Martha and Mary - hospitality and the best portion

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 generation, 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?

Read Debie Thomas' "Only One Thing," as she wrestles with the text and values in Martha's hospitality work, and Martha sitting at Jesus feet, listening. She says "I wonder if we can hear Jesus’s words to Martha, not as a criticism, but as an invitation.  Not as a rebuke, but as a soothing balm.  Jesus knows that we ache to be whole.  Jesus knows that we place brutal and devastating expectations on ourselves.  Jesus knows that our resentments, like Martha’s, are often borne of envy. Martha longed to sit where Mary sat. She longed to take delight in Jesus’s words.  She longed to surrender her heavy burden and allow Jesus to host her.  Maybe we long for these good things, too.”

Jesus is visiting his dear friends, but he is the Host of God's hospitality for all of us.

Who is our Neighbor?

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!

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.

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.

Christ's gift of freedom - Keep your hand on the plow!

Scripture: 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 and Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20  •  1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21 and Psalm 16  •  Galatians 5:1, 13-25  •  Luke 9:51-62

This week we have the wonderful story of Elijah being carried up in the whirlwind, and his devoted servant and successor prophet, Elisha, receiving a double share of the spirit in Elijah. Swing lo, sweet chariot - comin' for to carry me home! Or "Double shot of my [God's] love." (I took some liberties with the latter song). We also study the fruits of spirit in Paul's letter to the Galatians, and Jesus' statements of "let the dead bury the dead, and "he who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God."

This passage in Galatians is sometime referred to as the freedom passage. What kind of freedom is Paul talking about? See "Freedom and Obedience" by Jake Wilson.
Do good works, or living "the fruits of the spirit" bring us salvation, or are the effects of God's saving grace? See Fruits of the Spirit, an excerpt from "The Faces of Jesus," by Frederick Buechner. 

What does Jesus mean in his seemingly stern remarks? Consider the thoughts of Alyce M. McKenzie's "Keep Your Hand on the Plow!"

When Jesus Comes to Visit

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-4, (5-7), 8-15a and Psalm 42 and 43  •  Isaiah 65:1-9 and Psalm 22:19-28  •  Galatians 3:23-29  •  Luke 8:26-39

What would you do? How would you feel... if Jesus came to visit? Compare your thoughts with the healed demoniac and his fellow Gerasenes. What if meant leaving our comfortable, familiar ways and "possessions?" See The Rev. James T. Moors, "When Jesus Comes to Visit."

Where do you find God? What is it like to be in the presence of God? Have you ever felt being in God's presence? What was it like? Describe it as best you can. Read where Elijah found God - not where you might expect. In God's presence, the man running for his life found the strength, serenity, sustenance and purpose to confront the very forces threatening his life, and the lives and faith of God's people. Where does Jesus show us that we can experience God's presence? See The Rev. Kate Huey's "In God's Presence." 

Givers and Takers - A Matter of Life and Death

Scripture: 1 Kings 21:1-10, (11-14), 15-21a and Psalm 5:1-8  •  2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-15 and Psalm 32  •  Galatians 2:15-21  •  Luke 7:36-8:3

 

This week we have stories of greed and destructive possessiveness contrasted with extravagant giving - one leading to death, the other leading to life, and not just life, but life in abundance - joyous living. We learn more about what sin is in the story of Ahab and Jezebel with Naboth's vineyard, and the sin of David in his lust for Bathsheba as he sends Uriah to his death in battle. See The Rev. Janice B. Scott's "What is sin?"

 

In Luke's account of the "sinful woman" who washes Jesus' feet with an expensive ointment from an alabaster jar, and her tears, and dries them with her hair, we really see what extravagant love is. Luke does not place this story immediately prior to the passion story. It is in the midst of Jesus' teaching of forgiveness - the ultimate giving, which frees us from the control of hate, spite, anger and what ever else would separate us from loving God and our neighbor, and getting on with living. In this kind of giving we can experience the joy and peace God intends for us to have, and to share. See "Alabaster Extravagance" by The Rev. Dr. Mary Anderson.

Life giving power through compassion

Scripture: 1 Kings 17:8-16, (17-24) and Psalm 146  •  1 Kings 17:17-24 and Psalm 30  •  Galatians  1:11-24  •  Luke 7:11-17

Two widows, two sons, two deaths. Elijah in Zarephath, and now Jesus in Nain. Restoring life where there is death. Jesus cuts through all rules and conventions of his society in the gospel account from Luke, as he does so many times - there is not one sheep this Good Shepherd will not search out, find, and bring home. Both of our authors give excellent accounts of the status of widows in the society of that time when they lost not only their husbands, but their sons. Essentially they were left to a living death with death not too far behind.  Worse, perhaps, they were left without a voice - silenced, non-persons. In "A people without boundaries, " The Rev. Matt Seddon reminds us that the mission of the church in our Book of Common Prayer "is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ." To be a people who recognize the dignity of every human being.

Jesus did a couple of things which were taboo in this Sunday's gospel lesson. He talked to the woman and he touched the bier of the dead. Cutting across anything which would separate us from the love of God. This story is not just about the son. Through his compassion, Jesus also gave life to the widow. She matters. He has given her a voice. A place in the kingdom of God's love. Jesus speaks liberating words. In "Finding a discourse for living," Christopher Burkett tells us , as people of faith, to chose our words carefully - that we use committed, responsible and liberating words - life giving words, Godly words. For the sake of our Lord, may we speak and act with compassion with all God's children, especially those without power, status, or voices of their own.