"How do we reconcile love of our enemies with responsible action in the face of evil?"

Scripture: Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22 and Psalm 124  • Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29 and Psalm 19:7-14  • James 5:13-20  • Mark 9:38-50

We have been studying James' advice and admonitions to a church in conflict, urging the church to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, and to act with gentleness at all times. James says that faith without works is dead, and to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. The Rev. Rick Morley captures the tension of being and doing in his "on doing and being – a reflection on James 5:13-20. Morley tells us that James links "being" and "doing" together. We don’t do certain things to win God’s favor, we do certain things because of the kind of people we are. Because of our faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ (James 2:1), we put away anger, we listen, we care for the widow and orphan in distress, we act with gentleness, we treat poor and rich alike, we love our neighbor as ourselves.

In the gospel account this week, Jesus admonishes the disciples, and us, not to become stumbling blocks to those who would believe in him. He said it would be better to have a millstone put around your neck and be cast into the sea than to be a stumbling block to one of his little ones. In "The Millstone," Professor Joel Marcus discusses punishment, revenge, forgiveness and loving our enemies. 

How can we balance the call to forgive, to love our enemies and act responsibly as Christians in the face of evil? Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote about loving the enemy in his Cost of Discipleship. How was he able to reconcile his faith and ministry with joining a conspiracy aimed to assassinate Hitler? Assistant Professor Lori Brandt Hale offers an interesting insight and consideration in "From Loving Enemies to Acting Responsibly: Forgiveness in the Life and Theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer."

* Because of our joint worship service this Sunday at 9:00, there will be no class this Sunday.

"Whoever welcomes a child in my name welcomes me ..."

Scripture: Proverbs 31:10-31 and Psalm 1  • Wisdom of Solomon 1:16-2:1, 12-22 or Jeremiah 11:18-20 and Psalm 54  • James 3:13 - 4:3, 7-8a  • Mark 9:30-37

This week Jesus continues his teaching, this time in a quiet moment spent with the disciples. He is preparing them for God's plan for forgiveness and salvation through a Messiah who is the suffering servant prophesied by Isaiah, not the warrior king many hoped for. When he told them in last week's gospel account that he must suffer and die, Peter rebuked him, and Jesus, without mincing words, told Peter, "Get thee behind me, Satan!" Nothing will stand in the way of God's saving grace. And nothing will separate us from the love of God, evidenced by the sacrificial death of his Son, and the hope he gives us with his presence, and resurrection to eternal life.

The disciples, like us sometimes, still don't get it. James and John argue about who will be first in the kingdom of God. As a teaching point, Jesus asks that a child be brought to him, and, lovingly, but pointedly, Jesus tells his disciples that whoever would be first, must be last of all and servant of all, and that whoever welcomes a child in his name, welcomes Jesus, and whoever welcomes Jesus will be welcomed by the Father. 

Mary E. Hinkle, in "Seeing Things," tells us that in biblical times children were of little or no consequence, sort of "invisible." She invites us, as Jesus does, to see the invisible, the poor and powerless - the least of all, so that we may be servant of the least of all. This is the kind of heart we must have to see Jesus and God present and working in our midst, in our pain and suffering, and through us. Alan told us last week that the lesson Jesus was teaching to the Pharisees and disciples, and us, is to see and pursue the power of love, instead of the love of power. Jesus continues that lesson this week.

The Rev. Rick Morley continues to develop James' practical lessons for a church in conflict or trying to find itself. Amid conflict and disputes, James tells us "Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom…But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy." See "less “ui”, more “os” – a reflection on James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a."

"Who do you say I am?"

Scripture: 

Proverbs 1:20-33 and Psalm 19 or Wisdom of Solomon 7:26 - 8:1  • 

 

Isaiah 50:4-9a and Psalm             116:1-9  • 

 

James 3:1-12  • 

 

Mark 8:27-38

Ever since the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus has challenged his disciples, the religious leaders of his day, and the crowds who pressed him for healing and words of hope. Many have left him, and many are plotting against him when he didn't meet their expectations, or be who they wanted him to be, or do what they wanted him to do. 

This week he presses them, and us, to a point of decision, of commitment when he asks, "Who do you say I am?"  He is making his way to the cross, to fulfill his mission.

.In the reading from James we learn more about living true and authentic Christian lives with integrity, as James tells of the dangers of an unbridled tongue. See also The Rev. Rick Morley's "flame thrower – a reflection on James 3:1-12”

Just who is this Jesus? The Rev. Kenneth L. Carter asks "Why follow a Crucified Christ?"

In this week's gospel reading, Jesus also tells us to deny ourselves, to take up his cross and follow him. How can we, and why should we do that? See The Rev. Dr. Peter Marty's "Christ and Everything Else Thrown In."

 

"Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."

Scripture: Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 and Psalm 125  • Isaiah 35:4-7a and Psalm 146  • James 2:1-10, (11-13), 14-17  • Mark 7:24-37

Last week Jesus confronted the Pharisees about some tight, exclusionary rules and accused them of being hypocrites by giving lip service to God's word, but being far from God's heart. They were actually trying to be "good guys," trying to follow the rules, upholding "tradition." But they were separating themselves from "others," and ultimately from God.

James gave us some practical suggestions to keep us from having a "worthless" religion - to be doers of the word, and not hearers only. To be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. To bridle our tongues, to be true to our hearts and not deceive ourselves, and to care for the widows and orphans and distressed - the poor and marginalized, and to be "unstained" by the world.

This week we see how God treats "outsiders," and learn important lessons about impartiality. The gospel account has Jesus teaching the disciples a lesson about faith and impartiality when he heals the Syro-Phoenician woman's daughter, but only after a rough exchange in which she persists in saying "even dogs eat crumbs from the table," expanding God's love and healing beyond the Jews. See The Rev. John Ortberg's "True Grit."

When James tells us not to show partiality to the rich over the poor, is he being partial? What else does James tell us about God's impartiality? See “Playing Favorites:What Will Campbell Learned” by Dr. Daniel B. Clendenin, and "Standing in the Tragic Gap" by the Rev. Dr. Trace Haythorn.