Luke 19:11-28 Jesus is a persistent Master, isn’t He? Didn’t He just finish teaching us in Luke 16:1-13 that we should be faithful with our money and gifts and to give an account of our stewardship? And then in Luke 16:19-31 He told us about the rich man who had not been faithful with the riches he had been given and refused to share God’s gifts with Lazarus. And here He is again in Luke 19:11-28 reminding us that He... Read more
Luke 19:1-10 There have been a lot of famous short men throughout history. Napoleon was only 5’ 2”, and James Madison, Moe, Larry, and Curly were all only 5’ 4”. On behalf of short men everywhere who are below the statistical average of 5’ 10” in the U.S., I am proud to say I’m a Zacchaeus. The story of Zacchaeus is another story about not being able to see. Just as the blind man from yesterday could not see because... Read more
Luke 18:31-43 The healing of the blind man is a quintessential story of healing in the Bible: it’s all there, and told with such simplicity, brevity, and yet comprehension. It makes a wonderful story to meditate on using the lectio divina. Imagine that you are in first century Israel, living near Jericho, that city symbolic of God’s people entering into the Promised Land. Only the Promised Land for you is invisible and does not seem particularly flowing with milk and... Read more
Luke 18:15-30 This morning I feel as if I am at a Chinese food buffet but have been told I may only eat from one dish. I love the 1928 Prayer Book lectionary because the Daily Bread offering is just right to feed me. And yet this morning there are 3 sections (pericopes) – and they are all delicious and nourishing! It is the father – and child – in me that feels compelled to meditate on verses 15-17. What... Read more
Luke 18:1-14 Have you ever had someone nag you into action? The person coaxes, wheedles, cajoles, begs, nags, pleads, and whines until you finally give in and do what he or she wants you to do. This is one motivation for a person doing what another person asks him to do. But if the person being nagged eventually honors the request of the other because of the nagging, how much more will God, our loving Father, honor our requests. This... Read more
Luke 17:20-37 Jesus says a lot of surprising things. The really wonderful thing is that what He says constantly surprises even Christians. And that’s a good thing! This morning He tells us some surprising things about His kingdom: first, that it “does not come with observation,” and second, that “it is within you.” Part of the surprise comes, I think, because we misunderstand what Jesus is really saying. Certainly, the words “The kingdom of God (heaven) is within you” have... Read more
Luke 17:11-19 Sometimes, often – usually – God asks us to work with Him in answering our prayers. We ask to be healed in body, and yet we are to make wise choices about our health and go to doctors. We ask for forgiveness, and yet we must accept forgiveness and give it to others. In Luke 17:11-19, the 10 lepers who asked to be healed also had to work with Jesus in order to be healed, for when they... Read more
Luke 17:1-10 Decisions, decisions. God is drawing my attention to both verses 1-4 and verses 5-10. Let’s meditate on verses 1-4. “Take heed to yourselves.” Take care of yourselves, watch out for yourselves, Jesus says. Why in the world would He say this? What danger is it that lurks in our lives? The danger is, of course, sin and all that it entails. Jesus is telling us that there are 3 steps to dealing with sin if we are to... Read more
Luke 16:19-31 I have a saying at my house (which I use mainly on myself!). It’s: “There is never an excuse for sin.” There are rationalizations, justifications, and explanations, but there is never an excuse (that excuses us) for sin. The rich man (traditionally named “Dives,” which means “rich”) in Jesus’ parable from Luke 16:19-31 reminds us of 2 very common excuses, ones involving time and knowledge. Though the rich man doesn’t actually talk about time, the thrust of the... Read more
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Monday of Trinity 10 – Luke 19:29-40
Luke 19:29-40 The appropriate response to being in the presence of Jesus is joy and praise. Both of these things are needed, and both are present whenever Jesus is present and is received with faith. It seems odd to be reading about the Triumphal Entry of Jesus on Palm Sunday at the end of summer, in the middle of the long season of Trinity that doesn’t have the landmarks of other seasons like Christmas or Easter. But the Triumphal Entry... Read more