On the Way to Wonder

Luke 13:22-30

Jesus is still on his way to Jerusalem and the cross.  A random person asks if only a few people will be saved.  That’s a good question.  Many are gambling that all roads lead to God and so the margin of error is pretty big.  Generally it boils down to being good (like me) is all that is needed.  The qualification to enter the kingdom of heaven is based on my actions of kindness and not on faith or a personal relationship with a God that cannot be seen.  How much wiggle room is there in this dynamic we call faith?  Do we need just a mustard seed of faith or faith that moves a mountain?  Jesus talks about the “narrow door.”

         The desire for the good life is a dream for all of us whether we call it heaven, Nirvana, or Paradise.  For some of us this looks like financial success while for others it may look like social success and unfortunately for many it is defined by power.  We list the most influential people at the end of the year, the most successful, the most talented, the most-you name it.  But the person in our text is asking about being saved.  Being “saved” means being included in the kingdom of heaven.

           Jesus answers that “the owner of the house” makes the decision.  It is not based on our actions but on God’s.  Once God closes the door, the final deadline has been reached.  No excuses – I meant to…, I wanted to…., I’m a friend of…., I tried once but got confused…  All our excuses will be useless.  Jesus continues to say that all sorts of people we did not even know will be included and people we thought so highly of will be excluded.  We do not know who is in or out because we are not the owner of the house.  We do not see the big picture.  The margin or error is not about our behavior but God’s grace. It is not about whether we act good enough.  It is about relationship. 

         It sounds harsh to our Western ears but in fact we can name so many situations where parameters are set on membership in whatever.  We even use that kind of thinking with our families as we ponder how far to bend with that alcoholic child, that child that does not follow the family values, and that child that is just different.  We, as humans, understand “belonging.”  We use the word “adoption” to talk about people included by the grace of the “owner.”

         Today’s text is serious.  We do not want to think of some included and some excluded or that the door is narrow.  It is hard to trust the owner of the house to make that decision.  Grace, faith and trust are hard.  We want to qualify based on our qualifications and our wonderfulness.  But the truth is that we are all sinners and all are welcomed into the kingdom of God by his grace.  The stories we cover during Lent draw us to the truth of our need for God and characteristics of the kingdom Jesus is ushering in.  Reflect this morning on how a “works” thinking sneaks into your thoughts towards yourself or towards others.  Thank God for his grace and that the “door” to heaven is wide enough for sinners like you and me!

         Lenten challenge: “In India, community health workers provide free medical care.  The ELCA Hunger Appeal helps pay for their training.  Give 25 cents for each time you visited a doctor this year.”

Luke 13:18-21

“Then…”  Luke tells us that on this trip to the cross, Jesus has just healed a woman crippled by an evil spirit on the Sabbath and that the leaders in the synagogue objected.  Work cannot be done on the Sabbath they claim but Jesus reframes the objection to, “But kindness can be done on any day.”  “Then…” Jesus turns everyone’s attention to the kingdom of heaven.     Kindness and Kingdom are related!  Being crippled and being harassed by evil spirits is a big thing.  War is a big thing.  Disease and famine and cruelty are big things.  The issues we are facing are big things.  An act of prayer, an act of kindness even done on the Sabbath, changed that woman’s life and included her back into society.  It is a taste of the kingdom of heaven coming to earth.  Not only her life was changed but also the Jewish people were changed. The good deed trickled down through the centuries, teaching us. 

         The kingdom of God starts like something small, like a mustard seed or yeast, a kind deed and the course of history is changed for the good.  We could probably say a cruel deed changes the course of history also, for the worse.  Who can replace all the history and culture destroyed by the bombs in civilian areas and the killing of lives in war?  Good and evil have a ripple affect.  They are like yeast in our soul and history.

         We may debate whether the mustard seed is truly the smallest seed or we can embrace the truth that a kindness done has far-reaching benefits that we may never live to see.  Let us spend a few minutes pondering a kindness, a mustard seed that could be planted today.  A smile or an unexpected email or phone call can change the direction of today for someone.  Maybe we cannot fight the war but we can sow kindness.  The kingdom of God is like those small deeds that ripple throughout our culture and help make our world a better place to live.  Blessings as you do an act of kindness today.  Blessings.

Luke 13:10-17

Merriam-Webster defines “pushing the envelope: 

         To push the envelope means to surpass normal limits or attempt       something viewed as radical or risky. It comes from the   aeronautical use of envelope referring to performance limits that       cannot be exceeded safely. The phrase was originally limited to      space flight, before spreading to other risky physical        accomplishments, and finally metaphorically to any boundary-  pushing activity, such as art.”

Jesus is a well-known healer.  The Gospel of Luke is full of stories.  But as Luke tracks Jesus headed to Jerusalem, Luke notes this incident where Jesus heals a woman “crippled by a spirit for eighteen years.”  There is a spiritual aspect to this sickness.  The problem, though, is that the synagogue leader objects that this deed was done on the Sabbath.  It is a good deed but done on the wrong day because “work” had been defined as wrong on a day of rest. Work was not done on the Sabbath.

         Jesus reframes, renames the “envelope” and asks if deeds of kindness cannot be done on any day.  He pushes the envelope.  How often are we trapped and critical of others and ourselves because we are working with envelops that need redefinition?  The outpouring of humanitarian concern and outreach in the midst of war is redefining “aid” as people have gone to public media, broadcasting the inhumanity of war, and ordinary people are responding.  We may well be redefining the morality of war.

         One example I can think of is the condemnation we pour on ourselves for our wrongs, our sins.  We try to call them mistakes but in our heart we know we have done wrong in thought, word and deed.  Jesus redefines sinner to forgiven, disease to healable, and death to life….but we have not got that far yet.  Today Jesus is showing that kindness is doable on any day and that evil does not have the last say in our health.

         Perhaps today’s challenge is to reflect on whether you have been beating yourself up or a loved one about something that could be redefined as “forgiven.”  Don’t be foolish but also don’t be stubborn.  Jesus wants to help, even on the Sabbath!

         Lenten charity challenge, “Hungry people often don’t have homes.  Give 5 cents for every hour you slept in a bed last night.”  Maybe count the total of hours your household spent in bed and put the money in your jar!   

Luke 11:1-4

We started this week pondering the Lord’s Prayer.  The above music video is a modern musical version based on the Lord’s Prayer done by Hillsong.     Perhaps one of the most remarkable parts of the prayer for me is the we invitation to call the God of the universe, ”Father.”  That does not roll easily off my tongue.  We can run to him in the middle of the night or anytime an unexpected need arrives at our doorstep.  God does not fight against himself, casting out good for another good. He’s not like a double minded lover who switches devotion if something better comes along.  God desires a real family relationship with us, not master servant but father to child with all the growth and independence and self expression that implies.  When that relationship is marred by lack of transparency, cheating, and deception both parties experience woe.  We can’t say one thing and then act another.  Many of us have been hurt by phony promises of devotion and commitment only to discover it was a lie.  God doesn’t double deal like that.  As amazing as it sounds, a being so very different than us, incarnated to understand us better and open the way for us to choose relationship with him.  Ephesians 2:8-10 says, “⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— ⁹ not the result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”

         Listen to the song and reflect quietly on the gift of relationship.

Lenten challenge for March 12: “In Laos, children learn to garden and raise animals so that they can provide their own food  Give 5 cents for each kind of fresh vegetable and fruit in your kitchen.”  Put it in your Lenten jar for charity!

Luke 12: 35-48

“Undercover Boss” is a TV serial with its at least 8 seasons.  It is a “two-time Emmy Award winning reality series” according to the Internet overview.  It portrays executives leaving their high status positions and slipping anonymously in with the working employees of their own organizations.  The “boss” wants to examine the nuts and bolts of the workings of his organization.  This sounds terribly familiar to our text today.  Jesus is telling the crowds that they should act like servants who realize the boss might come home at any moment, or worse yet, might be in disguise among them.  The sounds like Jesus, God Incarnate, warning people that it is possible for God to be among them and they might not even realize it!

         So why is this important?  As the TV series shows, the boss sees who is responsibly handling their assignment and those workers will be  rewarded, get raises.  The undercover boss also sees who the lazy workers are and which workers take advantage of fellow workers and abuse the trust they have been given.  Those servants, employees, will be punished severely.  God is able to be undercover, seeing, rewarding and punishing.  Jesus is speaking in language we understand only too well.  Our relationship is not based on being hired but is based on being family, should we choose to be adopted.  But it is true, as the God of the universe who incarnated that God also sees our treatment of the world and responds.

         As we travel through Lent, it might be wise to take a minute and write down three main responsibilities you feel you have.  You could divide the paper and write ways you try to be responsible on one side and “room for improvement” on the other side.  Pray over both sides with thanksgiving and prayers for improvement!  Blessings.

         Our Lenten prayer: “ Many children can’t afford breakfast.  Try skipping that meal today and see how it feels.”  An alternative idea would be to put the cost of a cup of coffee at your favorite spot, into your charity jar.

Luke 11:37-54

As Jesus headed to Jerusalem, he was not just a do-gooder, healing and helping people in distress.  Nor was he only engaging his followers, people who were on the same wavelength as him.  In the last half of chapter 11 of Luke, Luke shares about Jesus eating in the home of a Pharisee.  We often think of the Pharisees as the bad guys but here we see Jesus reaching out.  I suspect it is a bit like a Democrat sitting down to dine with a bunch of Republicans.  The host noted that Jesus did not follow the ritual of washing his hands and asked Jesus about it.  Jesus had his toe in the door to talk.        Jesus honestly talks with the man about all the customs that divided people into good and bad categories and create walls and accusations.  For example, eating with dirty hands must point to a disregard for law. Jesus was able to challenge the guests to deeper thinking.  Perhaps it would not be dissimilar to having a heart to heart with someone who doesn’t wear a mask.  Honest exchanges need not mean hostile exchanges but often they become just that, relationship breakers.

         Jesus tackled ways in which we are hypocritical.  Jesus points out that there is a difference between the outer facades we present and inner realities of which we are, forms vs. intent.  Looking holy is different than being holy.  Tithing to promote a cause if we live unjustly is pointless.  The goal is not just creating laws to avoid punishment but to create systems that promote health and justice.  Seeking honor but not being honorable doesn’t work.  When we live in a disingenuous way, we bring woe on ourselves.

         Lent is a time when we reflect on our spiritual journey.  It is a time when we ask ourselves tough questions.  Are there ways that I try to wash up, either myself or my situations, to make myself appear better than I know I am?  Are there tithes I give to look good but forget to act justly?  How do I play the phony?  That’s a tough question that might be worth pondering, confessing and seeking to straighten out in my life.  Lent is about more than refusing chocolate or candy but it is looking deeper into those issues that bring woe to others, to ourselves, and to our God.  It’s not easy but in the end woe isn’t either. Blessings as you reflect.

         Here is our Lenten challenge, for that jar to give to a charity after Easter: “More children die from had water and poor sanitation than from hunger.  Give 25 cents for every faucet in your house.”

Luke 11:14-28

Jesus is headed to Jerusalem and the cross but on his journey people are watching his actions and debating what his power source is.  Jesus drives a mute spirit out of a man and the man can then speak.  The people reason that if Jesus is able to drive out spirits because he has the power of Beelzebul, prince of demons, then perhaps he can make signs appear from heaven. Where does his power come from?  We know that debate today as rulers fight.

         Jesus points out that if Satan drives out demons by the power of Satan then Satan is dividing his house, and that house will fall.  Division implies disunity and leads to defeat.  That is different than diversity that implies  different ways and different talents to reach a common goal with common values. Jesus continues on to say that the defeated, humiliated demon will find seven friends and returns for another battle and possession.  Defeat through war and humiliation can only lead to disaster.  Here we see the difference between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of this world.  God does not rule by bringing divisions.  God woes us to agreement and mutual support in the midst of our differences.  God uses love and unity.  Consequences come because of our choices, not his power.

         Perhaps Jesus would say that the real important question is what fills the houses of our lives?  Refusing evil needs to be followed by choosing God and filling our hearts with his wisdom.  Often we look at the less fortunate and pat ourselves on the back that at least we are not like them.  Being slightly in debt may indeed be better than being deeply in debt but it is not the same as being friends with the owner of the bank who will lend you whatever you need.  It doesn’t always seem that easy in the midst of the fray, choices never are.  So let us reflect on what we are filling our hearts with today.  Are we filling our lives with fluff and noise, not necessarily evil but not necessarily character building either?  But likewise we must realize that in our own strength, we cannot fight off evil.  It is only our relationship with Jesus that gives us strength.  What disciplines do we have that give us strength to confront evil and how can we strengthen them during this lenten journey?

Luke 11:5-14

Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them how to pray and from that comes what we call the Lord’s Prayer.  But Jesus did not give it like a command saying that is the form that prayer must always take.  He continues on to give us a picture of what prayer is like.  He paints a scene of a person caught unprepared and in need so he runs to his neighbor for help.  Our person has an unexpected visitor and his own cupboard is bare.  The friend  who has already retired, does not inconvenience himself to earn love from his neighbor but responds out of love.  God does not give snakes when we ask for fish and he does not give us a scorpion when we ask for an egg.  We are free to ask for our daily bread, that which we really need, because he loves us and we are not bothering him.

     I worked in a former famine relief camp when we first went to Kenya where there were 5,000 starving people living in cardboard huts around our station.  A time of famine came and people came to our door begging.  I was down to sharing my potatoes that we had hauled from down-country.  I vividly remember a little old lady spitting at me as I explained that the potato could be put in water and boiled and mashed if necessary for her baby.  Her response was that she did not eat rocks.  She wanted milk!  She suspected I was hiding the good stuff necessary for a mug of chai.

     The biblical story focuses on the need of the moment, the guests are at the man’s house now and he needs food.  How often do I spin tales in my mind about the problems I suspect I will have tomorrow when for sure, tomorrow may never come.  How often does God give me a potato but I am so focused on wanting milk that I distain the gift I’m given.

         Jesus is walking to the cross but he focuses on the needs of the people he meets on the way.  We too are walking through Lent, walking through the trials that we are facing us today.  Tomorrow is a different set of problems.  May we trust that God is giving us fish and eggs even when life seems harsh and tedious, more like potatoes.  May we have eyes to see the gifts of the day and may we be deep in prayer for those who are overwhelmed with the challenges of war, of disease, and poverty.  Lord have mercy.  “Give us each day our daily bread.  Lead us not into the temptation of greed and guard us from an attitude of ingratitude!

Luke 11:1-4

We continue this week with Jesus enroute to Jerusalem.  We are introduced to Mary and Martha, the thinker at Jesus’ feet and the doer in the kitchen hostessing.  Yup, still today we have different strokes for different folks.  The next lesson, though, we all agree on. “Lord, teach us to pray!”  Whether we think great thoughts or do great deeds or are just ordinary like most of us, like the disciples, we realize that when approaching the God of the universe, we need help.  Prayer was obviously a secret source of power for Jesus and it works in our lives in multiple ways too.  For times of deep grief, prayer comforts.  For times of confusion, prayer helps us sort ourselves out and center and clarify our thoughts.  For many of us now we spend time bringing the warring factions of our world before God, praying for mercy and the end of violence.  Sometimes prayer will move that mountain in front of us into the sea and other times it helps us persevere in climbing it.  Luke gives the shorter version of the prayer:

“Father,

Hallowed be your name,

Your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread,

Forgive us our sins,

For we forgive everyone who sins against us.

And lead us not into temptation.”

“Father” might be hard for some because of abusive human relationships but the truth is that God is approachable and we can relate regardless of the title we feel comfortable.  Sometimes it is Lord, sometimes Father, sometimes God, El Shadi or our own prayer name.  We are invited into relationship!

         We want the wars, the refugees, the famines, and the politics to end and we want a kingdom run by the golden rule, a just world.  “Daily” reminds me to focus on now and not the imaginary woes of a future the evil one loves to tease me with but which has not materialized.  Help me be content!  Forgiveness is key also.  Often I need help because I cannot forgive in my own power.  I keep remembering the insult, the injury and the wrong keeps burning in my heart.  I do not want to be a bitter old person, hating the world and my life and chasing everyone away.  Temptation is so real and I need help to stay focused on God’s way.

     Each phrase can be a theme for prayer for a day of the week.  Sometimes we say the prayer routinely and don’t think but then there are the times when the words burn into our heart as we struggle with the dynamics of our lives.  Likewise as we say the words in church with the congregation, we are reminded that we are part of a body, the body of Christ that he walked to Jerusalem to save.

         Perhaps we can pray this prayer today thinking of those caught in the dynamics of war, fleeing violence, opposing violence, and seeking refuge.  Lord, help!

This week we went from Epiphany to Lent, celebrating Ash Wednesday.  This week we all watched with horror and grief as we saw the battle unfolding between Ukraine and Russia.  Ukrainians are bravely resisting and many women and children are fleeing their home country to be refugees.  Russians are bravely resisting and demonstrating against this invasion and paying a big price and some are fleeing a country they no longer feel represents them.  Lent too is a journey, a journey to the cross.  It is the journey in opposition to all the evil of this world.  It is a stand against violence and anger as a demand tactic.  Hatred and vengeance solve nothing.  The Negro Spiritual that I chose embraces this prayer for Jesus to walk with us in our personal trials, in our national trials and with all who are seeking a haven of safety tonight.  Please enjoy and pray for pilgrims on this journey.