Nov. 30th, 09
Back from a nice Thanksgiving break; hope you enjoyed much turkey and family time.
Luke 18:2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!” The obvious message from this passage is that we are to be persistent in our requesting. We are to be consistent in our asking, and God will eventually answer. It’s not really a matter that each and every prayer be exhaustive and all inclusive, or that our prayer time occupy all our time, it’s just that by the way’s we live, we are to be constantly living in dependence with and upon God. We affirm that subservient, dependant relationship, by repeatedly requesting what we need from God.
Aside from the obvious, I was struck today with the little phrase: “he neither feared God, nor cared about people.” I find it doubly interesting, even laughable that this esteemed Judge announced (in his mind at least) that indeed: “I don’t fear God or care about people.” I unfortunately know a number of people who might fit either category, but who’d not openly announce this condition.
It reminds me of the age old “division” or “difference” between those who claim a “liberal” approach to life and God, and those who claim a “conservative” one. I know there are real differences, but both also contain some prejudicial sentiments. Liberals have (wrongly at times) been accused of caring so much for the poor, and neglecting so much of proper God-fearing. While Conservatives have (wrongly at times) been accused of fearing God so much, they are ignorant of caring for neighbors. I know there are significant and really important differences, but I’m taking from this passage this day, to try and Fear God AND Care for People. Seems a sensibly approach for someone who claims to love Jesus!

Nov. 25th, 09
Back from my niece’s wedding and visiting my mother.
Luke 17:15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. 10 lepers shouted for Jesus to heal them. They were required by their lot in life to maintain an appropriate distance, so they shouted for Jesus to heal them from afar. He responds that they should make their way to the priests. Seems like a passing of the buck at first glance, but in reality the law required that if a leper’s disease were healed or in remission, he must first be examined by a priest, who then had the authority to declare him “clean”, and he/she could resume rubbing shoulders with the rest of society. Interesting that these 10 acted on Jesus’ word even before they were healed. They took off for the temple without any evidence that they were healed. They acted in faith without even knowing it. They acted in faith without any evidence. I wonder why we aren’t more like this. Most of us, most of the time, have to see some “proof” or evidence, or at least a glimmer of God doing something first before we get going. Not these lepers.
As they were healed 9 of the lepers were so anxious to be declared “clean” that they proceeded head-long toward the priests, but one man, stopped, turned around, returned to Jesus, praised God, fell on his face, and gave thanks. Though the others were chastised for not returning, this fellow was taught that it was his own faithful act of obeying that in fact had rendered him healed. He didn’t need his healing to be verified by some priest, he needed to say thanks, and he chose the greater good.
I wish to express my thanksgiving today. I’m thankful for Jesus who saved my soul, and healed my sin some 37 years ago. I’m especially thankful for a beautiful wife, and two amazing sons. I’m grateful for being nurtured in a loving family. I’m delighted with my church family, how much they energize me, sustain me, and challenge me to be greater than I am. I’m grateful for life, health, and the peace that sur-passes all understanding. I’m even thankful for the difficult things of life, for they, maybe more than the easy, good things have shaped me into the person I am. God, I’m so grateful to be named and numbered among your children. AMEN

Nov. 20th, 09
Luke 16:8 “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd.” This is one of those interesting parables where Jesus throws us a curve ball. In this story a certain rich man (I interpret him to be God) has a manager who is stealing from him, so he fires him. But, before he can get out the door, he costs the boss more money by reducing this accounts receivable, while endearing himself to his just as crooked creditor friends. And the kicker is: the Rich Owner (God?) admires him for his shrewdness. Makes me wonder.
I get the part about children of this world understanding better the practices of the world, but still…admiring a scoundrel who steals?? I get the lesson: ‘Use your worldly resources to benefit others…but do the ends always justify the means? Seems so in this story.
I guess I’ll take from today’s lesson that since God loves even crooked rascals, God must love me too. I know there’s still a healthy ‘worldly’ streak in me that plays in the world quite proficiently. Don’t think I’d steal from the boss, but my ‘other’ sins are certainly as grievous. I know I’m quite adept at justifying many of my own ‘righteous’ ends, even while the means are often suspect. I do pretty well using my resources for the benefit of others, but wonder if my real motivation is their well-being or notches on my spiritual belt?
I wonder what you see in the parable, how do you read it, what does it mean to you? What message did Jesus intend?

Nov. 18th, 09
Luke 15:28-32 The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fatted calf!’ One of the best ways to understand Jesus’ parables is to try and put yourself into one of the characters, each time you read the story. Most of us who are parents understand the loving, patient parent role, as we wait for our children to ‘come home’. All of us (at some level) have played the prodigal, and understand ‘coming to our senses’ and crawling humbly home. How about the elder son?
Many of us have faithfully served our lives for our father. We’ve asked nothing special in return, just the reward of hard work, and the promise of our inheritance some future day. We bear a bit of jealousy, probably, because our younger ‘siblings’ (those who are not faithfully serving God) go off and waste their inheritance doing fun, crazy stuff. Now, when they come to their senses and come home, all ‘heaven’ breaks loose with a party fit for a king; rings and robes and all. We’re pissed, that those unfaithful seem to be rewarded with revelry, while we labored constantly…and we pout…we aren’t going in to the party.
The story ends with the father engaging the elder son (us in this reading) and listening to his complaint. The father reminds him that all he has belongs to him, (maybe hinting that all the kid needed to do for a feast, was ask!). The father reminds him of his brother’s safe salvation from his shipwrecked life, and that they HAD to celebrate. I’ll leave all further introspection/interpretation to you, but remind you of the major significance for me;…where is the father when the story abruptly ends?

Nov. 17th, 09
Luke 15:17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘at home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!’” For all of us who have played the role (lived the life) of a prodigal at some point in our lives, this has to be our favorite parable. With the image of an expectant father…longing for his wayward son (daughter) to come home; each day filled with more anticipation…this verse is the key to the parable…at least in my mind.
When the young man ‘came to his senses’…What does that mean exactly? For me it simply meant a recognition that my life could be something more than it was. For the first time in my life I acknowledged that God had something to offer me, I’d never really considered before: forgiveness. Oh, I knew about guilt, I felt it often, but had little to address it other than the resolve to do better next time. When on that first night I asked God to forgive me; the sense of relief, cleansing, ‘new beginning’, made me feel that I’d come to my senses and started over. I’ve since become quite familiar with this ‘starting over’ made possible (necessary) by my continual insistence on sinning. I still resolve to do better…but greater still, I need God’s forgiveness.
What is (will be) your “coming to your senses” moment? When you join the ranks of the wayward prodigals, and head home? When you awake staring into the gutter of pride your self-righteousness has left for you? When was the last time you acknowledged your sin, and humbly asked for forgiveness? My one great hope is that somehow these ramblings might occasionally provide that lucidity that reminds each of us about a loving father…longingly waiting for each of us to come home. Today?