pieces who are caught unprepared, and declaring he has come to bring division.  In the midst of Jesus' challenging words, we have Peter asking, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?"  In other words, is this going to be on the test?  The simply truth is that Jesus means what he is saying.  We need to be prepared, which means we need to get our act together.  Some people in the group suggested that Jesus was having a bad day.  He was weary of people not listening to him.  There is certainly an urgency in what Jesus has to say.  The suggestion was made that Jesus was deliberately trying to make his point by overstating the consequences.  The example was a parent whose son or daughter keeps coming home after curfew.  The parent confronts their child and says that, unless their son or daughter starts changing their ways and comes home on time, there will be "hell to pay" or they will be "grounded for the rest of their lives."  The consequences have been overstated to make the point of concern.

The conversation then moved to seeing Jesus' words in the context of Jesus' sense the the kingdom of God was coming and coming soon.  Paul had the same sense of urgency.  Luther had the same sense of urgency.  They believed that the kingdom was coming in their lifetime.  There was no time for delay.  The time to act, the time to change, was NOW.  It's the reason Paul did not address the social issues of his time, like slavery.  The arrival of the kingdom would make all social issues moot.  

We also discussed that Jesus was using the imagery and parables of his time.  He was not working with new material.  There is a sense of hyperbole in the culture that would have been understood by those listening and would have been used by Jesus.  When Jesus says it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, people did not take the camel and needle as literal.  We do the same thing when we say we say we were so embarrassed that we could have died. You don't die from embarrassment, but the image makes your point.  You were very embarrassed.  

Finally, we talked about love still holding people accountable.  Love does not give permission for the other person to do anything they want.  This was an issue in the early church.  If God loves us and forgives us, then we can do whatever we want to do.  Paul argued that because you are loved, you can't help but live a different life.  For example, my wife loves me.  That does not give me permission to do anything I want.  My experience is that, because I am loved, I choose to become a better husband, a better person.  The grace of God compels me to become a better person, the person God would have me be.  I never truly become that person, but I'm on my way.  Holding up a mirror along the way and holding me accountable is an act of love.     The relationship is not at risk, but love points out my risky behavior.  Love speaks the truth, even when it is hard to hear.  

Peace,

Pastor Summer  

  

Book of Faith - Luke 12:13-34 - Lilies of the Field

"Who lives like that in our community?"  So our conversation about this passage began.  "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear."  God will provide.  Consider the lilies of the field and the birds of the air.  These thoughts all sound good, but what role do they play in the real world?  Should we fire our financial planners?  Are we to be irresponsible?  Our conversation moved to a discussion about worry.  The truth is that we can be consumed with worry.  How much is enough?  Is money a priority?  How can finances and worry about money divide a family?  One of the real concerns with aging parents can often revolve around finances.  Parents work their whole life to create a nest egg to provide for their future, but when the future arrives, they do not want to touch that nest egg for any reason.  They are so worried about having enough and not wanting to be a burden.  Too many families have become deeply divided over an inheritance.  That money was to provide for a better tomorrow for everyone, but become the occasion for a bleaker one.  Everyone in the group agreed how worrying about finances has impacted their lives and family.  And the kicker is that worry accomplishes nothing.    Being anxious does not improve the situation.  

This focus on worry also lead to another point.  In reading the words of Jesus, everyone in the group felt indicted.  However, the point of Jesus is not to have us feel bad.  The point of Jesus is to hold up a mirror.  The truth is that we do worry too much.  That truth becomes a part of my confession.  Left to our own devises, we tend to worry.  We need to lift up those worries to God and turn them over.  We need to be reassured that God knows our worries, and still cares for us, holds us, and will provide for us.  

All of this being said, Jesus is not encouraging irresponsibility.  Jesus was not addressing someone who was doing nothing, but someone who was overly worried.  Jesus calls us to be engaged in the world, however, we are to keep our focus on God.  If we keep our focus on God, everything else will fall into place.  The truth is that we can do Kingdom work wherever we find ourselves.  We lifted up example after example of people we know whose focus has been on caring for others, on being a person of integrity, of  making a difference, rather than the paycheck or status.  In other words, they have been doing Kingdom business and guess what, God has provided.  These people have been very successful without focusing on success.  They have been great providers while being people of God. 

Finally,  we talked about the ways God provides within the life of our own congregation.  These are scary times for many people.  We have watched as people have lost their jobs.  How do we see God providing at those times?  The truth is that we have watched the church spring into action.  The church has been their for people.  The church has been as expression of God's providing.  We are not alone.  

Peace,

Pastor  Summer