September 26, 2004

Amos 6:1-7 + 1 Timothy 6:11-16 + Luke 16:19-31

This story found only in Luke’s Gospel does not invite us in nearly as much as it invites us to observe.The lesson here for us comes from looking and learning,not from trying to identify with either the rich man or with Lazarus.A close look at the context of the story suggests that this is more about compassion than about wealth or poverty.The trouble here is that the rich man because of his passion for wealth has no passion for justice, and so, Lazarus suffers.In the midst of this Gospel passage are words easily missedbecause the images are so powerful;but these words of verse 31 carry the message yo those who seek to become faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.

He speaks these words to those who are still with him,to those who have heard what he said about possessions,about mercy, about forgiveness.”If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.“The Jewish tradition which shaped the conscience of Jesus of Nazarethwas a powerful social message.It was not simply about “doing good and avoiding evil.”It was not simply a matter of “keeping the rules”. There was more to be done.Disciples of Jesus today must be movedby the same social message from the Scripturest hat shaped Jesus himself.Otherwise, all his words will fall upon deaf ears.

It is the indifference that condemns the rich man, not his wealth. It is his failure to see what is right in front of his face that costs him his eternal life.It is his failure to hear and be moved by the word of God – by the Prophets and by Moses himself that completes this tragic story.

Indifference will never be found in a disciple of Jesus.His word and his deeds stir the disciple with a Passion for Justicet hat will not allow any Lazarus anywhere be dismissed or ignored.Social action and social responsibility will be virtues that mark disciples on their way to Jerusalem.The compassion found in these disciples is not just a gentle concern or nice contribution to charity.It is an absolute PASSION, a driving, powerful, unmistakable, uncontainable thirst for Justice that will show itself in more powerful and more convincing ways than simply in good works and contributions.Those certainly will be there, but this thirst and hunger for Justice will not be satisfied by contributions of time and money.It will be a force for change, not just in one’s own way of using one’s possessions,but in the very systems themselves that leave Lazarus at the gate begging day after day until he finally dies in that misery.

Compassion is a radical criticism of a system that produces hurt and tolerates it.It announces that the hurt is to be taken seriously,and is never to be accepted as a normal or natural condition for being human.Compassion is a recognition of the human community that jerks us out of our comfortable self absorbed ways of living and seeing things.Compassion sparks our awareness of others,and as soon as we are awakened by it and move to action,Jesus enters into the hurt and our passion becomes redemptive within his.Compassion will never be “conservative” if it is the compassion of Christ.It will be generous, extravagant, and inclusive.It is an unmistakable mark of people on the way to Jerusalem in the company of Jesus Christ.

September 12, 2004

Exodus 32:7-14 + 1 Timothy 1:12-17 + Luke 15:1-32

Another lesson in the ways of discipleship as Jesus walks to Jerusalem comes in a story all too familiar.It provides another of the qualities of discipleship,but it is easily missed by a people who are more intereste dn the one who runs away than in the those who stay home.The is not about the children.It is about the parent.Luke would have us understand this by quickly adding the two parables that follow the long one.Left to ourselves we might like to think that this long story is about us;finding a welcome,receiving unconditional forgiveness,coming to our senses,knowing where our true home is to be found.But, it is not about any of that.At least not until we have explored entirely the people who stay home.In that sense, it is about us,about you and me who have not run away, who are not big sinners,who have not yet squandered our inheritance even though we may take risks with it now and then.

For people who want to be disciples of Jesus, the virtue, or quality of discipleship is found in the Father of this first story made all the more obvious by the behavior and attitude of the older son.Yet this parable always tempts us to comfort ourselves rather than challenge ourselves.We want it to be about forgiveness received rather than hear it as a lesson in forgiven;but there is no way around the placement of this story on the road to Jerusalem.

It is about disciples and how they are to behave, what they ought to feel,and how they should treat one another.The disciple of Jesus Christ waits for and anxiously anticipates the opportunity to forgive. There is no hint of blame nor thought of punishment.There is only a burning desire to restore what is lost,to heal what is broken,and to RUN, not walk toward anyone who has turned toward us.That father never gave up his hope nor his desire to have his children together.That father never said those deadly words:”He’ll never change.” or, “That’s just the way he is.”Those words betray an attitude of judgement that freezes out the other,and they justify giving up hope, when there is no reason to do so.

The heart hardened by such judgements is not the heart of a disciple of Jesus.Stubbornness, anger, self-righteousness, and arrogance in the face of human weakness are not qualities of disciples of Jesus making their way to Jerusalem.Those disciples will always be on the lookout, and always be vigilant for every opportunity to extend the mercy of God and the embrace of God not just to the deserving, but also to those who some would think will never change, never be worthy, nor ever find their way home.As disciples of Jesus we must be reconcilers as much as reconciled.All three parables today focus on celebration and that celebration is why we are here.Yet it rarely looks and feels much like such a celebration because we are still too good at pointing the finger of blame and fail to open our arms in embrace.This noble virtue of mercy is out of our reach if it is only found in God.The call to discipleship is a call to mercy, forgiveness, peace;but it is not a call to accept them nearly as much as it is a vocation to give them.When that happens on this earth, the party will have begun.

September 12, 2004

Exodus 32:7-14 + 1 Timothy 1:12-17 + Luke 15:1-32

Another lesson in the ways of discipleship as Jesus walks to Jerusalem

comes in a story all too familiar.

It provides another of the qualities of discipleship,

but it is easily missed by a people who are more interested

in the one who runs away than in the those who stay home.

The is not about the children.

It is about the parent.

Luke would have us understand this

by quickly adding the two parables that follow the long one.

Left to ourselves we might like to think that this long story is about us;

finding a welcome,

receiving unconditional forgiveness,

coming to our senses,

knowing where our true home is to be found.

But, it is not about any of that.

At least not until we have explored entirely the people who stay home.

In that sense, it is about us,

about you and me who have not run away, who are not big sinners,

who have not yet squandered our inheritance

even though we may take risks with it now and then.

For people who want to be disciples of Jesus, the virtue, or quality of discipleship is found in the Father of this first story

made all the more obvious by the behavior and attitude of the older son.

Yet this parable always tempts us to comfort ourselves

rather than challenge ourselves.

We want it to be about forgiveness received

rather than hear it as a lesson in forgiven;

but there is no way around the placement of this story on the road to Jerusalem.

It is about disciples and how they are to behave, what they ought to feel,

and how they should treat one another.

The disciple of Jesus Christ waits for and anxiously anticipates the opportunity to forgive. There is no hint of blame nor thought of punishment.

There is only a burning desire to restore what is lost,

to heal what is broken,

and to RUN, not walk toward anyone who has turned toward us.

That father never gave up his hope nor his desire to have his children together.

That father never said those deadly words:

“He’ll never change.” or, “That’s just the way he is.”

Those words betray an attitude of judgement that freezes out the other,

and they justify giving up hope, when there is no reason to do so.

The heart hardened by such judgements is not the heart of a disciple of Jesus.

Stubbornness, anger, self-righteousness, and arrogance in the face of human weakness are not qualities of disciples of Jesus making their way to Jerusalem.

Those disciples will always be on the lookout, and always be vigilant for every opportunity to extend the mercy of God and the embrace of God

not just to the deserving, but also to those who some would think will never change, never be worthy, nor ever find their way home.

As disciples of Jesus we must be reconcilers as much as reconciled.

All three parables today focus on celebration

and that celebration is why we are here.

Yet it rarely looks and feels much like such a celebration

because we are still too good at pointing the finger of blame

and fail to open our arms in embrace.

This noble virtue of mercy is out of our reach if it is only found in God.

The call to discipleship is a call to mercy, forgiveness, peace;

but it is not a call to accept them nearly as much as it is a vocation to give them.

When that happens on this earth, the party will have begun.

September 5, 2004

Wisdom 9:13-18 + Philemon 9:10-17 + Luke 14:25-33

The class on discipleship continues, but there is a turn in the mood today.

Luke describes the scene suggesting that “great crowds” were traveling with Jesus; and he says that Jesus turned and addressed them.

That “turning” is important.

It is a visual detail that puts Jesus up front as the leader, the teacher, the guide.

They are going to Jerusalem, but that crowd does not get the picture.

His words sound harsh and impatient, and they may very well have been.

What he has to say to them today however is not about family relationships or carrying crosses.

In is the examples Luke provides

we get some help to understand what Jesus means.

In a word, this is all about Prudence.

Jesus counsels would-be disciples to be Prudent.

It is a quality of good moral living.

The quality of a prudent life is marked by action that is wise, well considered, responsible, reasonable, and accountable.

These are qualities of action.

Passive, timid, and negligent people are not found to be prudent, and they have no place among the disciples of Jesus.

Prudence seeks the best way to do the right thing.

Disciples of Jesus Christ are not timid, inactive, passive, and negligent.

They will be leaders: people who do the right thing,

not managers who do things right.

It is not the same thing, and we know the difference when we see it.

Disciples of Jesus have the big picture.

They have considered the consequences of their decisions and their actions.

They do not live in their own little world unconnected to others.

They never forget that what they say and what they do has something to do with the “common good”, a concept that seems to be slipping away from us.

The truly Prudent do not live isolated lives in which self interest is all that matters.

The truly Prudent disciple of Jesus “calculates”

(to use a word of this Gospel in  the example of the builder).

The truly Prudent disciple of Jesus “sits down and decides”

(emphasis upon a good decision that affects others: since he is talking about the life and death of his troops in this example).

This virtue of “prudence” becomes more a quality of life

than a kind of rehearsed behavior.

It is a way of living in relationship to others.

It is an ability of see how things fit together,

to see that there is a divine plan for goodness.

Prudent people are accountable people.

They do not forget that they shall be called upon

to account for what they do in this life

so that what they are will be consistent with what they do.

The call to renounce possessions at the end of this text today

is one more part of the call to experience discipleship

as stewardship and the challenge to use with prudence the things we have

not to get more, but to give more.

That crowd following Jesus to Jerusalem was probably there to see what they could get without the least bit of interest in what they would be called upon to give.

Having heard what Jesus says today, it cannot be the same for us.

We shall have no excuse for any behavior that is self-serving

and fails to find the way to do the right thing.