April 14, 2019 Palm Sunday Luke 29:28-48

Every time I read of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday I get an image of cowboy Jesus in my head.  He’s wearing jeans and a flannel shirt.  He has on a cowboy hat, cowboy boots with spurs, and a rope in his hand.

It’s a silly image, but the Bible makes it clear that no one’s ever ridden this colt.  Now Jesus plans to not only break it in but even ride it in a parade!

This whole Palm Sunday text shows us just how completely Jesus is in control of things.  Obviously he can break-in and control a never before ridden colt.  But we also see just how complete Jesus’ knowledge is.  When he’s getting close to Jerusalem he tells two of his disciples to go ahead into a village.  He gives them details about finding a colt, and what to do if someone asks why they’re taking it.  Then it all comes to pass just as Jesus describes.

I often wonder what those two unnamed disciples thought about being sent off to effectively steal someone’s colt.  Presumably Jesus returned it, so it wasn’t exactly stealing, but did the owner of the colt know that?  Just imagine Jesus is coming to Rochester from Syracuse.  He sends you ahead and says, “Go into Victor and stop at VanBortel Subaru on Route 96 and pick up a brand new red Subaru Outback for me.  Don’t worry about keys.  They’ll be in the ignition.  Just hop in and drive it back here.  If anyone at the dealership asks you what you’re doing just say, “The Lord has need of it.”

Ah… yeah… right… Jesus.  That would be a felony level theft.  I’m not going to jail just so you can have a new ride!

Who knows what all really happened, but just as Jesus predicted: the colt was there, the owners asked what the disciples were doing with it, and then they let it go!

Yes, we see here that Jesus knows everything and can control everything.  An irony begins to develop in the story.

Crowds of disciples await his arrival.  These crowds are probably rural people from the north who had seen Jesus or heard about him.  They were in Jerusalem for the Passover holiday.  They spread their cloaks on the rode as a royal welcome to him.  They don’t really get it.  They don’t really understand who he is, but they love him and expect great things as their hometown hero makes his way into Jerusalem.  They praise him calling him king and the one who comes in the name of the Lord.  They say, “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven!”  If those words sound familiar it is because they are.  It is exactly what the angels said to the shepherds when Jesus was born.  Now these words are in the mouths of the crowds.

Think about it.  The angels have praised Jesus.  The shepherds, notorious for being petty crooks and criminals recognized Jesus.  The animals submit to Jesus.  The crowds are praising Jesus.  Who is not praising Jesus?  The people we would most expect to praise Jesus – the Jewish religious experts.  These are the people who know the scriptures.  These are the people who should know how God acts.  These are the people entrusted with the task of making sure the commoners know how to live.  What do they say about Jesus?

Pharisees in the crowd say, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.”  They, in their educated wisdom, see Jesus as a charismatic teacher from the rural outskirts of society.  They expect him to know, as they know, that he is not real and that the devotion of the crowds is misplaced.  They see it as his duty to inform his followers where their loyalty should lie, and where their praises should be directed – to the city of Jerusalem, to the temple, and to the priestly leaders whose holiness is the model that all should aspire to.

What does Jesus reply?  His reply is very interesting, especially in light of the angels, shepherds, crowds, and animals all recognizing who he is.  He says, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out!”

Even the elements of the universe, things as basic as rocks, recognize God’s presence among them.

Yes, this truly means that the religious leaders are dumb as rocks.

We aren’t done with the stones yet.  They get a second mention in what we read.  Jerusalem, the city that should so clearly understand what God is up to is completely blind.  You can feel God’s lament over this in Jesus’ words, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.  Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies,” and notice that Jesus is not one of those enemies, “…your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side.”

If the religious leaders want the crowds to be silent over Jesus because it may cause a riot and thus danger to the city, they are so totally wrong.  No harm will come to Jerusalem because of Jesus’ presence.  Jesus continues, “They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you…”  Who is the “they”?  The Romans, those whom the religious leaders are working so hard to keep happy.

And here we have the stones again, these mute stones that would cry out if the crowds were silent, “… and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”

            As Christians we look back on this and see both a blessing and a warning.  It is a blessing because God, in his eternal mercy, will forgive even these stubborn religious leaders who are less informed than the rocks.  These religious leaders will insist that there is no way on earth that God could act the very way God will be acting in the days to come.

            We see a warning, because like the religious leaders of that day, we too are the religious people today.  We are the ones who should be expected to recognize the actions of God, and not get in the way.

            I don’t think we’d describe those religious leaders as bad people.  Surely there were some rotten apples among them, but for the most part we’d call them good upstanding citizens.  They were people of respect.  They knew their duty.  They knew what was expected of them.  They knew how to be models of righteousness.  I think we’d like most of them.  But they had misplaced loyalties and commitments.

            Sure, we do things that are wrong and sinful and indulgent sometimes, but for the most part we want to do what is good and right.  Let us be careful that doing what we think is right does not get in the way of God’s work.  The religious leaders thought they were preserving the faith and protecting Jerusalem.  But they missed it.

            Even when we mess up – mess up as bad as they did in Jerusalem that day – God’s plans continue.  I invite you to read in your Bibles at home all week what happens with Jesus day to day during Holy Week.  We’ll certainly be doing that on Thursday and Friday when we are here in worship.  And notice what happens.  Even though humans are so committed to undermining God’s plans they are ironically carrying it out. 

            Jesus has displayed throughout the gospel that he is on his way – which is God’s way.  He is carrying out God’s plans and nothing will deter him from it.  Now on Palm Sunday we see how Jesus is in charge of everything, from the rocks to the beasts to the crowds.  Even those who reject him are carrying out his plans.  And let there be no doubt as the week goes on, that while Jesus appears to be losing more and more control with each passing day, everything is actually happening according to his design.

            You know well I don’t like to say that God micromanages our lives, with specific plans for each of us for each and every moment of every day.  However, God does have a cosmic plan that is moving forward.  Whenever we live and act and move we are participating in God’s great work.  Let us rejoice to have such a role.  And let us be smarter than the religious leaders, smarter than the rocks even, and like the crowds have eyes open to see God at work.

April 7, 2019 Zacchaeus and the Ruler Luke 18:18-19:10

            If you are my age or older and you grew up going to Sunday school you surely know the song about Zacchaeus.  I’d sing it to you, but you don’t want me to do that:

Zacchaeus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he.

He sat up in a sycamore tree, the Lord he wanted to see.

And when the Savior passed that way he looked up in the tree.

And said, “Zacchaeus, you come down! 

For I’m coming to your house today.

For I’m coming to your house today.

Zacchaeus was a wee little man, but a happy man was he.

For he had seen the Lord that day

And a happy man was he.

And a very happy man was he.

            It’s a cute song and it helps us remember something about this short man in the Bible and something about how Jesus calls people.

            The song, however, is only the second half the story.  Today we want to look at both halves.  The first half is the beginning of our gospel reading.  There we meet, “a certain ruler.”

            And if it helps us understand that we’re to interpret these two stories in parallel, notice the same word is used of Zacchaeus, though our English translations miss it.  In Greek Zacchaeus is not called a “chief” tax collector, but a “ruling” tax collector – just like the “certain ruler” of the previous chapter.  The “certain ruler” is not given a name.  Zacchaeus, of course, is named.

            The certain ruler approaches Jesus and asks him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

            How about Zacchaeus?  He doesn’t approach Jesus at all.  He knows he can’t even see Jesus so he does a very unmanly thing – he climbs a tree.  And from up there Jesus calls out to him.

            The stature of Zacchaeus is more than just a bit of trivia about him.  It also carries symbolic significance.  He was short, not very manly, and not very well received in polite society.  The “certain ruler” was surely a highly desired guest in one’s home.

            The “certain ruler” approaches Jesus with what seems like a genuine question at first, but we pretty quickly realize it’s more of a business calculation; and it drips with arrogance.  “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

            This man’s heart is not in it.  He’s asking for a strategy.  He’s asking Jesus about eternal life with the same calculations I use when I have to buy a car.  Car salesmen don’t particularly like selling to me.  Oh, I’m hardly a tough negotiator, I’m just a boring customer.  I know what I need from a vehicle and I do research ahead of time.  I research makes and models, read reviews, compare gas mileage and overall ownership costs.  I put almost no emotion into car buying at all.  Then, based on my research I look for what I think will suit me best.  I never walk into a dealership and say, “Show me what you have.”  More often than not I search a dealer’s inventory, select the exact car I want to look out, and then make an appointment to take a look at it.  If I like it I buy it.  If not, I’m not interested in looking around.  Again, I’m a boring customer.

            The ruler knows his assets and his needs.  He’s done his research.  He’s followed the commandments to the letter.  He knows how to be righteous and he lives that way.  He knows how to be on God’s good side.  And obviously he is on God’s good side because his life is good.  He’s rich, he’s prominent, he has it good.  Everyone looks to him as a model of life.  You can just imagine a crowd around listening with anticipation as to what advice the “good teacher” will give to this fine, upstanding citizen.

            Then there’s Zacchaeus, a grown man up in a tree.  And why is he a grown man up in a tree?  Because a famous man is going to walk by and he wants to get a peek at him.  But no one respects Zacchaeus enough to give him a space in the front of the crowd. 

You know how at parades little kids are often allowed to sit or stand up front because they can’t see over the adults.  No one complains if a little kid wants to see.  They surely don’t get shouldered out of the way.  But Zacchaeus was not a cute little kid.  He was a grown man.  He was a scoundrel, a traitor.  He was not only a tax collector, but he was a ruling tax collector.  And while we don’t like the IRS in this nation it is nothing to what they thought of tax agents in those days.  At least the IRS is of our own government.  How would it feel, however, if Mexico conquered the United States, and then they hired some disloyal American citizens to be tax collectors?  The taxes were then used to pay for the armies that continued to occupy us.

When the Romans conquered and then occupied a nation they would use the earnings of that nation to pay for the armies that perpetuated the occupation.

Zacchaeus was in no position to go to Jesus and say, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”  He knew he was the filth of the earth, a traitor to his own people.  He was hated and had no place in polite society.

Jesus gives the “certain ruler” some advice, “Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

The ruler asked for the terms of a business deal to get into heaven.  Jesus gave it to him – sell your stuff and give the money to the poor.

This is way more than a call for charity.  If this ruler gave what he had to his wealthy friends they would feel indebted to him.  It would still be a business transaction and while he might be considered an odd ball he would still live in successful society.  But if he gave his money to the poor – well, what’s the advantage to that.  There is none!

The ruler would be powerless, friendless; and most importantly, helpless.

Heaven is not accomplished through a business deal.  Heaven is gifted through a relationship of trust with God.

Now look carefully at the Zacchaeus story.  Does Jesus anywhere criticize Zacchaeus?  Nope.  He just says that he wants to stay at his house.  Does Jesus tell Zacchaeus, “Now you know most of what you have you have acquired by exploiting the taxation system of the Romans.  You need to stop being a disgrace to you own people and you need to stop exploiting others”?  Nope. 

Without Jesus saying another word Zacchaeus volunteers, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.”

Look also at how Zacchaeus addresses Jesus.  Does he call him, “Good Teacher”?  Is Zacchaeus approaching Jesus as if he intends to begin a formal student/teacher relationship?  No.  He calls Jesus “Lord” right off the bat. 

Jesus then says, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham.”

The “certain ruler” wanted a business partnership for his own gain.  Zacchaeus wanted a relationship, he wanted to be seen, he wanted to be valued.

Jesus commends Zacchaeus.  Of the ruler he says, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”  Wealth is the mistaken belief that you can take care of yourself.  Wealth is the lie of safety.  Wealth is the lie that you can create your own value.

Two rich men: one tall, proud, and prestigious, one infamous and short.  We leave one delighted.  We leave one heartbroken.

Let’s learn from both that the key is relationship with God, not strategies and business transactions.  Strategies and business transactions are fine for buying a car or leveraging in a corporate buyout, but they have little in the way of relationship with God.  And whether we are short or tall, let us be delighted when we see our Lord at work, knowing that he is the key to salvation.

March 31, 2019 Jesus and Herod Luke 13:31-35

     What frightens you?  Everyone has fears of some sort.  Many people won’t admit it, but they are afraid of the dark.  Perhaps that’s not a well-founded fear, but it is real nonetheless.  Many people fear pain, and for good reason.  The fear of rejection runs deep and it makes people of all ages susceptible to peer pressure. 

     Of course there is the fear of dying.  That’s a good one – it is something we all must face sooner or later, but it is the ultimate unknown.  I like the way the Rev. John Walker, pastor of Willowbrook Christian Church says that studies show that people are more afraid of public speaking than they are of dying; which means that at a funeral they’d rather be the corpse than the pastor!

     In today’s gospel Jesus is confronted with something that should give him fear.  Some Pharisees came to him and said, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.”  I don’t think they’re trying to scare him.  They’re just giving him some good advice.  The situation is dangerous.  The powers that be want to do away with him.  And there’s good reason to be afraid.  You’ll remember what Herod did to Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist!

     Let me translate their warning from Greek a bit more literally, and also Jesus’ response.  The English isn’t as smooth, but it’s closer to Greek to say, “Go, journey from here, for Herod wills to kill you.”  He said to them, “Journey and tell that weasel, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work.  Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must journey on my way…” 

     We’ll return to that again, but let’s notice what happens here.  Is Jesus afraid of Herod?  He should be!  But he’s not, not at all.  And I think it’s good to hear the bold defiance in his voice, “Journey and tell that weasel…”

     That’s not the kind of language you use against a tyrant who’d just as soon kill you as look at you.  But it goes on.  What does Jesus really mean when he says, “I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work”?  He certainly referring to his public earthly ministry, but he’s mixing in another dimension – the three days in the tomb…

     He’s casting out demons… three days dead…

     Here’s the message he’s sending to back Herod:  I’m not afraid of you!  I’m gonna die and go to hell.  And while I’m there I’m kicking the devil out; out of his own home!

     Indeed in the creeds when we talk about him descending to the dead, or descending into hell, that’s exactly what he’s doing.  He’s taking God’s grace right to the very stronghold of evil.  He’s crashing down the gates and letting everyone go free.

     Talk about fearless!  No earthly power frightens Jesus.  Death doesn’t scare him.  Hell doesn’t scare him! 

     The Bible has no concise definition of evil.  It’s a hodge-podge of images and personifications.  We get the point though. 

     The Pharisees tell Jesus to journey away from there.  Jesus tells them to journey to Herod.  But as for Jesus he says, “I must journey on my way…”  Nothing is going to deter him.

     Look at the whole trajectory of the gospel.  Early on we have the devil testing Jesus in the wilderness.  There the devil came to Jesus and on Jesus’ turf had a battle and lost.  Throughout the gospel Jesus encounters evil spirits and demons and he casts them out every time.  Then we get to the end of the gospel and Jesus dies.  Now it’s his turn to go into the devil’s territory.  Though he’s just died because of the will of humans he’s on the offensive taking the fight right to the gates of hell.  There too he is victorious.  In a way Jesus is the ultimate tough guy.  Not even evil is safe when Jesus is around.

     There’s a conflict of journeys in the passage but there’s also a conflict of wills.  With a more literal translation from Greek we learn that Herod “wills” to kill Jesus.  The Greek word is qelw.  But that’s not the only time qelw appears in this passage.  We see it again in verse 34 when we learn Jesus “will”.  Of Jerusalem Jesus says, “How often have I willed to gather your children together as a hen gather her brood under her wings…”

     Jesus might be the ultimate tough guy.  Herod’s will doesn’t scare him.  Hell doesn’t scare him.  But Jesus’ will is not mean.  His will is to gather a troubled city together and keep it safe like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.  That’s an impressive image.  I imagine a huge and totally ripped biker dude heavily tattooed in a t-shirt.  He has hair cut short, scars various placed.  He’s got a hard chiseled jaw and fists like iron.  There’s a scowl on his face.  Everything about him says, “Don’t mess with me!”  And cradled in his arm, safely protected there, is Jerusalem like a helpless little baby.  Such was Jesus’ will.

     But we’re not done with wills.  Jesus may be triumphing over evil left right and center, but how is he doing with humans, especially the will of humans?  Jesus says, “How often have I willed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you did not will it.”

     Interesting.  The demons get it.  Evil knows the battle is lost.  Humans though, us creatures created in the image of God and so capable of thought and creativity and beauty and amazing things – we don’t get it.  Our stubborn wills just won’t bend.

     Jesus says of Jerusalem, “See, your house is forsaken.  And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of he Lord.’” 

     Jesus, unafraid of Herod, soon to be kicking the devil out of his own home, the ultimate tough guy is not angry with Jerusalem.  He’s not angry with us humans for our stubborn wills.  The text does not say, “I’m going to come with my fists of iron and bash you into oblivion.”  He has no desire to punish.  He just seems resigned.  It is as if that baby safely cradled in his arm is spitting and kicking and biting for all its worth against him.  And so, reluctantly, he puts it down and lets it go off to its own destruction.

     There are lots of things in this world that frighten us.  Fear can be a good thing because it keeps us safe in dangerous situations.  To have no fear is to be stupid.  But we have to remember that we can truly live without fear.

     God wins.  Period.  Not even hell is a safe place to hide from God’s power, because God won’t quit until it’s all his.

     You may remember me saying before.  The opposite of faith is not doubt.  The Bible makes it abundantly clear that faith and doubt go hand in hand.  No, the opposite of faith is fear. 

     So much of the stubbornness of the human will is based in fear: fear that we’ll be embarrassed, fear that we’ll fail, fear that we’ll lose our value; and maybe most of all – fear that our self-worth does not reside within ourselves.  For our self-worth is rooted in who God created us to be.  But we’ll fight kicking and screaming demanding that our self-worth is something of our own creation.

     Perhaps the deepest expression of faith includes the awareness that your worth resides in God.

     Our mighty Savior is afraid of nothing.  Nothing scares Jesus!  Tough warrior that he is, he is gentle with us.  He won’t hurt us.  His will is to protect us.  He is sad when our wills demand that we do things our own destructive ways.  And he is forgiving when we finally realize we’ve been wrong all along.  Sometimes we have to fall flat on our faces to realize it, but I guess at least we’ve learned.

     May we trust in Jesus – not Jesus as a nice sweet guy who’s too meek to be taken serious – but Jesus as a tough fighter who will defend us.  And may that trust free us from our fear and bring us into ever closeness to our Savior.

    

March 24, 2019 Discipleship Luke 10:1-23

            Have you ever had one of those days when everything just went perfectly for you?  I’m sure you have but you probably wish there were more of them!

I feel like the seventy disciples that we read about Jesus sending out in the gospel reading had several back to back days like that.  While everything seems to have worked out perfectly for them, these Bible verses can cause us lots of problems; and not just because we may feel like we have to become like annoying evangelists who bug people by going door to door!

First, let’s look at the problems these pairs of missionaries had to face.  Jesus even says he’s sending them out like lambs into the midst of wolves.  They are to take no money and no provisions.  Jesus apparently doesn’t have much regard for the Boy Scout motto, “Be Prepared”!  He certainly didn’t issue them tents!  They are to be on the road for this missionary trip and depend upon the hospitality of strangers.

We usually want to slam the door on an evangelist who comes to our door.  How about if that evangelist pair came and asked if they could spend the night, and eat supper with you!

To be fair, hospitality expectations were different in those days.  It was a bit of an expectation to extend hospitality to travelers.

And apparently they should be prepared to stay for several days because Jesus tells them not to move from house to house.  I guess Jesus didn’t want them switching houses if they were getting boxed macaroni and cheese from one house while the smell of steak and lobster tails wafted over the fence of the next door neighbor.

Actually though, you get Jesus’ point.  Your evangelism work is not about manipulating your way into something better.  This was about preparing towns that were on Jesus’ itinerary that he would be coming.

And Jesus tells them that if they are rejected in one town they shouldn’t get too fussed over it.  Just move on to the next.  Notice Jesus doesn’t tell them to curse a town that rejects them.  Just tell them they’ve missed the chance to have the kingdom of God come near.

We need to be clear.  Kingdom of God and eternal life in heaven are not the same thing.  Kingdom of God simply means that God’s reign, God’s means of justice, and God’s love have come to them and they have rejected it.  So just move on.

            If there is anything we should take from this Bible passage it is that – to bring the kingdom of God near. 

No, I’m not suggesting going door to door.  That would backfire.  And don’t annoy people with preaching.  I’ve said before I cringe every time I’m on an airplane and the person seated next to me finds out I’m a pastor and then he or she decides I’m a good target to practice their evangelism spiel on.

No, I mean that wherever you are and whatever you do, let your words and actions bring God’s kingdom to life.  A key part of Luke’s gospel that we haven’t explored yet is agency.  An agent is someone who is empowered to work and make decisions on behalf of someone else.  Luke’s gospel teaches us that we are agents of God’s kingdom, agents of God’s reign.

Our role is to think and act on behalf of God.  Just like the seventy that were sent out, we are to bring the kingdom of God near.

Jesus has some harsh words for those who reject him.  He references Sodom.  You probably have heard of that one from Genesis where God destroys them for their evil ways, primarily their inhospitality; which this passage is again about.

But Jesus also lists other cities: Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum.  These are all towns in Galilee who had seen Jesus at work first hand, but they did not respond genuinely to Jesus’ message of salvation.  He says that Tyre and Sidon, both ancient Phoenician seacoast towns (and thus not Jewish) will have it more tolerable on the day of judgment.  Tyre and Sidon were two towns the prophet Isaiah had criticized for their wickedness centuries before.  They had a bad reputation among Jews.  Yet Jesus asserts they would have received him better than Jewish settlements.  They would have redirected themselves towards God’s kingdom.

You can feel the tension and despair over Jewish towns who should have an inside track on what God is doing don’t respond to God’s presence.

I wouldn’t get too alarmed over Jesus saying Capernaum will be brought down to Hades; probably meaning a place of eternal punishment for the wicked.  He is not condemning, just stating a reality.  Those who reject God’s purposes reject their hope.

            At this point it feels like Jesus’ whole public ministry has been a flop.  He grew up in Nazareth.  You’ll remember they rejected him when he went back home.  In fact they got so upset with him they tried to kill him.  He then appears to have made Capernaum his home base.  They’ve apparently not responded to him either.  Other towns haven’t as well.

            How would it feel if you spent years working on something only to have it all fail?  I think it is good for us to remember as we think about Jesus, that during his ministry he was for the most part a failure.  Despite the miracles, and the healings, and the amazing sermons few people’s lives changed.  He was like a great circus act who was forgotten when the show pulled out of town.

            When the seventy return and share how successful they’ve been we can then feel Jesus’ happiness as we read, “At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.”  (10:21)

            This isn’t an anti-intellectual statement.  Jesus isn’t saying that anyone above a certain score on an IQ test is doomed to hell.  Notice the last line, “for such was your gracious will.”  Grace does not follow logic and it cannot be limited or controlled.  Those who insist that God must work in ways that make sense to the human mind are close minded.  God is not so limited.

            Finally Jesus tells the disciples how lucky they are.  They get to be on the inside for God’s greatest actions.

            In the mid-week Lenten worship last week we talked about how God’s actions don’t always make sense.  Things like faith, hope, and love cannot be measured or defined by logic.  Yet these are the things of God.

            As we live day to day trying to be disciples, and trying to bring the kingdom of God near, we face many struggles.  Many things don’t add up.  Many things look like failures.  We may wish that we had more confidence and more certainty.  We may wish we could see what the disciples saw.  We may wish we could experience a lot more success for our efforts.  But ours is not to be successful.  Ours is to keep bringing the kingdom near.

            Let me conclude with Jesus’ vivid teaching that I overlooked, his statement that he has given them authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and nothing will hurt you.

            Some churches actually do that!  I’d hate to be an usher there!  But Jesus did not mean it literally.  Snakes, scorpions, Satan, the power of the enemy; these are all descriptions of evil.  He meant that his followers need not fear evil, for God will conquer it.

            Perhaps bringing the kingdom of God near in the face of evil feels like attacking an aircraft carrier with a row boat; a foolish and impossible task.  And indeed it is.

            But faith, hope, and love abide.  They are stronger than the mightiest fortress.  With God’s gracious promises we trust that they will triumph.  And when we fail we know we receive the same grace that we proclaim when we succeed. 

So bring the kingdom of God near.  Fear no evil.  You are God’s agent, but the work is really God’s.

March 17, 2019 Discipleship Luke 9:46-62

            We often imagine Jesus as a kind and gentle person.  Most pictures of him depict mercy, acceptance, and love.  The picture we have in the Gathering Area of the Risen Christ by the Seashore, depicts him grinning with friendliness.  And then we imagine this kind and gentle person meekly being arrested, condemned and executed in a horrific fashion.  It is all so tragic.  That is, until of course, the resurrection on Easter.  Then we have the loving man back.

            But those images of Jesus don’t begin to cover it.  We are all complex people.  We have different moods at different times.  We have a mix of ideas and motives.  Sometimes we are happy and sometimes we are sad.  Sometimes we are patient and kind and sometimes we are short tempered and rough.  Why would we expect Jesus to be forever meek and passive?

            Even so, we think we are supposed to be kind and gentle.  I suppose it’s because we want that same thing from other people.  We aren’t usually rude and harsh.  If you’ve ever broken up with someone I assume you did it gently.  You may have even rehearsed what you were going to say.  And you said things like, “I don’t want to hurt your feelings…”  Or, “It’s not you, but me…”  I assume you’ve never said, “I woke up this morning and decided you’re stupid.  Go away.  I don’t care if I never see your face again.”

            Maybe it falls to you to give people their job evaluations at work.  It’s not fun when you have to give a person bad news, or maybe even fire him or her.  You’re anxious and wish you didn’t have to do it.  You start off by listing their strengths and making them feel valuable.  And maybe with flushed cheeks and embarrassment do you then broach the problems and issues.  Even when someone is guilty of gross misconduct we don’t like to be mean.  I doubt you’ve ever said, “You’re a totally worthless moron.  Clear out your work area and go home.  Oh, and if the door does hit you on the way out, I’ll be glad!”

            Of course there is a difference between being rude and being straightforward, but when being straightforward feels rude we try to mix in as much kindness as possible.

            So when we read in the gospel that James and John want to bring down curses upon a Samaritan village that rejected Jesus we expect Jesus to say something like, “Now guys, God is merciful.  You need to work on changing those negative thoughts into positive opportunities.”  No.  We don’t know what Jesus said, but just that he rebuked them.  Not exactly nice.

            Then we encounter three people who could be disciples.  The first one makes what appears to be a good and sincere offer of devotion, “I will follow you wherever you go.”  Jesus replies, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

            It’s impossible to know what’s really going on here.  We just don’t have enough information.  Biblical scholars I’ve read all believe the person’s offer to follow wherever he goes was more like a idealistic enthusiasm, and not a solid commitment.  Jesus then bluntly points out a hard truth.  He has no home, no security, and no comforts.  God even provides for the wildlife better than Jesus is, and will be, receiving.

            Have you ever hiked up a mountain?  A hard steep ascent is somewhat thrilling.  It’s challenging and it’s full of anticipation.  But if you have miles of boring walking before you even get to the foot of the mountain you start to wonder if the view from the top will be worth it.  Following Jesus on this journey to Jerusalem may very well be a lot of tedium and boredom.

            The next person we meet is someone Jesus invites into discipleship.  The text says, “To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’  But Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’”

            Once again, we are short on details.  We want to know more so that we can understand Jesus’ words better.  Most interpreters spiritualize this.  They say that what Jesus really meant was, let the spiritually dead bury the dead; but as for you (who are implicitly being given the chance to be spiritually alive) go and proclaim the kingdom of God.

            I suppose those scholars know Luke better than I do, but I find that lacking.  I often find the thoughts of commentator Joel Green to be more intriguing.  Green suggests that Jesus meant it literally, “Let the dead bury their own dead.”  Which is, of course, impossible.

            Jewish burial customs of the time had a twelve-month mourning process.  When a person died his or her body was placed in a tomb, often a cave or hollow dug in a hillside.  The body would be sealed in there for a year while the body decomposed.  Then, after a year the tomb was reopened.  The bones were collected and reburied in an ossuary or “bone box.”  Joel Green suggests Jesus words mean that let those already dead in the family tomb rebury their own dead. 

            Again, this is impossible.  But it is Jesus’ response to this man who has made an excuse why not to follow Jesus.  He has family obligations.  He needs to stick around to rebury his father’s bones.

            Keep his situation in mind as we look at the next person Jesus invites, “’I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’”

            Again, harsh words.  But again, Jesus has invited someone and that someone has an excuse for why not to follow.  Surely this person doesn’t have to walk out on the spot and leave his or her family uninformed as to what their going to do.  The key is that it, like the previous situation, is attempting to delay obedience in light of other obligations.

            The words are harsh but the message is clear.  Devotion to Jesus must come first.  It cannot be one of several good things a person does, with each good thing competing for attention.  Sometimes I think we Americans these days exhaust ourselves with all the good stuff we have to keep up with in order to maintain the idea that we are good people.

            How often do “good things” get in the way of true discipleship?

            And let’s make it interesting, and just as real as the obligation of honoring the remains of a dead relative.  Most churches will say that Sunday morning is a time for worship.  It is a time that must be venerated and set aside above all other obligations.  It sounds like righteousness.  But is it?

            Laura Daly, the dean of the Southern Tier Conference, tells congregations, (I’m paraphrasing) “If you haven’t had at least half a dozen visitors come to your church in the last year because you have Sunday morning worship then you can’t claim your Sunday morning worship is serving the kingdom of God.”

            Ouch.  But true.  She isn’t saying their worship is invalid.  She’s saying that preserving the Sunday morning time slot tradition is no longer serving God’s kingdom.  It’s time to move the worship time or put your key evangelism efforts elsewhere.

            This is the kind of challenge Jesus is giving.

            You’re probably sick of hearing me talk about us living in times that churches are declining.  But I don’t think it’s that the church has lost touch or headed down a wrong path.  I think it’s a wake-up call.  We can no longer fool ourselves into thinking that a culture that has built itself around a surface of Christian practice is actually doing God’s work.  It may be.  Or it may not.

            Last week when we read about the Transfiguration the voice from the cloud said, “Listen to him,” meaning Jesus.  That goes for today too.  God is not limited to traditions and practices.  The way of following God and discipleship does not follow patterns.  There are no formulas.  And every time we think there is one, we are definitely wrong.

            But God does not call us to cruel and harsh tasks.  God does not cause our lives to be hurtful, empty, and broken simply for the sake of it.  God would free us from everything that entraps us.  God would free us for adventure.  So, obligations to family brought about by traditions, and the trap of ever needing to protect ourselves from every possible liability, and the enslaving need to keep people happy with us, and many others, can all be removed.

            The world has so many many ways of entrapping us.  God would free us.  May your faith give you the courage and the creativity to be truly free.

March 3, 2019 Healing and Forgiveness Luke 5:12-26

            I believe you all know what karma is.  It’s the belief in Hinduism and Buddhism that if you do bad things they will come back to haunt you.  If you do good things they will come back to reward you.  And if you get through this life without suffering the consequences or receiving the rewards, you’ll get them in the next life.

            As Christians we reject the idea of karma, but we still live the idea that actions have consequences.  If you make healthy choices you should be a healthy person.  If you have unhealthy or dangerous habits sooner or later they’ll catch up to you.  We also like the idea that the punishment should suit the crime.  If you’re going 30mph over the speed limit on the New York State Thru Way you can expect to get a bigger fine than if you’re pulled over for going 5 mph over the speed limit.  Although if you’re going 5 over the speed limit you’re probably going to end up as a new hood ornament on a big truck.

            We believe in justice and fairness, and we aren’t afraid to throw God into the mix too.  Often legal oaths involve swearing before God that you will tell the truth.  The idea being that if you lie you’re calling divine retribution upon yourself.  And if you get away with it in this life you’re surely burn in hell for it in eternity.  Any logical person would tell the truth!

            Keep all that in mind as we look at today’s gospel reading from Luke.  The first verses set the stage for the main scene.  Jesus has become such a famous healer that people from far and wide are coming to see him.  The crowds have gotten so big that not everyone can even get to him.  One day while in a house four very devoted men climb up on the roof, tear it off, and lower their paralyzed friend down to Jesus.

            They get an A+ for devotion, although I wonder how their friend felt about being carried and bumped up onto the roof of the house!

            I wonder what Bruce Allen, our insurance broker, would say if we started having crowds here so big for worship that people started tearing off the roof to get inside?  Oh well, we don’t have to worry about that problem!
            A whole bunch of stuff starts getting mixed together once the man is lowered to Jesus.  Luke’s gospel says, “When [Jesus] saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven you.’”  Faith is a big part of all that is about to happen, but we have to set that aside for now and come back to it.

            Scribes and Pharisees, religious experts in other words, begin to question what’s going on, “Who is this who is speaking blasphemies?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?”  But Jesus perceives their questions and says, “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’?”

            I think we easily see that as two different issues.  For us, forgiveness and physical healing are not inextricably linked.  Forgiveness can seem cheap.  We say some words in worship and have communion and that’s it.  It’s all intellectual or emotional, not something we physically feel.  For healing, for physical stuff, you go somewhere else, either a doctor or a hospital.  But remember back to where we started, with karma.  For the people of that day the issues were one and the same.

            Why was that man paralyzed?  The gospel doesn’t tell us.  But it is safe to assume that people figured he must have done something wrong; something to deserve it.  He had sinned and his paralysis was divine punishment.  Or, perhaps his parents sinned and his paralysis was their fault.  Whatever the case, God had ordained that this man would suffer in this way for something wrong that had happened.  It was seen as God’s order.

            So when Jesus says, “…your sins are forgiven you,” this is more than just some traveling preacher making silly proclamations.  This is someone who is challenging the whole order of the world.  He is challenging their ideas of justice and fairness.

            You can’t just tell a paralytic that his sins are forgiven.  No, they’re not.  He’s paralyzed because he sinned.  You can’t just erase the paralysis.  And he’s not truly forgiven as long as he’s paralyzed.  That’s his divine punishment.

            Jesus understands all this clearly.  That is why he shows that he truly has the power to forgive.  Forgiveness means restoration to full life.  He says, “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” – he said to the one who was paralyzed – “I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home.”

            That’s more than just about a miraculous healing.  And it’s more than just about forgiveness.  In their minds Jesus just upended the whole way they understand the world.  Where is justice?  Where is fairness?

            Did this man truly repent?  Did he offer the proper sacrifices for forgiveness or make restitution for past wrongs in order to be divinely healed?

            With healings like this suddenly the whole understanding of how the world works and what you can depend upon can’t be depended upon anymore.

            It’s easy to imagine this man as a life-long paralytic who has suffered innocently and he now has wholeness of life.  But we just don’t know.  He could just as likely been a construction worker.  Let’s say it was his job to set up a scaffold beside a high stone wall that was being built.  But he was drunk one day while he was doing it and did a shoddy job.  Then later, when a whole work crew was standing on the scaffold, he among them, the thing collapsed and several people were killed and he was paralyzed.

            Do you see?  We don’t know, but if we did, we might say this man deserves what happened to him.  Let him be a lesson to everyone else!

            And then Jesus heals him and forgives him.  If we take the construction accident scenario a bit further, what about all other families who are now suffering because their loved ones were killed?  How come they don’t get restoration while he gets to walk off without paying the penalty?

            Now of course that’s pure speculation on my part, but I say it to get to the point.  Jesus’ actions potentially upend everything we think we know about goodness and fairness.  Do you see why the religious experts were upset?  What kind of God would do this?  What’s the point of good religious practice and trying to live a good life and be a good person if it doesn’t count for anything?

            The ideas would make us mad too.

            Luke’s gospel is going to return to the ideas of fairness, and especially why do bad things happen to good people, but here he swings our thoughts back to the beginning of the scene.

            When Jesus saw their faith…

            Whose faith?  Is it the faith of the paralyzed man?  No, at least not his alone.  It is referring to the faith of his friends.

            Some would preach that it was the unquestioning faith of all these guys that led to the correct righteousness necessary for the healing to occur.  Faith then becomes about believing without any doubt whatsoever.  And if you don’t get what you want or need then there’s a flaw in your faith.

            There’s a circular trap to that logic, but many Christians believe just that.

            But that is not the faith of these men.  And it is not the type of faith that has to believe without any questions or doubts.  Their faith is one of action driven by relationships.  That is what Jesus is commending.

            Is he seeing these guys have pure motives?  No.  Does he see perfect contrition in the heart of the paralyzed man?  No, that’s not it either.

            He sees people who have oriented their lives toward what God is doing.  And that is forgiveness in and of itself.  Perhaps the key word in this passage is not faith or forgiveness.  It’s not even the healing.  Commentator Joel Green says the key word, and the center of the whole scene is when Jesus calls this paralyzed man “Friend”.  He is a friend of God.

            May we not have our lives bound in issues of fairness and unfairness, or trying to make sense of righteousness.  I’m not saying they’re irrelevant.  They are relevant, but they aren’t ultimate.

Instead, may we build our lives on the ultimate; on being a friend of God, someone in right relationship who turns there no matter whether things are fair or unfair, or seem right or wrong, all is done beside God.