Monthly Archives: September 2013

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost: We are Needy People

Readings

Amos  6:1a, 4-7

Psalm 146

1 Timothy 6:6-19

Luke 16:19-31

Devotion

Peace be with you!

As Christians, we pride ourselves on our acceptance of outsiders. We say we welcome strangers – those different from us–but do we?

The Gospel reading contains one of those parables that seem harsh toward individuals who are privileged with an abundant cash flow. In the parable, a rich man has the finest clothes and the best food, while a poor man begs at his gate hoping for crumbs from the rich man’s table (Luke 16:19-21). The two men both die: the angels take the poor man to be in heaven with Abraham and the rich man goes to Hades (Luke 16:22).

For most of the week, I felt attacked by Jesus’ parable: people with money go to Hades while the poor go to heaven. I am not the richest person in the world, but compared to most of my friends, I am doing well. I own my home, travel almost monthly, work from home, and do what I want. The financial gap between me and my friends has always been a sore spot for me and the burden weighs me down. To be honest, this parable sheds light in dark corners where I’d rather not look in.

To get out of my dark corners, I took a closer look at the rich man’s character. While alive, the rich man eats more than his fair share (Luke 16:19b). His dinner table is piled high with meats, vegetables, fruits, breads, and desserts every night. The rich man always has more than enough food to feed a small army, yet he lets a poor man named Lazarus go hungry every night. Though Lazarus sleeps at his gate, hoping for crumbs from his table, the rich man does not care for him (Luke 16:21). The rich man has a large appetite and only cares for himself.

Today the rich man is be the person who puts on blinders as he walks past the powerless – the widows, the orphans, the foreigners, the needy, the poor, the disabled, the sick, the homeless, the psychosocially broken, and [whoever “it” is] who needs God’s grace, love, and forgiveness. The rich man of today feels he is above everyone else: he has paid his dues, climbed the corporate ladder, and made it to the corner office. He goes home to a big house with enough space and food for a small army. The rich man in today’s society, like the rich man in the parable, ignores the basic needs of those less fortunate than him.

Recently I had an experience which connected me not just with the rich man in this story but also with the needy beggar. I travel almost monthly to visit friends and family. When I flew to Minnesota two months ago, I had a connecting flight in Milwaukee. The older gentleman who sat by me leaned over to his elderly father and said, “I cannot believe she is flying alone. Someone should be with her to help her.” The gentleman made it seem as though I was a burden because the airport staff had to help me on and off the airplane. To this stranger, I appear more needy than I really am due to my spastic muscle movements and my speech pattern which is difficult to understand. If the gentleman took the time to understand me and get to know me, he would have found out I only need help with simple activities, like filling my water bottle and getting my bags on and off the plane. He would have discovered that I do all of my own transfers and go about my day like most people. I made the gentleman uncomfortable based on his first impression of me being needy.

The world is full of needy people. Every day everyone needs help with something – to vent, to borrow a few dollars, to run an idea past someone else, to ride with someone to work, to have someone babysit the children after school, and [whatever “it” is] you cannot do without help. Anyone who says they did [whatever “it” is] on their own is lying, because no one can survive without help from others. We forget we need each other to get through this life in the world. We are needy people.

Jesus understands we are needy people, even when we deny this fact. Jesus tells us the parable to not see the needy individuals in our lives as burdens, but instead to see ourselves as responsible to help each other. The rich man ignored Lazarus every day as he came and went through his gate; he left him to die.

Ignoring the needs of others goes against Jesus’ commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves (Luke 10:27). Walking past a homeless person every day is not honoring our Lord. We are called to share our resources as we discussed last week. We can help our neighbors through the food pantry, homeless shelter, providing scholarships, new business support, being a big brother or sister, tutoring children with learning disabilities, or [whatever “it” is] you can do to help your neighbor. With the government shutting down, our neighbors need our help more than before. Children rely on Head Start for meals; parents need free or subsidized childcare, so they can work and continue to provide for their children.

The world is full of needy people like you and me. Jesus saw just how needy we were when he walked on earth. We were so needy that Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten son, came down from heaven, walked with us, battled with the Devil, was beaten, died on the cross, and conquered death through his resurrection, so we may live in a relationship with the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Why? Because we could not do it on our own will power. We are sinful, needy people who need Jesus Christ to die for our sins and to conquer death.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for warning us against ignoring our needy neighbor. Help us to care for others as they care for our needs. Lead us in love and grace as we show respect for those who appear different and needier than us. Make us mindful of how we are all needy and are all in need of Jesus dying on the cross and rising from the dead. Thank you for loving us so much that you had your only begotten son, Jesus Christ, be beaten, crucified, die on the cross, and resurrect to new life – all so we can be in a relationship with you. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant located here.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How do you help your needy neighbor? How are you involved in social justice?

2. How are you needy? How do others respond to your needs?

3. How can your church and others in your area help those affected by the government shutting down?

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost: God’s Justice

Readings

Amos 8:4-7

Psalm 113

1 Timothy 2:1-7

Luke 16:1-13

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Most of us live in the grayness of life – not completely in the light, but not in complete darkness either. We have fallen short of the glory of God several times over again. We have stolen, killed, not kept the Sabbath, lied, disobeyed our parents, ignored the needs of the weak and powerless, and [whatever else “it” is] we have done against God’s will. We are not worthy to enter the Kingdom of God.

The Old Testament and gospel readings are a tough pill to swallow. Both Amos and Jesus discuss the meaning of justice in the world and in God’s kingdom. Amos preaches when northern Israel is strong but is falling apart from the inside out due to greed and lack of pride. The Israelites complain, “When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; and the Sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale? We will make the ephah small and the shekel great, and practice deceit with false balances, buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, and selling the sweepings of the wheat” (Amos 8:5-6 NRSV). The Israelites care more about making money than worshipping the Lord and tending to the needs of their neighbors. They were dishonest individuals who exploited the poor to become rich.

Amos warns the Israelites, “Be careful. The Lord is watching, and he will remember your actions and will judge you accordingly.” (Amos 4:7). The Lord will judge based on your dishonestly and your failure to live according to his ways. The Israelites in the north are falling apart, and no one is attacking them; they are broken in the inside.

On Working Preacher, Rolf Jacobson writes that Amos is calling to the Israelites to live according to justice. But what is justice? Jacobson describes five ways justice strengthens our relationship with God the Father. First and foremost, justice is God’s character (Isaiah 50:10), and therefore there is a demand on God’s people to practice justice (Amos 5:24; Micah 6:8; Isaiah 1:16b-17). Thank goodness, God’s character is based on justice; without it, we would not be able to enter the Kingdom of God because, without Jesus Christ, we are doomed. By the grace of God, we were saved and justified to be in a relationship with him. If we expect God to respond to us with justice, we need to practice justice with those around us. We are to care for our neighbors and respond to their needs out of love and grace.

Second, justice is a social order concept: the more order, the more life within a community. The people have to be actively working together for the good of all – not just the selected few. It is the individuals within the community caring for each other out of love. Within the social order concept, there is a call for special social concern for the powerless – the widows, the orphans, the foreigners, the needy, the poor, the disabled, the sick, the homeless, the psychosocially broken, and [whoever “it” is] who needs God’s grace, love, and forgiveness. This is includes everyone, because we are all broken individuals in some shape or form in need of God’s grace, love, and forgiveness.

Third, justice works within the legal civil laws. The civil laws give us a set of rules to live by so everyone is subject and bond to the same rules and regulations. This helps to determine what is acceptable and what is not acceptable within a country. Unfortunately, mere human beings control the legal system, and sometimes it fails individuals who have been victims of crimes and have been let down by the courts. It happens, but it is not a reflection on God’s will; it is a reflection of the corruption within the human race, thanks to the Devil.

Fourth, justice creates trustworthy markets where there is social prosperity and fair exchange between sellers and buyers. Amos attacks the Israelites for their unfair exchange practices. The merchants have false balances allowing them to sell one pound of wheat for two pounds. The markets are practicing injustice by exploiting the poor. The Israelites need to get it together before they self-destruct.

Lastly, justice names the Sabbath as a day to rest for the whole household – family, friends, slaves, and animals (Deuteronomy 5:14). The Israelites in the north are exasperated they have to take a day of rest (Amos 8:5), because they view it as a loss of income and they have to be nice to the poor (Exodus 23:10-17), much like today. We know people who refuse take a day to rest, because they may lose an important account or someone may beat them up the corporate ladder. We also know people who refuse to relax for a day because someone always needs help – they may die if they are left alone for twenty-four hours. Someone always needs our help; someone always has a problem we need to solve. After seven years, slaves are to be set free (Deuteronomy 15:12-18) and individuals forgiven of their debts (Deuteronomy 15:1-11). God knows we need the Sabbath to reenergize ourselves for the coming week, and at some point we need to be forgiven of our debts. We need to put our trust in the fact God will care for those entrusted to us when we take time for ourselves, even parents and guardians can call upon babysitters, nurses, and respite workers when the need a rest.

Yet Jesus says we can learn from those who are shrewd with their resources and money. He tells a parable of a manager who caught for misusing his boss’ resources by his boss (Luke 16:1-2). Before his boss has a chance to fire him, the manager who is too weak to dig and too proud to beg goes to his boss’ debtors and reduces their loans (Luke 16:3-7) in hopes they will find pity on him when he is no longer employed. Shrewd means you are wise or smart. Jesus commends the children of this age for being smart with the resources they have control over (Luke 16:8).

Therefore, if Jesus calls us to be shrewd with our resources and capital funds, then we are to use them wisely to help ourselves and others. We are called to practice justice to serve each other with love, honor, and respect. When we do this, we create relationships based on respect and loyalty. Jesus understands we have to live in the world, so he gives us guidelines as to how to use our given resources wisely; he also understands his disciples have given up their professions to follow and will have little when he leaves them. Jesus gives both us and the disciples a way to live in the world without giving up our identity as God’s children. We achieve justice by following the model of Jesus by having special social concern for the powerless, honoring the legal system, creating trustworthy markets, and respecting the Sabbath.

Finally, we receive the most wonderful gift of justice through Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection. It is a gift that keeps on giving, because each time we sin and repent we die and are lifted up through Christ for the sole fact that God the Father wants to be in a relationship with us.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending Amos and Jesus Christ to teach us about justice. Help us to rethink how we use our resource to care for the powerless and to create trustworthy markets. Guide us as we go out into the world to practice justice and to share your love, grace, and forgiveness with others. Thank you for the gift of justice through Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection, so we can die and experience resurrection in our lives. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant located here.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How do you practice justice in your daily life?

2. What kinds of resources do you have control over? How could you use them differently to show others God’s justice?

3. Who told you about the gift of justice through Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection?

4. How do you die and experience resurrection in your life?

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost: Where Are You?

Readings

Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28

Psalm 14

1 Timothy 1:12-17

Luke 15:1-10

Devotion

Peace be with you, brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ!

Losing something special to you has to be one of the worst feelings. You know exactly where you put it the last time you used it. If you are anything like me, you look all over the house, taking things out of drawers, moving furniture and vacuuming, calling friends and family in case they borrowed [whatever “it” is], and searching unlikely places.

Jesus is attracting the tax collectors and the sinners in town to come and listen to him (Luke 15:1). As usual, the Pharisees and the scribes are having a fit over Jesus associating himself with tax collectors and sinners (Luke 15:2). They question Jesus, “How can you be associated with them? How can you welcome them into our group?”

True to his form, Jesus tells the Pharisees and the scribes three parables. All three parables involve an individual losing something, looking and finding it, and rejoicing that they found it. The first two parables are covered in this week’s reading but the last one (the lost son) will be read during another time in the lectionary.  The first parable involves a shepherd losing one of his sheep. The listeners would probably think the shepherd is ridiculous for going out looking for one sheep when he has ninety-nine other unattended sheep. No shepherd would leave ninety-nine sheep to look for a wandering lost sheep when predators could attack the herd.

Yet the shepherd does leave the ninety-nine sheep to go look in the wilderness for the one missing sheep (Luke 15:4). When the shepherd finds the lost sheep, he carries it home on his shoulders and rejoices (Luke 15:5). Once home, the shepherd calls his friends and neighbors and says, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost” (Luke 15:6 NRSV). No one in their right mind throws a party for finding their lousy lost sheep, because the sheep is not regarded as a pet but as an income source. If anything, a shepherd may call a friend or two to recount how they had to go into the wilderness, get bitten by bugs, and walk up the biggest hill to find the lost sheep. We have all been there: your child, dog, or cat ran off outside and is not in sight. You panic and yell their name while racing around looking for them. After a few minutes, you may call friends and family to look for your dog, cat, or child while scanning the area. When you finally find your lost one, you do not rejoice but scold them for making you have a heart attack.

I remember being home alone at night for the first time with my oldest pup, Lily. My roommate who usually took Lily out at night was gone for the weekend. Before I went to bed, I took Lily out one last time and, sure enough, she saw a squirrel and chased after it. Since I am in an electric wheelchair, I could not chase after her down the hill. All I could do was yell her name and hope she came back. However, I did not rejoice when Lily came back; I scolded her for running off and called my roommate to tell him what happened. Don’t get me wrong: I was happy Lily came back, but knowing she could do it again and not come back scared me.

So, if sheep were not considered as valuable as our personal pets in the time of Jesus, why does Jesus tell this story?  He explains his hyperbole to the Pharisees and the scribe. He tells them that there is more joy in heaven over one repenting sinner than over ninety-nine righteous individuals who have no need to repent (Luke 15:7). God cares so deeply about the one sinner who changes how he/she perceives and responds to the world to serves. God’s forgiveness and grace transforms the sinner who was found in the darkness. The parable shows the deep love God has for the sinner – the lost. God may have ninety-nine righteous individuals, but he continues to seek the one individual who is lost; he wants you.

The second parable is similar to the first one: the woman loses one silver coin out of ten (Luke 15:8a). The woman spends an entire evening looking for the one silver coin. She lights a lamp and sweeps to carefully search her whole house (Luke 15:8b). It seems crazy to us to spend an evening looking for a single coin when you have nine more. A coin has little value – one, five, ten, or twenty-five cents – to most Americans with good paying jobs, warm homes, food for three meals, and clothes on their backs. You cannot buy much with a single silver coin. However, a coin to the man on the street corner could be the difference in eating a meal or buying a warm winter hat. Families living under the poverty level understand the value of a quarter, though these days a quarter cannot buy much of anything. Parents save every cent they can to buy the essentials for their child.

In Biblical times, a single coin was worth one day’s wages, which could probably pay for the woman’s groceries for a few days. So yes, the woman furiously looks for a single silver coin an entire night. She sweeps and gets on her knees to carefully search her whole house. The woman is desperate to find the silver coin, because it means food for her and her family and could have been part of her dowry too.

When the woman finds the silver coin, she calls her friends and neighbors to celebrate. She says, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin I had lost.” (Luke 15:9b NRSV). The woman throws together a small get-together to celebrate finding the lost coin. She is relieved that she can buy food for her family and friends to share a meal with them. Her day’s work was not wasted.

Jesus explains that God’s angels are joyful when one sinner repents (Luke 15:10). God spends his entire existence seeking us in our darkness where we hide in shame. We are not worthy of God’s grace, forgiveness, and love. Are you kidding? We have done it all: hated our parents, shamed the homeless, took food from children, denied someone shelter and protection, turned away the sick, killed our neighbor with our bitterness and unforgiveness, and [whatever “it” is] we are ashamed of. We hide in the darkness, because we are ashamed of our past; there is no going back and undoing our sins. But this is what gets me: God the Father celebrates each time a sinner repents by turning to Him. He even sent his only begotten son to suffer into this world to get beaten, get crucified, and to die on the cross for our sins – my sins, your sins – not just for a select few people but for all of us.

If the Lord searches for us as furiously as we do for our worldly stuff, we are pretty darn lucky. No other god or goddess searches for their children. But our God is so desperate to find us in the darkness that he sends his only begotten son as the light of the world to give and show us the way home to the Kingdom of God where angels rejoice every time a single sinner repents. We are pretty lucky to have such a loving God.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for furiously searching for us in the darkness by sending Jesus Christ as the light of the world. Lead us to repent as broken, unworthy sinners. Lead us to tell others of your love for them. Let us rejoice every time we welcome a new saint into the Kingdom of God. Thank you for undying love for us, your children. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant located here.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What have you lost?

2. What are you searching for?

3. How do you feel God’s love for you?

Reflecting on Today Twelve Years Ago

Peace be with you, my sisters and brothers in Jesus Christ!

Twelve years and one day ago the world was smaller. We did not have Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media site, besides blogs. We had television and radio. Cell phones, not smart phones, were growing in popularity. I remember getting my first Nokia six months earlier, though I barely carried it, unless my step-dad put it in my purse.

The next day started like any other day. I woke up to “From a Distance” by Bette Midler – the world was at peace. I ran through my to do list as I got ready for school – fall poem, history essay, grab clean gym clothes, and college application essay. I took the bus to school, grabbed my books out of my locker, and went to class. I was a senior in high school and had creative writing first period. I started working on my fall poem before the first ball.

Everything else about the day fell out of routine; the day has become a blur to me, besides drifting from one classroom to another classroom between bells. By the end of the day, I had seen the horrid images a hundred times, despite the principal’s request for teachers to not show the news on their televisions. I got home before my brother who was a sixth grader and my mom who cleaned the church. We rushed to eat dinner to attend the impromptu church service where we assembled quietly hoping to see God’s light.

The world grew bigger that day; we learned about al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. Talk about war in Afghanistan and Iraq was on our minds by the weekend.

In the last twelve years, we have feared Muslins because of al-Qaeda Terrorists who in the name of Prophet Muhammed planned the attacked. We forget that only a small group of Muslins planned the horrid events. Rebecca Kolowe, an ELCA diaconal minister, was serving as an ELCA missionary in Cameroon and experienced September 11, 2001 differently than most of us. Read her account on David Hansen’s blog. She recalls individuals who were Muslin coming up to her and saying they were sorry and they had no part in planning the attack. Some of them even said Prophet Muhammed would never condone the horrid acts on Americans. I wonder if individuals who are American Muslins came forward in the days after 9/11 and made the same statements publicly, if we as Americans would view them differently. Of course, we would have had to been open to hearing those statement. The world may have looked differently today.

I have grown up in the last twelve years. I graduated from Mukwonago High in the top ten percent, UW-Whitewater with a BA from the Business College in Marketing, and Luther Seminary with a MA in New Testament. I have been married and divorced. I have Facebook and Twitter accounts where I keep in touch with friends and family around the world, and my iPhone and iPad Mini have permanent homes in my pockets on my electric wheelchair. The American arm forces have caught Osama bin Liden and other key al-Qaeda figurers, though the war in Iraq is still going on and now we face war in Syria.

As most Americans, the anniversary of 9/11 always causes me to pause and reflect. Every September 11th I am still a senior in high school watching the news for the millionth time as if it will change. The world continues to get bigger with each passing year as new evils rise up in the darkness.

As Christians, we are called to shine God’s light into the world of darkness. Some days his light seems difficult, even impossible, to see. However, God’s light continues to shine brightly the world for us to see and share (Psalm 27:1 and Luke 2:32).

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for being the light of the world. Help us to listen to those individuals who are different than us and find peaceful ways be loving neighbors. Lead us to share your light, peace, grace, and love in the world of darkness. Guide us to walk humbly as Christ has taught us. Thank you for your light to protect us in the darkness. Amen.

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Are you Sure?

Readings

Jeremiah 18:1-11

Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18

Philemon 1:1-2

Luke 14:25-33

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Don’t get me wrong: I love my father. I love how I make my father proud of raising a strong woman who has a master’s degree, owns her own home, pays her bills, travels to conferences, and follows her passions. Whenever  anyone treats me like a four year old because I am in electric wheelchair and have Cerebral Palsy, my father tells them that I have a Master’s in New Testament. I love making my father proud.

However, don’t ask my father to tell you about my calling to write devotions or my passion to explain how God continues to heal individuals in the world. My father does not understand my devotion to the Lord and how I am making a difference. To him, I spend my time at home on my computer doing [whatever “it” is] I do. I do not hate my father for not understanding my career as he does my brother’s computer networking job, my sister’s teaching job, or my sister-in-law’s dentist job; mine is not clear cut job. Some days all I do is listen to people on Facebook and Twitter talk about their days and look for resources for them. Some days I am on a plane and the person next to me needs to hear the good news and to receive absolution. Some days I dwell in the Word and argue with the Apostle Paul (who has been dead for two thousand years). Some days I read theology books and write reviews in order to converse with the authors. Some days I find myself just dictating devotions from the Lord. Some days I sit in prayer. Some days I do errands and find myself sitting quietly next to a stranger bringing them the gift of presence. Some days I am glued to the news and praying for those affected by [whatever “it” is] that is happening. Some days I volunteer at the hospital.  My job is not easy to explain to someone who does not understand ministry. It is a hard career to explain.

In the gospel reading, Jesus is speaking to a large crowd about what discipleship means – the job description for a disciple. Jesus knows some people in the crowd are not in it for the long haul; they are enjoying the entertainment – the healings, the speeches, and the free food – but they are not going to stand with him for the sake of the good news. Nope, the minute things get tough, these people will run back home where it is comfortable.

First, Jesus warns the crowd that others are going to be reluctant to be associated with them. English translations do not capture the true meaning of what the author of Luke is explaining. The Greek word μισέω in Luke 14:26 means to love others less than the Triune God. Jesus is saying we need to be reluctant to love with our whole hearts someone who does not believe as well as other believers in the Good News, not that we should hate everyone who is not a disciple of Jesus Christ. We are still able to love these individuals (remember, we are called to love our neighbors) (Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27), but we are to love God more than anyone and anything, even life itself. This passage is a warning there is going to be some tension within households. Everyone is going to be at odds with each other – fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. The household is going to be redefined.

In the Biblical world, a person’s identity was based on their kinship (family name and family trade). Your parents raised you doing their trade and one day the shop would be handed down. With Jesus going around speaking the Good News, members of households are leaving home to follow Jesus; something new is happening. This has an economical cost to households – no one is producing, and families cannot buy food or clothes. We have to face possible alienation from our families in order to follow Jesus. We have to willing to give up our family name and the only way of life we know; we are going into the unknown. This tension between us and family members as well as between us and people in the world puts our lives in danger at times, but Jesus says, “Do not be afraid.” Jesus is asking the crowd, “Are you ready to give up your life to follow me?

Today, we understand tension between family members. With divorces and arguments between family members, we understand what it means to not get along. What we miss is the near total alienation that would come with being in conflict with family members in Bible times. Nowadays, if we are disowned or only go home on holidays, we have other connections – friends, co-workers, and others – who will walk with us through life. Today, our identity is not often based solely on our family ties, but our identity becomes what we make it. However, we still feel the pain of not measuring up to others’ expectations. We want to make [whoever “it” is] proud of us. When we make the decision to follow Jesus Christ, we do it knowing not everyone we love and care about is going to support us. Some people will alienate us for believing Jesus died for our sins. Some will remain in contact merely to be polite. Others will criticize us for following Jesus. We understand the tension Jewish families felt.

Second, Jesus says we have to be willing to carry the cross (Luke 14:27). When he speaks to the crowd, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem to face his crucifixion and death. Jesus is asking the crowd, “Do you want to watch me get beaten, crucified, and die?” Jesus knows what is going to happen in the future, and it is not going to be pretty. Crucifixions were gruesome and brutal deaths. Jesus seems to be giving his followers fair warning: “If you have a weak stomach or dislike angry crowds, you may want to start packing up and heading home, because after this gathering there is no turning back.”

Jesus uses parables to explain his point. Jesus describes how a builder draws up plans for a tower in order to estimate the costs before starting to build. The builder does this to ensure he can complete the project; otherwise, he would look foolish for not being able to finish it (Luke 14:28-30). Then Jesus explains how a king first considers if he can wage war against another kingdom before going into battle; otherwise, the king sends a delegation to settle terms of peace (Luke 14:31-32). The people in the crowd understand how a builder and a king would need to calculate risks before taking on a project.

Jesus is asking the crowd to evaluate the risks of following him to the cross. Nothing from here on out is going to be easy. “You are going to have to watch the Roman Empire beat and kill me,” says Jesus. “Are you sure you are up to this?”

Jesus also is warning the people that they are going to be killed for following him. Following Jesus means you have no self interests, no self desires, or no other loyalties. You give up your kingship – the stable lifestyle – for the sake of sharing the Good News. You are following Jesus for one reason only: to spread the good news. And yes, you may face persecution in his name. Andrew, Bartholomew, Jude, and Peter all were crucified, like Jesus; they all suffered the same gruesome and brutal death as Jesus. Others would be beheaded and beaten to death. Today people are shot, imprisoned, gassed and beaten for being disciples of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus is asking the crowd, “Are you willing to die in my name?”

Third, Jesus tells us that we will have to give up all of their possessions (Luke 14:33). In Biblical times, those who were cut off from family were forced to travel with just what they could carry. They literally had to give up all of their possessions and travel with just the clothes on their back to follow Jesus to the cross and to spread the Good News. Nowadays, we do not have to give up every thing; however, this does not mean we should have [whatever “it” is] we want just because we can. In American, we can have almost anything we want within a day or two – just go on Amazon.com with your Prime membership and click. The world is full of temptations, but we serve the Triune God most when we give up the extras in order to help the neighbor. Jesus asks, “Are you sure you are up to this?”

We are given a new identity when we become disciples of Jesus Christ. The new identity is not for the faint hearted; it comes with tension, suffering, and the just basics. Jesus is giving those not willing meet these three requirements – loving God more than life itself, carrying the cross, and giving your possessions – an out to go back to their comfortable lives. Today we use these three requirements to examine our lives as Christ’s disciples. Jesus asks, “Are you sure you are up to this?”

I love my earthly father for adopting me as an infant, for providing everything I needed as a child, for teaching me the value of a dollar, for instilling family values in me, for giving me the tools to evaluate life’s situations, and for being proud to call me his daughter. However, I love my heavenly Father more for adopting me – a sinner, for showing me the way out of the darkness, for protecting me from the Devil, for giving me an earthly family to love and to love me, for giving me what I need at the right time, and for sending Jesus Christ to die for my sins. I am up to being Jesus’ disciple for the sake of the Good News. The Triune God has empowered me to spread the Good News by equipping me with spiritual gifts of patience, understanding, writing and courage. I may fall from time to time, but God picking me back up. Nothing in the world compares to what God has to offer me.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving Jesus the strength to give us a little tough love so we know what is expected of us. Help us to love people less, to carry the cross, and to give up what we do not need in order to share the good news. Lead us into the world with the courage to face criticism from your opponents, even if they are our own family and friends. Thank you for giving us an out, but we stand by you, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant located here.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How do you love God more than life itself?

2. When were you first asked to carry the cross?

3. What possessions are you required to give up?

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Radical Social Justice

Readings

Jeremiah 2:4-13

Psalm 81:1, 10-16

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream for equality – for black children to be given the same opportunities as white children. In the 1960s, African Americans were demeaned and oppressed by racism and institutional injustice in countless ways.  They could not share public places with white Americans. They were forced to use designated bathrooms, required to sit in back of the city buses, and required to attend different schools than white children. They were not allowed to vote. Influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and Jesus Christ’s successful practices of non-violent activism to bring about social justice, 50 years ago this week, Dr. King led the great March on Washington and gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Dr. King worked until his dying day to obtain equality for African Americans.

Jesus is having a meal at the Pharisees’ leader’s house on the Sabbath (Luke 14:1). Jesus watches the Jewish leaders take the seats of honor before he tells a parable (Luke 14:7). Jesus tells his listeners, “When you go to a wedding banquet, you should sit in the lowest place (Luke 14:10) and not in the place of honor (Luke 14:8). After all, taking the seat of honor puts your host in the position of having to ask you to move to a less prominent place and your haughtiness may lead to disgrace (Luke 14:9). However, when you sit in less prominent seats, the host has the opportunity to invite you to sit in the place of honor, which gives your name honor among the other guests (Luke 14:10). Humility leads to honor.

In the Jewish culture, it was important to have powerful and distinguished roles in society. Being invited to the Pharisees’ leader’s house for the Sabbath meal and sitting in the seat of honor signified you as a prominent member of society. No one wanted to be asked by the host to move to a less prominent seat, yet all of leaders expected and chose prominent seats. These leaders thought highly of themselves and did not expect the host to reserve the place of honor for anyone else; they expected it. Jesus challenges the norm of the Jewish culture by asking prominent leaders to take less significant seats. This way the host can give the place of honor to who he chooses, reducing the opportunity of being for public shame. Rather than expecting honor you should take the less prominent seats and have the host choose to honor you.  Honor should be given – not expected.

Then Jesus turns to the host and says, “When you make your guest list for a dinner party, you are accustomed to inviting friends and family, prominent leaders, people who are rich, and others who have had you to their house as a way to return the honor. However, you should invite the poor, the disabled, the blind, and the homeless when you have a party. These individuals cannot return the favor, but you will be rewarded in the Kingdom of God” (Luke 14:12-14).

When we tend to the needs of those who are less fortunate, we invest in eternal life in God’s Kingdom. We become less conscious of what people think of us and more aware of the needs of others. We tend to the needs of others in our community. When we put aside our need to have the world honor us, God offers us the Kingdom of God as our inheritance.

The fact God invites us into his kingdom is truly amazing. We are sinners who have lost our way and are needy. We have no business in the Kingdom of God with our greedy, sinful, and guilty ways. We are not godly as God imagined us to be. Yet through Jesus Christ, we are made new again and are invited into the Kingdom of God, because he loves us so much. If God is inviting a brunch of sinners to his banquet, how can we not invite the poor, the disabled, the blind, and the homeless to our parties? If God is not worried what the angels think of him, why are we so worried about what others think about us? Radical change always forces us out of our comfort zones.

Like Jesus, Martin Luther King, Jr. was calling for radical inclusion in the American society. Dr. King did not concern himself with having the right friends or the right public connections. Rather Dr. King concerned himself with what Jesus taught the disciples: love your neighbor. Like Jesus, Dr. King put himself in harm’s way and died for what he believed in. Radical change does not come about without sacrifices. Jesus and Martin Luther King Jr. were both killed for standing for radical change in the justice system. How are we standing for justice in our world today?

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for radically changing the social system in our world through the great men and women of history. Help us to continue to fight for Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream of equality. Remind us to continue to welcome into our communities those who are different from us. Lead us to share your blessings and mercy with others. Thank you for inviting us into your kingdom. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant located here.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. Who do you invite to parties?

2. What kind of host are you?

3. What kind of expectations do you have as a guest and as a host?