Seeing as Jesus Sees - Fulfilling the Law with Compassion

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4-10 and Psalm 71:1-6  •  Isaiah 58:9b-14 and Psalm 103:1-8  •  Hebrews 12:18-29  • Luke 13:10-17

 

 

In this week's gospel account, Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath. He sees her. She doesn't ask to be healed. She is "bent over" - in a weakened state from the Greek word astheneia. For a good discussion of what Jesus, saw, and why he healed on the Sabbath in the presence of the leader of the synagogue, see Peter Woods' "Believing and Seeing."

 

What did the leader of the synagogue say? Who did he blame? What was Jesus' reply?

Should one ever "break the law?" If so, for what reason(s)? What should the consequences be for the "law-breaker?"  Consider Ryan Wilson's "When Compassion Trumps the Law," and Jay Taylor's "Making the Crooked Straight."

 

 

Disturbing the Peace - Picking Up the Pieces

Scripture: Isaiah 5:1-7 and Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19  •  Jeremiah 23:23-29 and Psalm 82  •  Hebrews 11:29-12:2   • Luke 12:49-56

 

This week's gospel has Jesus telling us "I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!" So much for the meek and mild Jesus. This is a face of Jesus which John Dominic Crossan  an refers to as the apocalyptic preacher... or is it?

What does Jesus mean, and why does he tell us this? See Teresa Berger's "Disturbing the Peace."  What does Thomas A. Renquist mean when he says Jesus is "piece-maker," and not a "peace-maker?" in his "Peace-Maker" or "Piece-Maker?"

What is God's peace? In Renquist's words and blessing "And the peace of God, which passes all understanding ... (even the peace of God which sometimes breaks us into pieces) ... will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Amen.



 

 

 

 

 

The Gift of the Kingdom

Scripture: Isaiah 1:1, 10-20  & Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23  • Genesis 15:1-6 and Psalm 33:12- 2  • 

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16  • Luke 12:32-40

 

How are you at receiving gifts? In this week's gospel, we are told it is God's pleasure to give us the kingdom! what does that tell us about God? What does that mean? Are we ready to receive such a gift? How can we be ready to receive this gift? What happens when we receive the gift of the kingdom? See The Rev. James Jewell's "God Wants to Give You Something."

 

This lesson about God's good gifts to us, of righteousness, peace and joy, also teaches something about possessiveness. Consider Fr. Rick Morley's "selling out for Jesus: thoughts on Proper 14C."

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is our relationship with God?

Scripture: Hosea 1:2-10 and Psalm 85  •  Genesis 18:20-32 and Psalm 138  •  Colossians 2:6-15, (16-19)  •  Luke 11:1-13

 

 

As we think about this week's lesson, consider what our relationship is with God, individually, and as a church. Then pray about it considering how Jesus taught us to pray. What do we learn about God's relationship with us?

 

This week's articles:

 

"For the Sake of Ten" by Kosuke Koyama

 

"Exuberant Gratitude" by Walter Brueggemann, and

 

"Lord, Teach us to Pray," by Daniel P. Clendenin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Hospitality - from Abraham to Martha, Mary and Jesus

Scripture: Amos 8:1-12 and Psalm 52  •  Genesis 18:1-10a and Psalm 15  •  Colossians 1:15-28  • Luke 10:38-42

This week we learn about God's hospitality from the Genesis account of Abraham's hospitality to the three men and the blessed news of a child to be born, to the story of Mary and Martha's hospitality to Jesus. While Martha diligently worked to make Jesus comfortable, Jesus tells her Mary has chosen the "better part." What did Jesus mean?

In "Sir, please do not go beyond your servant," John W. Martens says that Paul, in his letter to the Colossians,  tells us that the greatest gift of hospitality any of us can offer is to invite all to participate in the welcoming of Jesus as his servants, in order “to make the word of God fully known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints."

In "Watching Til the Ego Yields," Peter Woods challenges us to go beyond artificial and superficial hospitality, and helps us get beyond our egos, in order to invite the Christ into our lives, like Mary, so that we might share his gift of eternal life, love and forgiveness with
others.

In "Living with Martha," The Rev. Stephanie Frey turns the tables on us , so to speak, as Jesus often does, and helps us see past our own agendas, even when we think we are "doing the Lord's work." We are called to realize that Jesus, not us, is the host. What is the significance of that?

The Good Samaritan

Scripture: Amos 7:7-17 and Psalm 82  •  Deuteronomy 30:9-14 and Psalm 25:1-10  •  Colossians 1:1-14  •  Luke 10:25-37

 

This week Jesus gives us the parable of the good Samaritan.  What is a good Samaritan? What is involved in being a good Samaritan? See The Rev. David Lose's "Who is our neighbor?" for an interesting insight into what Jesus says, not only about our neighbors, but also about caregivers - about all of us.

 

In "Meeting the Good Samaritan," The Rev. Dr. Thomas Long also tells us there's something deeper going on here than the moral of helping those in need. He says something has to happen to us to be good Samaritans. What does he mean? Why do we have "Good Samaritan laws?"

 

As in most parables, Jesus teaches us to examine ourselves. What will we find?

 

 

Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth.

Scripture: 2 Kings 5:1-14 and Psalm 30  •  Isaiah 66:10-14 and Psalm 66:1-9  •  Galatians 6:(1-6), 7-16 Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Sometimes what we need to experience wholeness is right in front of us and we don’t notice it or  we choose to ignore it.  Sometimes the solution to our problems is right in front of us, personally and as a community.  "See Bruce Epperly's "The Adventurous Lectionary for July 7: Transformation is Right in Front of You" with reference to the healing of Naaman in the passage from 2 Kings, Paul's comments in regard to legalism in the passage from Galatians, and how we should live out our vocation in the passage from Luke's gospel.

Walter Brueggemann focuses on the infusion of life empowering freedom from self pre-occupation and self fulfillment as "new creations" in the context of all these scriptures in his "Signs of New Creation."

In "The Joy of Judgment" John W. Martens discusses the theme of "judgment" and the joy of God's judgment offered to us in the Isaiah passage and the joy Jesus offers us as he send us out to bring God's joy and hope to our fellow sojourners.