August 24, 2025 Luke 14:1-24

There’s an old story about an elderly West Virginia mountaineer woman. She was sitting on the front porch of her rustic cabin when a nice car comes bumping up the winding driveway. The car stops in front of the cabin and a well-dressed young man gets out. She stands up and before the man can get a word out she says, “Mister, I don’t care whether you’re buying or whether you’re selling. There ain’t nothing we need that we ain’t already got. And there ain’t nothing we already got that we don’t need. Just turn yourself around and clear out.”

That may not be a polite way to address a visitor but you have to admire the woman’s contentment. How many people can truly say they have everything they need, and also say they don’t have any extra clutter in their lives? It seems to be a rule among humans that we always want more. More money. More stuff. More power. More comforts. More entertainment. More life. We’re never satisfied.

That takes us to our gospel reading. At first we may think, “Haven’t we heard all of this before? …Jesus at a dinner with Pharisees and being critical, healing on the sabbath, and then lessons about money and status…”

Yes, we have heard all of this before; especially the immediately preceding chapters. So why all this again? Whenever I read things that seem repetitive my mind goes to those high school writing assignments English teachers give. They expect so many hundred words for an answer, but you can’t think of that many words, so you get repetitive.

I doubt Luke created his gospel with a word count in mind. So why the repetition? I mean, it’s nice to have lots of stories about Jesus. Many of them are fun to hear. But do these carry a specific point? The answer is probably yes.

As I studied this text for today I was reading my best commentary on Luke’s gospel by Joel Green (New International Commentary on the New Testament). He points out that all 24 verses we read form a unit. They are all the same dinner scene. And that the diagnosis of the man who was healed is probably significant.

The story starts off again at a dinner with a leader of the Pharisees. Keep that in mind. Pharisees could come from all economic classes. This guy, being a leader, was certainly among the upper class. There is a man there who suffers from dropsy. Now dropsy is not a diagnosis we hear about these days. We now call it edema; the accumulation of fluids in the body, arms and legs being where it is most obvious. The ironic thing about edema, is that despite a person swelling up because of retaining fluids, that person may also be thirsty …very thirsty! Have you ever been thirsty? Sure you have. You crave something to drink. Your craving may be so strong that the only thing you can think about is having some water. The sufferer of edema may crave more of what they already have too much of! Joel Green suggests that since this is what starts the scene it gives us ideas about how to interpret the rest. So let’s use that as our guide.

The scene shifts to the way the guests chose the places of honor. Jesus notices and comments. He says, “…do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’”

This may seem like Jesus is telling them that it is okay to play the game of honor and status, just play it shrewdly. In fact, this advice from Jesus is not at all unique. But Jesus goes on and says to the host, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet invite the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
We remember that in their give-and-take culture, you were expected to repay a favor. You invite me to your banquet and I invite you to one of mine in return. If you were a very wealthy person and I was a common laborer you wouldn’t invite me at all. And if you did invite me, I’d almost certainly decline. How could I possibly afford to return the favor? If you were a laborer and I were a laborer we might attend each other’s get-togethers, but we would seldom if ever be involved in a social event with people outside our class. Still though: big banquets, strategic guest lists, and choosing the places of honor are all the dynamics of the wealthy and elite. Rather than enjoying their position and the comforts they already have, they are employing them to get a strategic social advantage. Everyone in that society was trying to climb higher up the ladder. Since everyone was doing it, anyone who didn’t do it was slipping down. Resources were scarce. Spending them on those who couldn’t repay the favor was seen as foolish. It was a sure way to a lower status.

And so, like the person with dropsy who was already suffering from too much fluid in his body but was thirsty for more, the lives of these wealthy people, already bloated by too much consumption, are thirsty for more. Will they ever be satisfied?

Jesus goes on with a parable about a great dinner. The dinner was prepared at the appointed time and a slave is sent to remind the invited guests. But the guests all have excuses. One has just bought some land and wants to go see it. One has just bought some oxen and wants to try them out. One has just gotten married and has other things on his mind. I doubt Jesus came up with these excuses at random. They roughly correspond to legitimate excuses listed in Deuteronomy 20 that give exemptions from military service in war time.

So, the guests have been invited. But now that the party has come they refuse based on what is considered to be acceptable grounds. We realize Jesus is directing this parable at the sort of people who are around him at the banquet. God is throwing a great banquet. These people were invited. But they are so bloated on their own consumption and entertainment and strategizing to get ahead that they turn God down.

Jesus is likely being even more broad in his application of this parable. The Jews were God’s chosen people and the first ones invited to the banquet. But they refuse. So God invites everyone else. In the parable the master says to the slave, “Go out at once into the streets and the lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.” When that is done and there is still room the master says, “Go out into the road and lanes and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled.”

Ironically, those who have been invited first, so bloated by their consumption yet in their craving more, miss the invitation to the true feast. Others take their place instead.

It may be easy to look back across the centuries to these wealthy people in a far away land and think it has nothing to do with ourselves. Indeed, much has changed. But much remains the same.

One thing that comes to my mind is our idea of “progress”. We’ve somehow gotten ourselves set on the idea that we humans, by our own skill and intellect, can make this world an ever-better place. Cars get easier and easier to drive. Computers get faster. Longevity goes up. There are constant advances in health care. And so on.

Yet how much progress is too much? I’ve talked before in sermons about the way we have way overpopulated planet and overconsume energy at an alarming rate. Are we perhaps already bloated yet craving ever more?

C.S. Lewis, one of the best known Christian writers of the 20th Century, didn’t have much good to say about progress. In his essay, “The World’s Last Night” he says, “In my opinion, the modern conception of Progress… is simply a myth, supported by no evidence whatsoever.” And in God in the Dock, “Is Progress Possible?” Lewis says, “I care far more how humanity lives than how long. Progress, for me, means increasing goodness and happiness of individual lives. For the species, as for each man, mere longevity seems to me a contemptable ideal.”

That one stings! How much effort do we put into extended our lives? Think about the enormity of our health care industry and all that it consumes. Yet Lewis calls the desire for longevity to be a “contemptable ideal.” Such is the thinking of our faith ancestors from not long ago.

What has our addiction to progress gotten our already bloated lives? Secularism and individualism. Civic organizations decline and suffer for members. Veterans organizations are declining. Churches are on the verge of closing all over the place. And those fewer and fewer large churches with big staffs and programs can only stay afloat for so long. I was talking to my one cousin last week who is an administrator in a small rural district in Pennsylvania. Like many school administrators, he began his career as a classroom teacher. He’s been in it long enough to see that the ethical fabric of our nation’s children has eroded away to nothing.

It is typical to point to the youngest generation and point out their flaws. But such thing is a mistake, and it is not what my cousin and I do when we talk about such stuff. We both note that since World War 2 every generation that has experienced the postwar “progress” has basically been raised on emotional junk food. There’s little wonder there is little emotional strength, people are greedy, civic institutions are collapsing, overall national morality has tanked, and charitable giving is falling through the floor.

Yes, that is what happens when a society, already bloated, wants ever more. Perhaps the industrialized world has dropsy.

Come, Lord Jesus, and heal us of our disease! But the cure will hurt. It’ll be a huge dose of humility. It will be recognizing that God is God and we are not. It always has been and always will be. We’re not going to get ourselves out of this mess quickly or smoothly.

Whatever comes, rejoice that God has invited you to the banquet, the biggest banquet of all. And may you have the humility to accept the invitation!

August 17, 2025 Will Those Who Are Saved Be Few? Luke 13:10-54

At the center of our gospel reading is a question, and it is a question that we also find at the center of our lives. As Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem someone asks him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?”

Indeed, if existence is for eternity, and if God is our judge, and further, if God can either save or damn, then what are our chances? And how do we know which side of salvation we’re going to be on?

Would that Jesus gave a clear answer! If there is anything we humans are the most desperate for it is an answer to this! If we knew clearly and precisely what God wanted from us then life would be so much better, so much cleaner, so much clearer. The basic anxiety of existence would be settled. But Jesus’ answer is complex and contradictory.

Let’s start by understanding the dynamics within Judaism of those days. Jewish history was rough – conquered over and over again by just about every major empire since the Bronze Age. A look at their scriptures shows that they felt their history before God was a checkered one at best – and for the most part it was a history of unfaithfulness. They only existed as a unified nation under kings David and Solomon. The kingdom split into two after Solomon. The northern kingdom – with most of the tribes was conquered by the Assyrians in 722 B.C.E. Those tribes were, for the most part, lost. Basically only Judah remained.
So at the root of the question, “Will those who are saved be few?” is a lot of history. Will God only save the tribe of Judah? Will God save all those who have Jewish ancestry, even if they don’t know it? How many non-Jews will God save, and why? Will God save bad Jews simply because they are Jews, or will good non-Jews get in? How much do you really have to follow the religious laws for God to let you into heaven?

I do not think the person asking the question really saw it in light of the way many Christians do today; which is as more of a global question of salvation.

Jesus initially sidesteps the question. He gives a traditional image that implies only a few will find their way, “Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and now be able.”

Okay, this is looking like salvation is going to be tough, and very limited.

But then Jesus makes a transition in his image, “When once the owner has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then in reply he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you come from…”

With all the questions in the air, the hearers (and we the readers) are shocked to find that we’re already on the outside and unable to get in!

But then Jesus shifts the image yet again. He says, “Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. Indeed, some who are last will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

What does that mean? Jesus is pulling on images from the prophet Isaiah and his vision of a heavenly banquet for all nations on earth. Does that mean then that everyone gets in? But what about the narrow gate that few get in? What about the closed door that no one is left past?

Our heads are left spinning. Our hearts may be knotted by this confusion. Or perhaps our hearts just reject it all as nonsense.

It is my belief that most people in our society live with the idea that if they’re basically good God will like them and they’ll go to heaven. And bad people go to hell. It’s as simple as that. And of course, most people consider themselves to be basically good. They really don’t think about it much. They don’t have interest in religious teachings or a faith community. They don’t really want to hear what is good and what isn’t.

Author and program producer Michale Schur has explored the ideas of good and bad; right and wrong. He wrote the book How to Be Perfect and created the Netflix series The Good Place. In both places he shows that what is right and wrong, or good and bad, is actually enormously complex. It is in truth completely impossible to pin down. So, as for, “How to be perfect?” Just forget it. It won’t happen. And trying to be good and virtuous may actually not make you any better at all. You deserve to be praised for the desire to be good. No one is criticizing that. But the actual consequences of your actions may still be bad. The point is, and this I am sure of from moral philosophy, the idea of good and bad is in no way shape or form clear.

Consider this parable by Franz Kafka about the human predicament. It’s called “Before the Law” (cited from New Interpreter’s Bible, Volume 9, Pg. 279. Originally Franz Kafka: The Complete Stories, ed. Nahum N. Glatzer (New York: Schocken Books, 1983)) A man from the country seeks admission to the Law. When the doorkeeper tells him he may not enter, he looks through the open door, but the doorkeeper warns him that he is just the first of a series of doorkeepers, each one more terrible than the one before. So the man waits for the doorkeeper’s permission to enter. For days and then years, the man talks with the doorkeeper, answers his questions, and attempts to bribe him, but with no success. The doorkeeper takes the man’s bribes, saying he is only doing so in order that the man will not think he has neglected anything. As the man lies dying, he sees a radiance streaming from the gateway to the Law. Thinking of one question he has not asked, he beckons the doorkeeper and ask him why in all those years no one else has come to that gate. The doorkeeper responds: “No one else could ever be admitted here, since this gate was made only for you. Now I am going to shut it.”

It is a very intriguing parable! It is just as impossible as Jesus’ response to the person who asked him a question. What then are we to do? We are faced with the impossible – and eternity depends upon it!

This is all at the heart of the mystery of things like election and grace, and free will and determinism. This is the heart of what we ask ourselves if we contemplate questions like: What does it mean to exist? What is consciousness? How do we come to be here?

Underneath all these issues is this: We are dealing with something that is beyond our ability to consciously comprehend. Jesus did not give a clear answer because no clear answer is possible within the limits of our humanness. Will those who are saved be few? Wrong question. It’s a question made from the fears and limits of humans.

Jesus’ enigmatic response takes us to this truth. We simply need to trust God. This is God’s business. It is not our own. Sure, such questions will come into our minds. Perhaps they will even haunt us. I know they do some people. But ultimately we live in trust of God and let God sort out the technicalities.

Commentator R. Alan Culpepper says this in the New Interpreter’s Bible. I disagree with him, but he makes an important point. “Strive, therefore, as one who dares not presume on God’s grace. Strive as though admission to the kingdom depended entirely on your own doing, but know that ultimately it depends on God’s grace.” (New Interpreter’s Bible, Volume 9, Pg. 279)

I disagree with his words because it makes it sound like life is a grueling test, and that grace will only come to those most diligent. His thoughts leave no room for fun, or for laughter, or for mistakes, or for indulgence. Jesus, after all, had fun with people. That’s a lot of what got him in trouble with the pious religious people of his day.

No. While I completely agree with is how much depends upon God’s grace. Even our very best attempts at goodness are laughable failures in God’s eyes. So, live with daring love, knowing that God loves you deeply. Actually, live with daring love knowing that God actually delights in you. Let God’s grace be the first word and the last word and every word in between. Let God’s grace inspire you, and the righteousness will flow authentically from there.

August 10, 2025 Why Bad Things Happen to Good People Luke 13:1-9

“Why do bad things happen to good people?” is a question that has been asked through the ages. We have no trouble with the idea of good things happening to good people. We have no trouble with the idea of bad things happening to bad people. That all just makes sense. It fits with our idea of fundamental justice. When you consider that being a good and virtuous person takes work and discipline it makes sense that the world would reward such things. In the Hindu religion it all fits into the idea of karma.

But when you are a good person and bad things happen to you the fundamental operation of the world seems to have gone wrong. We may be able to shrug off some of it. Sometimes things just happen. But when it is something major, like a debilitating injury to an innocent bystander, or a horrible medical diagnosis to a person who has always made healthy choices, -especially if it is us- then we are challenged to the core. I’ve heard people say many times that they can’t believe in a god that would let such things happen. I can sympathize with their struggles. But that sympathy is not biblical.

People have sometimes answered the question of why bad things happen to good people by saying that we have freedom. If a bad people exercise their freedom wrongly then innocent people get hurt. There is logic to that. There can’t truly be freedom if the possibility of hurting innocent people isn’t an option. But that does not explain why natural disasters and random happenstance happen to both the good and to the bad. And, why things sometimes go bad despite our best efforts.

We’ll turn to what Jesus says in a moment, but we should note that the Old Testament’s thoughts on good and bad fit with our basic understanding of justice. Deuteronomy 28-30 teaches that if people are faithful to God and do what is good and right God will cause them to prosper. And if they lose faith and do what is wrong God will punish them. Ezekiel 18:26-27 warns, “When the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity, they shall die for it… Again, when the wicked turn away from the wickedness they have committed and do what is lawful and right, they shall save their life.”

It was also commonly believed among Jews in Jesus’ day that sin brought punishment. In John 9 the disciples see a man who has been blind from birth and they ask Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” It is in Jesus’ reply that we start to see how his teachings differ entirely. He replies, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; but that God’s works might be revealed in him.” That is a very odd response. It doesn’t really answer the question, but I think we’re okay with it. What we are not okay with is what Jesus said in today’s gospel reading.

The text started off, “At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.” (Luke 13:1) That needs a bit of explanation. What it means is that some Jews from Galilee had been killed while they were worshipping. It happened at the order of Roman governor, Pontus Pilate. Pilate was known for brutality and disdaining Jewish religious practices. What Jesus is being asked is if those Jews who were killed during worship were somehow particularly heinous that God used Pilate to kill them. Perhaps think of it in terms of God sending a lightning bolt to kill a particularly evil person in their act of evil.

Jesus replies, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you.”

Okay, our interest is peaked. They were not somehow worse sinners. So then what is the reason? Jesus continues with a gut punch, “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.”

Ouch. Why do bad things happen to good people? Jesus basically just said that all people are bad.

You may remember from last week that we talked about the way Jesus had harsh teachings for the Pharisees and the lawyers. They were people who were prominent and of means. Then Jesus also had harsh teachings for the crowds. The crowds certainly contained many people who were poor and struggling. Jesus even called these poor struggling people hypocrites; just like he called the Pharisees and lawyers hypocrites. What was going on? Why not have a word of comfort for these people?

That takes us to what we read today. And here again, Jesus is calling all people sinners. I suppose if you ask Jesus, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Jesus just might reply, “There’s no such thing as good people.” We don’t like to hear that!

Jesus goes on in the gospel, “Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them – do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem?” This tower of Siloam was presumably part of the defenses of Jerusalem that collapsed unexpectedly. So, did God arrange things such that it fell so as to punish particularly bad people? Jesus goes on, “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”

Again, these are not nice teachings! When we feel we are wrongfully suffering we want to feel some compassion from God. We certainly don’t want to be further condemned!

The scene, and the whole series of scenes we’ve been reading these last several weeks, wraps up with the parable of the fig tree. The owner of a vineyard has an unproductive fig tree in it. It may seem odd to have a fig tree in a vineyard. I’ve heard two completely contradictory theories on this. Some say that it would have been very strange to have a fig tree in a vineyard. Others say it wouldn’t have been odd at all. I don’t really know. Personally, I suspect Jesus is deliberately mixing images. The Old Testament prophets often compared the nation to a vineyard. They also compared the nation to a fig tree. But I don’t think there were fig orchards. So, it wouldn’t make sense to talk about a fig tree not bearing fruit among others. At the same time it wouldn’t make sense to remove an unproductive vine in a vineyard because it’s hard to isolate and remove an individual vine. I think Jesus is mixing both images deliberately.

Whatever the case, the owner of the fig tree notes that the tree is not bearing fruit. It hasn’t borne fruit for three years. That doesn’t mean it’s a three-year-old tree. Fig trees weren’t expected to bear for a least the first ten years. That means this is a thirteen-year-old tree. For thirteen years it has taken up space and given nothing in return. It makes sense that the owner commands the gardener to rip it out. It should be replaced with something that will be productive. But the gardener begs for mercy for the tree. The gardener asks that it be given extra care and attention for one more year. Then if it doesn’t produce it can be ripped out.

This parable defies concise interpretation. Most of Jesus’ parables can have multiple meanings. We could spend an hour spinning it out in any number of directions. But all of them get to the same point, which is both comforting and challenging.

First, let’s remember what we’ve learned from the things we’ve read from Jesus over the last several weeks. They boil down to the idea that we are all sinners in need of God’s grace. None of us can claim to be virtuous on our own. Recognizing that we are sinners is not to depress us, but it is to push us to recognize our need for God for everything.

Then we come to today. Why do bad things happen to good people? We’re asking the wrong question. We’re all sinners in need of God’s grace and we all deserve punishment. However, by God’s grace we are given another chance. And we are not just given another chance, but by God’s grace God will continue to care for us and nurture us. God will nurture us into loving productivity. That’s the good and wonderful news. But there is another “however”.

However, this is all happening by God’s mercy for us; sinners that we are. If we become complacent or boastful or think we deserve God’s love, then we are continuing to be like an unproductive fig tree. God always reserves the right to rip us out and get rid of us. You’ve heard the phrase, “We are to love and fear God.” That’s simply recognizing God’s sovereignty. God can do as God wants to do. God has made us promises, and by so doing God has voluntarily put limits upon God’s own power. But God is not to be mocked. Ultimate punishment is always God’s right.

So, why do bad things happen to good people? It is a question that has been asked many times and will be asked many times again. But according to Jesus it misses the point. Whatever our life’s circumstances, we rely on God’s grace. We remember that whether life is good or bad, easy or hard, God is working on us to make us good and productive. Learn and grow through adversity for that also is the grace of God.

August 3, 2025 Luke 12:35-59

I’ve imagined myself in the role of a political campaign advisor as I hear the words of Jesus in Luke 11 and 12 that we’ve been reading these last several weeks. Back in chapter 11 he made a bit of a scene at the house of a Pharisee and with some lawyers. As a campaign advisor I would commend Jesus for that. I’d say, “That was a savvy move. By criticizing and embarrassing the powerful and educated elite you are setting yourself apart. Creating divisions is smart. You can blame Pharisees and lawyers for everything bad that happens. You can then present yourself as the candidate for the ‘common person’.

“You followed up with the parable of the rich fool. Again, a savvy move. You exposed the greed and exploitation of the powerful. You hinted that God will get them and that you are for equality.

“Then you told them not to worry about what they will eat and drink, and what they will wear, and about the basic necessities of life. You said that if they believed in you that all of that stuff will be given to them as well. Of course you can’t make good on that promise, but who cares. If they believe you it’ll get their support. And when you get elected and inevitably can’t make good on those promises, just blame the Pharisees, lawyers, and rich people in general. Say it’s their fault and they need to be opposed even more strongly. It’ll never actually happen, but it’ll keep getting you re-elected.”

Yes, that’s the kind of advice I could see a political strategist giving to Jesus for what we’ve read these last few weeks. But then there is what we just read today from Jesus:

unknown delays but readiness for action,

beatings and punishments,

divisions,

conflict within families,

criticisms for the ignorance of his hearers,

and warnings to act immediately because delaying is perilous.

Now when I imagine myself giving campaign advice to Jesus I’d be saying, “Jesus, what are you thinking?!? These are your supporters. You can’t go criticizing them and condemning them too! It’s fine to attack your political opponents, but don’t go attacking your allies too! No one will follow you if this is how you’re going to be, whether any of it is true or not.”

And indeed, if we were to jump ahead to the crucifixion we see that none of Jesus’ followers did stick with him. All left.

Of course Jesus was not running for public office. He wasn’t trying to win anyone’s support, but we do find ourselves asking what Jesus is thinking? It’s fine if he has hard news to share. If he’s teaching tough truths then he shouldn’t be sugar coating it. But does he have to be this brutal with it? Who wants to hear this? Who would want to be a disciple if it’s all suffering?

I imagined the role of a political strategist giving advice to Jesus because I find that many people in America today want to use Jesus’ teaching for their own ends. St. John’s is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). In recent decades the ELCA has been moving ever farther to the political left; in many cases to the extremes. I hear lots of things from the denomination that present Jesus as a political advocate for the poor and the oppressed. Pastors are being pressured into becoming political activists. While it is true that Jesus associated with many people of high society didn’t care much about, Jesus was not a political advocate. He did not (as is so often said today), “speak truth to power.” Those who take this view like to say that Jesus was crucified by the powers of the world because he challenged them.

I say there is biblical evidence that can support those ideas, but taking that approach is an error. It misses the point. What ends up happening with those who take that approach is that they end up claiming moral superiority for themselves. Again, that is not at all what Jesus intended.

Then there is the other side of the political spectrum in America today. Christian nationalists use Jesus’ teachings as a means to their own ends. They believe that God will bless those who adhere to so-called Christian values. Many of those values are good and are from the Bible, but they can be applied in hurtful and oppressive ways. And many of those values are not from the Bible at all, but those who adhere to them claim that they are. Those who follow this approach also put themselves on a pedestal and claim moral superiority for themselves.

Ultimately, whether you’re on the left or the right, whoever you are, if you’re using Jesus for political purposes, or if you’re using Jesus to advance your own agenda in the world of business, social groups, or even just your own family, you’re missing the point.

I hope you can see from the chapters in Luke’s gospel that we’ve been reading this summer that Jesus challenged everybody. He could easily point out the abuses of the rich and powerful. And he had to challenge the weak and dispossessed too, because they also would use things of faith to suit their own ends.

In the first verses of what we read today Jesus is telling the crowds to be ready and waiting for the coming of the Son of Man. It is true that first century Christians thought Jesus would return very soon. You see that throughout the New Testament. Obviously they were wrong. Jesus has not returned. We no longer have their sense of urgency. Regardless of whether they were right or wrong, and regardless of whether Jesus’ return is soon or long, the point remains. If you’re being strategic with your faith you’re misunderstanding it.

History is full of people who have had death bed conversions to Christianity: Emperor Constantine, Charles II of England, Buffalo Bill, and even John Wayne are among the most famous. You can see their thinking. They’ll live it up as much as they can to indulge in all that life as to offer, then convert at the last moment, be forgiven of their sins, and then get eternal life as a reward. While some deathbed conversions are genuine, if it’s your strategy you’re missing the point of Christian faith.

When Jesus teaches his followers to be on their guard and ready for his return he’s telling them that they can’t sit back and strategize. They shouldn’t think things like:

-God is delayed, or it’s going to be a long time before he comes, and so I can get away with stuff.

-God doesn’t see what I’m doing and so I’ll indulge.

-It’s not all that bad and so it doesn’t matter.

All of these things are apt to go through our minds. All of them are strategizing with our faith.

Or, perhaps thoughts like these:

-I’ll suffer now in order to be rewarded in eternal life.

-I am a good and moral person. God certainly approves of my attitude.

-I have the moral high ground because I follow Jesus and I have the right to demand change from others.

-I am honest and kind and humble. I am good and right in God’s eyes.

Any number of thoughts like these might go through our minds as well. The last one is ironic – it is being proud of how genuinely humble you are. All of these miss the point as well.

As we have been reading warnings and harsh criticisms from Jesus week after week, and as he has aimed them at the wealthy and powerful, and the poor and the weak, we learn this overall truth. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. I don’t care who you are, or where you fall into categories of wealth, religion, politics, power, gender, or whatever the case may be; it is human nature to turn in towards itself. This message should be abundantly clear from Luke’s gospel.

Perhaps the easiest way to find the correct attitude comes from St. Paul’s writings. In our second Bible reading Paul writes to the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 15:10):

“…by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I but the grace of God that is with me.”



Or as Martin Luther put it in the Small Catechism when he was explaining the Apostles’ Creed:

I believe that by my own understanding or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him, but instead the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true faith, just as he calls, gathers, enlightens, and makes holy the whole Church.



Do you have faith? It is the work of God and by God’s grace.

Are you moral? It is the work of God and by God’s grace.

Are you hard working? It is the work of God and by God’s grace.

Are you selfless and humble and kind? It is the work of God and by God’s grace.

Authentic faith, and authentic morality, and authentic humility do not judge others. They do not strategize or scheme. They know that even the “right” impulses come from God; as opposed to being the product of some inherent goodness within ourselves.

I think that is the point Jesus is trying to get across to the many people that he encountered from many walks of life.

Such trust of God, and authentically grounded love, is not the way of the world. When Jesus says his followers shouldn’t be surprised that their faith in him causes divisions within communities and families this is what he means. But he had come. And this is what he proclaimed.

So, consciously realize that you do all things through the grace of God. It is the right direction for relationship with God, and the right direction for all of life.

July 27, 2025 Jesus' Teachings on Food, Clothes, and Basic Needs Luke 12:22-34

Conspiracy theories are always popular. It is easy to believe that some inside group is holding information that gets in the way of the general public knowing the whole truth; and that secret information is giving that inside group an advantage. Well, this is by no means a conspiracy to withhold information by the church, but it is true that particularly difficult or troublesome passages in the Bible rarely make it into the readings assigned for a Sunday.

Most Protestant churches and the Roman Catholic Church follow what is called the Revised Common Lectionary for selecting Bible readings for worship. It’s a three-year cycle that repeats. We don’t follow it exactly. While we use the same gospel the lectionary highlights that year, we read that gospel entirely. We leave nothing out.

Well, the passage that we read today is never included in the Revised Common Lectionary. There is a parallel passage in Matthew’s gospel. It does indeed show up in the lectionary. However, it is positioned so that it's only read if Easter falls at its earliest or latest. Otherwise, it isn’t included. So, the year of Matthew has to coincide with Easter being at an extreme for this to show up in worship. Most likely it’ll only happen once or twice in your life. So, while no one is hiding this passage, and you can read it on your own at any time, if the only parts of the Bible you ever hear are the ones read in worship, you’ll almost never encounter it.

You may quite like the idea of never hearing this passage! We don’t like messages from Jesus that tell us to sell our possessions. We like our stuff! That’s probably why it almost never shows up in the lectionary. We’ll come back to that. There’s another serious problem. Jesus says not to worry about food or clothing or your body. He says that God knows our needs and that if we prioritize God’s kingdom then God will provide for our needs. Okay, fine. But does that really work?

What about the two million people of Gaza currently at serious risk of dying from starvation? What about the estimated 400,000 people in the world who have died in the last five months because of the elimination of US AID? (David Brooks in a June 2025 address to the Aspen Ideas Festival, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MMOJIiOm5I&t=747s ) They’ve done nothing wrong. They’re not in control of their life’s circumstances yet they are suffering severely for it. While we want to deeply trust God, I don’t think any of us would say that these people could suddenly get their bodily needs met if they were somehow more faithful; or that if they were more faithful these things wouldn’t have befallen them. The truth is, from our life’s experience God doesn’t provide the way we think God should. Random events, natural disasters, and global dynamics can cripple and destroy the lives of people. We feel powerless. Or, at the very least, the reality that we know from daily life is that you do have to worry about food and clothing and bodily needs.

For many many people across the world, and in our own community, and among us, …despite that we supposedly live in a nation of plenty… life’s need always seem to stretch our resources. Keeping ahead of inflation on basic goods, affording an automobile, covering the increasing cost of maintaining a house (or paying rent), increases in health insurance costs, costs of schooling, and more can cause us constant anxiety.

If you’re working you worry about your income keeping up with the cost of living. If you’re retired you’re on a limited income. You worry if your money will hold out. Even if you have an enormous amount of money available you still have worries: Something happens. You end up in the hospital. You can’t go back home. But nursing homes are almost all busy and have waiting lists. If the hospital decides to discharge you, and the nursing home you want isn’t available, you are sent to the one that has space whether you like it or not. You can bet the nursing home that has space isn’t a good one. That’s it. You might be stuck there with poor care for the rest of your life.

There’s good reason why we don’t like what Jesus said in our gospel reading. Perhaps in a fairy tale life if you put the kingdom of God first all your bodily needs will work out well, but it doesn’t work in reality. There are too many problems. There is too much unfairness. There is too much scarcity. We have every reason to be anxious! What is Jesus playing at saying, “Do not be afraid little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom”? Again, it sounds like a wishful thinking fairy tale.

Well, I admit that by focusing on just these verses I’ve backed Jesus into a corner. I think these verses need their attention but they are part of a much bigger series of teachings. If you’ve been here the last several weeks you know Jesus has warned his followers about hardships, persecutions, arrests, and even death because they follow him. He’s taught them the Lord’s Prayer, which is about the most basic and selfless prayer that can be said. He’s taught them about misplaced priorities and greed. So Jesus does not give these hard words with the idea that his followers will suddenly enjoy marvelous trouble-free lives because they follow him.

He gives these hard words because he knows full well that the world is a place of scarcity. He knows national and international dynamics will impact his followers and they will have no control over them. He knows that life isn’t fair. He knows that for his followers most of their time and physical energy are consumed by acquiring food, having homes, and caring for bodily needs. In other words, he knows they’re going to have a hard time believing him. He’s asking them to give up what little earthly security they have managed by their own efforts and wildly trust in a God they cannot easily see. That’s a big leap and it’s certainly going to cause anxiety!

Nevertheless, that is the perspective that is best. As we’ve looked at Jesus’ teachings from this section of Luke the last few weeks we’ve seen several times that the human perspective is flawed. What we think will be good for us isn’t. What we think will give us fulfillment doesn’t. What we think is trustworthy turns out not to be.

Jesus is going back to the basic challenge of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Can they trust that God has made them whole, or do they take matters into their own hands for wholeness? They, and it seems to be all people, take matters into their own hands.

This whole very difficult text is all about the basic question of trusting God. Do you believe that God is truly holding you and that nothing on earth can diminish or enhance that, or do you trust to your own abilities?

I will make no promises about having a good and easy life if you put total trust in God. But I will certainly promise you an indestructible sense of self and purpose for doing so.

If your life is driven by anxiety over earthly things those anxieties will rule your life. You’ll make decisions, you’ll try to earn and hoard resources, you’ll work and work and work; and worry and worry and worry all the while your life will trickle through your fingers.

Ever tried to cup your hands and hold water? It lasts for a few seconds but all too quickly it all drips away. Your hands end up empty. You have nothing.

Trusting God does not make you immune from life’s difficulties and limits. But trusting God and focusing on God’s kingdom gives you something solid that is outside yourself. It is unchanging. It is a focus that puts all the other needs and anxieties of life into proper perspective.

Ultimately it is true that God will give us the kingdom. We may get glimpses of it in this lifetime. The promise of its complete fulfillment in eternal life inspires us. We look forward to good things from God, and the time when anxieties and limits will truly be no more.

July 20, 2025 Luke 12:1-21

Alexander Woollcott is noted for saying, “All the things I really like to do are either illegal, immoral, or fattening.” There seems to be a sad amount of truth to that. If I’m driving down the road and I see a Five Guys restaurant I’m tempted to slow down, turn in, and enjoy a premium juicy burger with excellent fries. By contrast, if I’m driving down the road and see a farm stand advertising kale and asparagus I want to hit the accelerator and get away as soon as possible!

Why is this? While we certainly have self-control and can regularly make healthy choices, we seldom have cravings for things that are good for us. How often have you gone to bed at night and thought, “I can’t wait until morning! I’m excited that as soon as I get up I’m going to clean the house, then I get to pull weeds in the garden, and then I get to spend the rest of the day walking along roads to collect litter.” Are those not all good and necessary things? We may do them, and do them willingly, but we are not excited by them.

Why is it that consumptive and indulgent things excite us, but things that are productive don’t? It seems that the natural human condition is indulgent in things that aren’t good for us.

It also seems to be our nature to turn to ourselves for fulfilment and safety. We want to be able to do what we want, when we want. We want to be in control of our own destiny. We want our lives to be in our own power. Appealing as it is to have what we want and be in control, these are actually not good or healthy things for us. With thoughts like this in the back of our minds, let’s turn to our gospel reading.

You may remember from last week that Jesus was invited to have a dinner at a Pharisee’s house. Some lawyers were among the guests. Everyone was polite, except Jesus. He deliberately disregarded their rules of etiquette. Then he openly criticized the Pharisees and the lawyers. The passage ended with Jesus going outside and the scribes and Pharisees being hostile towards him. They decide to lay in wait for him to catch him in something he might say.

Then we pick up the story this week where a crowd, numbering in the thousands, has gathered around Jesus. Whoever all is in this crowd, they do not associate themselves with the Pharisees. Jesus’ criticism of the Pharisees continues. We want to pay attention to how Jesus’ criticisms develop; for they build upon each other.

First, Jesus says to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy. This phrase made perfect sense for its original readers but it gets muddled for us. We know what a hypocrite is. It is someone whose words and actions don’t line up. In ancient Greek a hypocrite was an actor on stage. An actor wore a mask and pretended to be someone else. Our translations into English are correct in using the word hypocrite, but here Jesus’ is using the Greek word the way Jews often did. That gave a slightly different, and deeper meaning. While hypocrite was the word for a professional actor, Jews often used it to refer to a person whose conduct was not determined by God, and is thus “godless”. That then makes Jesus words, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees; that is, their hypocrisy,” make more sense. Yeast and a professional actor don’t go together in an obvious way. But yeast as hidden corruption and hypocrisy as someone who’s conduct is not determined by God do fit together. Jesus’ warning is that the Pharisees make a show of being religious and faithful, but inside their lives are not determined by God’s will.

“All the things I really like to do are either illegal, immoral, or fattening,” said Alexander Woollcott. It appears that these motives are what are driving the Pharisees Jesus criticizes. While their lives appear to be religious, they are not being driven by God. Their apparent religious practices are really just ways to indulge their base motives. Jesus says the truth of their hearts will be exposed.

Then Jesus turns to his own followers with a warnings to that they do not fall into doing the same things. He says, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more.” If the Pharisees and lawyers were hostile towards Jesus, they are his enemies. But he is calling this crowd friends. He warns them that those in power may not like them turning to him. Their internal motives are godless after all. So the crowds should be surprised if their commitment to Jesus costs them. Jesus tells them that the real one they should be afraid of is the one who can cast into hell. He says, “Yes, I tell you, fear him!” But this is an ironic teaching. In the midst of hostile situations in life where people might be tempted to renounce their faith, God is the only one who should actually be feared. So they should stand strong in their faith. Of course! And yet Jesus has just called them “friends”. The character of God towards friends is such that we need not fear Him!

But let’s not get cocky. Even as we have God in our hearts and may not driven by godlessness like the Pharisees, there is still that unavoidable truth that all we like is either immoral, illegal, or fattening. We just can’t seem to naturally crave that which is good for us and draws us towards God. Owning up to our natural tendency to turn to everywhere but God is important. If we don’t own up to that tendency we’re thinking we are naturally good – and like the Pharisees and lawyers we read about last week.

As the story progresses we see that even the crowd Jesus just called friends is still prone to problems. They may like Jesus better than the Pharisees do, but they don’t really get what he is saying. Someone in the crowd says, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” What does this have to do with what Jesus has just been talking about? What does it have to do with authentic Spirit-filled witness towards Jesus? Nothing. Indeed the crowd is no better than the Pharisees. They’re just not quite as full of themselves for their own righteousness.

This man’s request prompts Jesus to tell the parable of the rich fool. This parable also gets at the root of human nature that exists in all of us. If we can, we’d rather trust in ourselves rather than in God.

In the parable the land of a rich man produces abundantly. He says to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” What should he do? He should sell the excess, that’s what he should do! By describing this man as a rich landowner Jesus sets him apart from the normal subsistence farmer; or even a farmer is fairly well off. This man is rich. He owns a lot; enough that if he withholds his grain from the market he can drive up the market price. So, in his greed he decides to keep his abundance. That will inflate the market price, which will mean even more money for him. Instead of sharing in his abundance he’s going to use it to further his own desires. He says to his soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”

Notice he does not thank God for his abundance. He also does not look to God for his sense of security or identity. He is going to be his own source of selfhood. His wealth will secure his needs and his status. Immoral, illegal, or fattening; this man is able to indulge and he intends to.

Jesus concludes the parable, “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’” The man in the parable is truly a fool. He has put his focus entirely on the wrong things. He has fallen into the godless trap of thinking that he himself is his own source of self. He’s going to rely on his own strength and prowess to succeed.

We want to be in control of our own destiny. But everything we really want is immoral, illegal, or fattening. That doesn’t take us anywhere good. Jesus said that those who want to save their life will lose it. But those who lose their life will save it. It is a reversal that is true.

We can’t be counted on to know or to want what is truly good for us. It all looks good but it takes us the wrong way. What takes us the right way is legal, moral, and wholesome. It doesn’t look good at first. It may not taste good either. But it is the path to strength. We pray to God to give us that strength and the knowledge to stay focused on him and to truly do what builds us for God’s kingdom.

July 13, 2025 Luke 11:37-54

I’ve often imagined what it would be like to invite Jesus to my home for dinner. The idea makes me anxious. What would Jesus say? What am I proud of that he would condemn? What do I dismiss as unimportant that he would praise?

There are several accounts in Luke’s gospel of people inviting Jesus into their homes. Several weeks ago we read about Simon the Pharisee who invited Jesus for a meal. An unnamed woman came and anointed Jesus’ feet. The whole thing was certainly embarrassing, yet Jesus criticizes his host for a lack of basic hospitality and praises the woman.

Then a couple weeks ago we had the story of Mary and Martha. Martha is doing her duty as a hostess while Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus listening. We’re tempted to take Martha’s part and criticize Mary for being lax. But Jesus criticizes Martha and praises Mary.

Later this year we’ll get to the story of Zacchaeus, the “wee little man” who was a tax collector and climbed a tree to see Jesus walk by. In that case Jesus invites himself to dinner. We’d expect Jesus to really rip into this tax collector. Tax collectors were despised and often crooked. Yet before Jesus can even say a word Zacchaeus is apologizing and promising a change of life.

Yes, you just don’t know what will happen if Jesus comes to your house.

Let’s see what we learn from the encounter we read today where a Pharisee invites Jesus to a meal. We take a step back and remind ourselves of two things. First, we’re still reading in Luke’s gospel about Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. He is no longer traveling around his home territory of Galilee but is slowly making his way south. This Pharisee had probably heard of Jesus before. Now Jesus had come into his area and a large crowd had gathered to hear him speak. So he invites Jesus to his home.

Second, Jesus was probably considered by most Jews to belong to the sect of Pharisees. Only the Pharisees had synagogues. None of the other sects did. Jesus has been teaching in synagogues all along. So, the dinner scene is not as if a Sadducee or Herodian had been invited. If Jesus were considered to be from one of those groups we’d expect conflict and confrontation. But, this encounter is among people of the same general religious group. The Pharisee could reasonably assume Jesus knew the beliefs and practices of people like himself.

But things do not go well. Right off the bat Jesus goes in and takes his place at the table without properly washing. This is not a matter of hygiene. It is a matter of ritual and religious practice.

When someone comes into our home there are countless social expectations involved. We don’t realize it, but there are. How would you feel if a guest who’d never been in your house before just walked in, dropped his shoes and coat on the floor at the door, started rearranging the furniture, took pictures off the wall to look at them, and then just walked to the fridge, opened it, and starting looking inside? There’s nothing outright dangerous or wrong with doing that sort of thing, but none of it is what we consider to be appropriate conduct from a guest.

Jesus does not follow, or seems to deliberately ignore, the Pharisee’s household’s religious practices and traditions. He is not being a good guest! Luke tells us that the Pharisee noted this but said nothing. The Pharisee is being a good host, not wanting to embarrass a guest in his house. The same way you may overlook any number of social faux pas from a guest. We learn later in the story that there are a good number of prominent guests at the Pharisee’s house. The Pharisee was probably embarrassed in front of his other guests, but again, as a good host not wanting to challenge or shame a guest, he keeps silent.

Perhaps, Jesus being from the backwards northern hick country of Galilee, his possibly ignorance of proper conduct could be overlooked. The Pharisee and his guests could all snicker about it later after Jesus has left.

But Jesus, who is already exhibiting behavior deviant from expected norms, goes further. Hosts should not embarrass their guests and guests should not embarrass their hosts. Jesus reveals that he not only knows the expected social norms yet is choosing to violate them, and he also reveals that he knows what’s going on inside their heads. So, he embarrasses his host and the other guests by saying, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.”

Ouch! What a way for Jesus to address an apparently kind and religious host! What a way to embarrass all the guests! I’m sure you’ve all been to a party or a gathering when someone says or does something that causes stunned silence and embarrassment from everyone else there. It is awkward to say the least. I imagine the scene where a large group of people were gathered at the Pharisees house for a good and pleasant meal, then Jesus as a guest ignores the rules and makes it worse by spouting off condemnations to them all.

Taken aback, and probably trying to politely release the tension a lawyer speaks us, “Teacher…” And notice that by addressing Jesus as “teacher” this lawyer is still showing Jesus polite respect. “…when you say these things, you insult us too!” But Jesus turns the social tension up even higher by proclaiming woes to the lawyers as well.

I know there are plenty of sleazy liability lawyers advertising their services all over the place. It is easy to judge lawyers, but let’s remember that the vast majority of lawyers simply represent their clients in routine matters and charge accordingly.

What is going on with this scene, and what do we take from it? Again, let’s keep in mind that everyone there is being kind, polite, and respectful. These are what we would call “good” people. We’d almost certainly like them. The are cultured, controlled, and respectful. But Jesus rips into them repeatedly. Obviously they are not as good as they think they are. What are they missing? And if they are like us, then what might we be missing?

Pharisees came from all economic classes: rich, poor, middle class. If the Pharisee in today’s story had a house big enough to host a major dinner party, and if some of the guests were lawyers, then it’s pretty safe to assume this Pharisee was well-to-do, if not downright wealthy. The lawyers too, were probably well-to-do. It is probably safe to say that none of the guests had callouses on their hands by making it through life with hard manual labor. In other words, they were management types who lived a step away from reality.

In their world of management they did all sorts of things that they considered to be proper morality and ethics. They followed religious laws. They thought their prosperity was proof that they were blessed by God. They had created their own circular logic of virtue. If you brought their morality and religiosity into question they could point to all sorts of virtues in their lives. They not only tithed, they tithed from their spices. They donated generously. They contributed to the preservation of important religious places, like the tombs of the prophets. It was hard to truly challenge them. Jesus points all of it out as misguided.

The same dynamics easily happen in our society today. It is easy to pick a political party or ideology and then take on its morality. You buy products that signal to which group you belong. You read books or listen to podcasts that reinforce the views you already have. Computer algorithms show us content that we agree with. It is easy to live in an echo chamber that tells us how good we are; and how bad, or ignorant, or even stupid, those we disagree with are.

But are we really good? How connected to reality are we? Are we not just participating in vast global systems of production and consumption? My intent is not to criticize global dynamics that give us comforts and conveniences. But I will remind us that we can easily call ourselves “good” and be totally ignorant of the real consequences of our lives.

We could beat ourselves up or wring our hands in helplessness but that would not be helpful. I think what Jesus wants from us, and what Jesus wanted from the Pharisees and lawyers that day in our gospel reading, was a recognition of sinfulness. Or said differently, not having smugness where we think ourselves better than others and look down on them.

It is the core of our faith to realize that we fall short of God’s desires; no matter how good our social groups tell us we are. I’d go so far as to say we trust the messages that we are good from our social groups more than we trust God.

It all comes down to humility, and openness to our frailties. With that attitude I think if Jesus were to come to our home we’d have an enjoyable time. It is those who think highly of themselves and their morals that Jesus has problems with. Those who are aware that they have failings, and are aware that we live in a society that makes it impossible to truly live ideally, are also open to Jesus. He had good things to say to such people and seemed to enjoy their presence.

All in all, we seek to be moral but do not take pride in the morality. We remember our need for God’s grace, and that even when we are truly moral in our lives we are still responding to God’s promptings in our hearts.