February 28, 2014: Luke Chapter 17

The Gospel According to Luke Chapter 17

Originally posted Monday, March 24, 2008

Luke Chapter 17:1-10

This is a collection of four sayings three of which appear in Matthew but not together. The subjects are sin, forgiveness, faith and the servant's wages.

Vss. 1-2 Scandal: The typical English translation of verse 1 is inadequate in expressing Luke's point. This is not stumbling as if someone were committing a "simple" sin. Placing a household-sized grinding stone around one's neck and being cast into the sea is a little extreme. The word typically translated as temptation is too mild for Luke's intent. The Greek reads, "It is impossible for a scandal not to come but woe [to the one] through whom it comes," where the word "scandal" means an offense that causes disgrace. In brief, a "scandal" is anything that causes a fellow Christian to lose faith, and in Luke's case that would mean renouncing one's faith. This in not just tempting someone to skip worship to get a good tee time (although Luke might have frowned on that too). Luke's community was under significant pressure from those who looked upon Christians as atheists and thought the Eucharist sounded like cannibalism. That and political persecution would be the scandal, the offense which might bring about a loss of faith.

Vss. 3-4 Forgiveness: Luke's version of this saying is more direct than Matthew's. He writes, "Pay attention to yourselves." Be on guard for the misbehavior of others against you. Every person in the church is responsible for correcting the other and to forgive that person even if the other sins seven times "during the day." As Luke puts it, "...and [if] he turns around to you seven times saying 'I repent,' you will forgive him." The seven times, as is the seventy seven times in Matthew is, of course, hyperbole to be sure the reader gets the point of the importance of forgiveness. As we will read in Paul's letters, the Gentile infusion into the Church created a cultural crisis for some when the normally accepted behavior of Gentiles clashed with the sterner morality and ethics of Monotheism. Correction and forgiveness would be very important in such a mixture.

Vss. 5-6 Increasing Faith: Luke uses the rare title "Apostles" instead of disciples which may mean this is an instruction to the Twelve, and likely a post-resurrection story brought forward. Here the Apostles ask Jesus to "add" faith to them. The word for add is of the same root as for prosthesis and can be understood as adding something that is missing and one does not have - as with a prosthetic limb. The Apostles would already have faith at some level (or they would not be Apostles!). They will need more and stronger faith when Jesus is no longer with them and they have been given the mission to preach the good news "to the ends of the earth." Both Luke and Matthew use a descriptive hyperbole to emphasize the need for a strong faith. Matthew calls for a faith that can move a mountain from one place to another. Luke will settle for a mulberry tree but will uproot it and replant it in the sea.

Neither Matthew nor Luke suggests how the disciples/Apostles go about increasing their faith. They only speak of the outcome of having faith. It seems improbable that faith is the same as a quantity of something that can be increased or decreased. Faith is something we have or we do not have. As Dr. Jim Cook once put it, "Faith is the soil in which the Christian is planted and rooted." This leads us to two important possibilities. First, this faith-soil can be nourished - aerated, watered and fertilized. That is the role of the spiritual disciplines of worship, prayer, study, tithing and fellowship. To the degree that the faith-soil is nourished it will be productive or unproductive in effecting the growth and maturity of the planted seed/disciple. Second, the outcome of a well nourished soil is a strong, healthy tree and a strong, healthy tree bears good fruit. We are rooted in faith. This faith requires constant nourishment. The disciple rooted in this faith will bear the fruit of good works which are as stated in so many ways, to love God, neighbor and self; to do unto other as we would have them do unto us; to be a light to the nations and the salt of God's covenant; and to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God.

Vss. 7-10 The Servant's Wages: From the faith and works of the disciple we move to the question of expectations. What do we expect in return for being the good and faithful disciple? Would we be satisfied with a letter of commendation, our name on a brick or a door to a room in a new building, an appointment to a prestigious board or committee? Do these reflect gathering treasures on earth rather than treasures in heaven as Matthew puts it? We all appreciate recognition when it comes our way and surely recognizing the accomplishments and talents of another is an appropriate Christian gesture of appreciation. The question is not whether we should or should not be recognized for our good works; it is, do we expect to be recognized in some way? Perhaps there is a hidden question within this question: do we do good works in order to be recognized? As one wag has put it, "Can we be good for nothing?"

Luke answers the question with the story of a hard working slave who has worked all day plowing a field and tending the sheep. At sundown he returns to the master's house. He receives no pat on the back and is not thanked for the day's work. Rather, he is told to put on his apron, prepare the evening meal and serve it to the master. When he has finished he receives no recognition for the meal. It is only then the slave can eat. Jesus asks if the slave is thanked for doing what he was supposed to do. He answers his own question changing perspectives putting the disciple in the role of the slave who says we have done only what we ought to have done. Thanks is not necessary. It feels good to receive thanks and a Christian will no doubt offer such thanks, but it is not necessary to the role of a faithful disciple of Jesus. We do not serve or give or love for the sake of receiving the plaudits of others. The reward is already in the doing.

Luke Chapter 17:11-19 Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers

The core of this passage is from LK 5:12-16, the healing of one leper and his instruction to go show himself to the Priest and make the required sacrifice for his cleansing. Here Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. He would have been traveling along the border between Samaria and Galilee toward the Jordan River which he would cross (to avoid entering Samaria) then head south to the Jericho crossing. In an unnamed village ten lepers come out, keeping an appropriate distance. They ask Jesus to show mercy. In this version Jesus does not touch the lepers. He simply tells them to go show themselves to the Priests. As they go they receive healing through their faith in Jesus as one in whom God is at work. One of the ten, a Samaritan, returns to thank Jesus (in a posture of obeisance and worship). Jesus asks the rhetorical questions about the number of lepers made clean and is it just this "foreigner" who is loudly praising God for his healing.

The story is reminiscent of the Good Samaritan in which a foreigner is shown to be more obedient to doing God's work of mercy than the Jewish officials who passed by the injured man. So, we have a Samaritan who does God's work and a Samaritan who worships God. The conclusion is not difficult to discern. As with Jesus' association with "tax collectors and sinners," breaking bread and serving thousands of Gentiles, we are led to see within this passage Jesus' promise that the Kingdom of God is open to everyone. This is the justice of God offered without barriers.

Luke Chapter 17:20-37 The Coming of the Kingdom

Luke has provided a significant glimpse into the early church theology of the Kingdom of God and the end times which are separate realities, one present and one future. The Pharisees want to know when the Kingdom of God is coming. Jesus' answer would be (and is) a radical departure on the subject as far as the Pharisees are concerned. They would be aware of the words of Enoch and other Jewish Apocalyptic writers who describe the cosmic signs and earthly events that will precede the Kingdom. Jesus rejects such a notion. There will be no preceding signs. There will be nothing observable to which others can point. In fact, he says, the Kingdom of God is among you. This is the unique contribution of Christianity, that the Kingdom of God was already present in and through the life and ministry of Jesus. 

Another aspect of Luke's understanding of the Kingdom of God as already present and among us is the separation of the present Kingdom from the future coming of the Son of Man. The figure of the Son of Man is derived from Daniel and Enoch as the one who ushers in the cataclysmic Day of the Lord, the resurrection of the dead and final judgment. In this line of thinking it is after this that the Kingdom of God will be fully realized. There are varying interpretations of all of these elements of the end times. Luke seems to understand the "already and ongoing" present Kingdom as of first importance. Yet he does affirm the future day of the Son of Man. He writes of the interim period of the suffering and rejection of the Son of Man (Jesus), the normality of life and the surprising appearance of the Son of Man without signs or wonders beyond that of his coming.  When asked where the Son of Man will appear he refuses to answer just as he would not answer the "when" question of the Pharisees (vs. 20). His cryptic answer, taken from Job 39:26-30, "And where the slain are, there [the eagle] is." There are interpreters who equate this verse with the Roman Eagle which is a symbol of the Roman Army, appearing on their standards. The corpse would be representative of the Jewish dead in the war with Rome. We will read of this possibility later in Luke.

It is tempting to analyze this passage for clues about Jesus' return and the coming end times. It would seem more profitable to leave that to the hucksters, speculators and religious prognosticators while we go about the business of living in and for the Kingdom of God that has already come among us. How will we be the more faithful in the use of our efforts: stewing over times and seasons, signs and wonders or taking on the disciples' mantle, busying ourselves with the work of God knowing the Kingdom is already among us and needing our attention?

February 27, 2014: Luke Chapter 16

The Gospel According to Luke Chapter 16

Originally posted Friday, March 21, 2008

Luke Chapter 16:1-13 The Dishonest Manager

This is a difficult parable to interpret. Many attempts to understand the meaning have relied on speculation, reading details into the text that do not exist. All we have is the text and it must offer up its own meaning. The core elements point to the typical agribusiness organization of Jesus' time. There is the Master who is the owner of large tracts of cultivated farm land. He is most likely an absentee landlord and has a business manager (steward) who handles all the accounts. There are at least two tenant farmers: One cultivating olive trees for oil and another growing wheat. The land may have once been owned by these tenants who were dispossessed of ownership. More and more farm land was commercialized to supply Rome with food. When the original owners could no longer afford to pay the costs of farming and defaulted on loans for seed or equipment their land was taken. As a result they became land-poor peasant tenants on land that once was theirs. 

In a tenant farming system the farmers would be given quotas for the amount of produce to be paid to the Master. The produce was a rent payment paid to the owner in exchange for the use his land. The system allowed the tenants to keep or sell anything over their quotas as long as they could meet them in a timely fashion. The Manager was responsible for overseeing the farmers to be sure they were providing accurate measures and good quality. As the manager he might earn a commission on the delivered produce.

Absentee farming is susceptible to both corruption and exploitation. In the parable this manager has been charged with "squandering" the Master's property (farm production?) and is being discharged. We are not given the particulars of the charge but squandering generally implies wasting or misusing money, property or opportunity. The manager considers his options. He could do manual labor but isn't strong enough. He could become a beggar but that would bring him shame. He decides to continue his deceptive squandering. In order to guarantee a place to live once he is discharged he will have the two tenants falsify the produce invoices so that they will be in his debt. He instructs the first tenant to change his invoice from one hundred jugs (baths) of oil (750 gallons) to fifty. He has the second tenant change the one hundred measures (kors or homers) of wheat (800 bushels) to eighty.

The parabolic hook of this parable comes in vs. 8a when the Master congratulates the deceptive manager for having acted shrewdly. If we try to apply business logic to this we will miss the point. It would make absolutely no sense for the defrauded Master to congratulate the person who cost him a large amount of produce. But what does make sense is Jesus' message in vs. 8b: the children of this age (this evil and adulterous generation) are shrewder in dealing with their own kind than are the "children of light" (followers of Jesus and early Christians).

Vs. 9 is the resolution of the parable. Jesus tells his disciples they too should be shrewd, making friends by the use of (with) their "unrighteous mammon" (Luke's usual term for material goods). By doing so and when the mammon runs out, they will be welcome into the eternal "tents." This is the end of the parable which is now understood as a Kingdom parable. The children of this evil generation will use their mammon to no good end. The children of light (Christians) will use it for good, through acts of justice, mercy and compassion - the works of God, and will be welcome in the Kingdom of God. As Matthew put it, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth...but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven..." (MT 6:19a, 20a)

The final part of the passage is Jesus' exhortation to his disciples (and to us) on the faithful use of whatever material resources they have been given (by God). Those who cannot be trusted to use wisely  these material resources that belong to God cannot and will not be entrusted with true (Kingdom) riches. For Jesus the moral teaching is, "[We] cannot serve God and mammon."

Luke 16:14-18 The Law and the Kingdom

Luke has placed three seemingly unrelated sayings together. As we read them, however, we will see the relationship. The first one follows the previous teaching on the proper relationship with material resources, particularly money. The last relates to the continuing application (and interpretation) of the Old Testament.

Vss. 14-15: The ever-lurking Pharisees have overheard Jesus' remarks about money. Luke characterizes them as "lovers of money" which is an interesting label based on what we know about them. They were not gainfully employed and were supported by contributions and patronages from wealthy Elders (aristocratic class). It is possible they earned fees from elderly persons for whom they had become trustees. Jesus uses the common perception of Pharisees to condemn their misguided attempt to serve both God and mammon while their heart was set on mammon. It is by this hypocrisy that they try to justify themselves to a less discerning public (make themselves look holy by outer appearances). Jesus sees their attempts at a dual allegiance as a failure to understand the Shema (Deut. 6:4-5) which calls for a devotion of the whole self to God. It is little wonder that they would ridicule Jesus' strong words. After all, the crowd was listening. 

Vss. 16-17: Jesus announces what Luke has been hinting in subtleties. John the Baptist's appearance in the Jordan River marks the end of the old age - the time of the Law and the Prophets. Jesus, the one whom John came out to announce, stands at the beginning of the new age when the good news of God's Kingdom is preached. Since that time "everyone is being urgently invited into it." Another translation of vs. 16c is "everyone is pressing hard to enter it." Either of these reflects the dramatic response of the common people to Jesus' good news of the coming Kingdom of God. We are not to think from this that the Law and the Prophets are no longer important. Jesus says not even a single stroke of a letter will disappear (Isa. 40:8). This is not a contradiction with Jesus saying that the Law and Prophets were in effect until John. "Until" is not a stop sign. They are still in effect insofar as they point to Jesus and this new age, a conclusion and cornerstone of the early church's use of the Greek Old Testament as a fountain of "pointers" to Jesus and the coming Kingdom. It is this understanding that gives meaning to the Church's proclamation that Jesus has fulfilled the Law and the Prophets. They are now embodied in and through him as their interpreter and protector.

Vs. 18: It is this understanding of the eternal presence of the Law and the Prophets that leads to this teaching on divorce. Scholars point to this verse as part of an older layer of the oral tradition. The teaching has no provision for divorce as a result of a woman's unchastity (MT 5:32); no exceptions for mixed marriages either Christian-Jewish or Christian-pagan; and no consideration of the Roman allowance for a woman initiating a divorce. Based on this verse and since no allowance is provided for the woman to seek a divorce, it is the man who is the adulterer in all cases. He commits adultery if he divorces his wife to marry another woman or if he marries a woman who has been divorced. The teaching does not forbid divorce. It forbids remarriage after divorce. As such, the teaching is in harmony with the Law, specifically Jesus interpretation of that Law.

Luke 16:19-31 The Rich Man and Lazarus

This story is an application of previous passages concerning the ultimate fate of those who are "lovers of money." It also reminds us of Luke's persistent theme of the reversal of status (see LK 12:13-21).The main characters are archetypes of incredible wealth and grinding poverty whose lives and deaths intersect. The guiding issue is the refusal of the rich who prized wealth (an abomination before God vs. 15) to notice or to show kindness to the poor. The descriptions of each are meant to portray the vast gulf that has separated them in life and will separate them in death. The only moment of equality will be their common fate - death. It is the scene that follows death which becomes the vision-metaphor depicting the coming Judgment in terms of forfeiture and recompense.

In death the two are separated by a great river which cannot be crossed. On one side is Paradise where Lazarus has been "exalted," sitting beside "Father" Abraham." The rich man has been "brought low," in the torment of Hades. In this reversal of status Lazarus becomes well fed at Abraham's table while the rich man becomes the beggar who now must plead with the Patriarch for a taste of water from Lazarus' finger. But it cannot be. The chasm between Paradise and Hades is too great and deep. No one can cross it in either direction. The suffering man in Hades, now stripped of every trapping of wealth, again pleads with Abraham, not on his own behalf but for his five brothers, lest they suffer the same fate as he. Send Lazarus to warn them, he begs. Surely they will repent if someone rises from the dead to warn them.

The final line is the moral of this fable. It is Jesus speaking to all those who have loved money more than showing justice, mercy, kindness and compassion to those who so desperately need them. They had Moses as their teacher, and Moses pointed to the one in whom God would initiate the Kingdom "on earth as it is in heaven." They had received the invitation to the table but made their excuses. They had chosen the best seats of honor to draw attention to themselves. They had thought their place at the narrow gate was secure as a birthright. They had cursed Jesus' compassion in making people whole again on the Sabbath. They thought they could practice their brand of piety and ignore the weightier matters of the Law, "to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God.

February 26, 2014: Luke Chapter 15

The Gospel According to Luke Chapter 15

 Originally posted Thursday, March 20, 2008

Luke Chapter 15:1-32 Parables of the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin and Lost Son [see MT 18:12-14]

The first two parables carry the same structure. Something is lost; a search is made; the lost item is found and there is rejoicing as a result. For Jesus the outline is a good summary of his preaching of the Kingdom of God. Both parables could just as well have begun with the words, "The Kingdom of God is like..." He sees the poor and other marginalized people as lost in the impossibly difficult religious terrain created by the Pharisees as the only hope for entering God's Kingdom. There was no hope offered short of meticulously following their traditions of holiness. As one text put it, they were like sheep without a shepherd.

Luke introduces the parables with an appropriate example of Jesus as the shepherd who searches for the lost. "Tax Collectors and Sinners" was a term representing those rejected by the Pharisees as shut out of the Kingdom because they were ritually unclean. It would also include those who had broken the moral law. They were out of the way, at the edges of the crowd listening to Jesus. He did not reject them because of their sin. He welcomed them. Not only that, he ate with them, a shocking departure from accepted behavior.

All three of these parables address the sense of being lost and found. They mention or demonstrate repentance but the emphasis is on the rejoicing of the community when that which was lost is returned. Those who have not been lost are called to take part in the celebration.

The Lost Sheep: The pastoral image of sheep is found throughout the Old Testament. Think of the classic understanding of God as the Shepherd in Psalm 23 and Isa. 40:11. In John Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd." Since the earliest days of Christianity church leaders were called shepherds of the people.

The parable served two purposes. First, as part of Jesus preaching, it gave hope to those who had been shut out of the Kingdom. It was not a matter of following some artificially imposed code. Rather, it was a matter of sincere repentance and turning to God as the one who had already issued an open invitation to them through Jesus. The Kingdom was near and they would have a place in it. Even the Tax Collectors and prostitutes hear that invitation and understand that they also are welcome as repentant sinners. Each of them was like that lost sheep that Jesus the shepherd was seeking. The other ninety nine could be left behind for they were already part of the repentant flock.

The second purpose was within Luke's Christian community. The seriousness with which the early Church took the ongoing faithfulness of its members is not easy for us to relate to. In a time when persecution is an ever present threat and social pressures can make being a Christian costly and uncomfortable, members would be sorely tempted to leave or renounce their faith. There was an urgency to find these lost sheep and convincing them to return to the fold. The urgency was made all the more keen in light of the Church's belief that, although delayed, Christ's return was still at hand. Given the situation we can appreciate Jesus' remark in vs. 7 and vs. 10 of the joy in heaven (and so on earth as it is in heaven) when one of the lost repents and turns back to God.

The Lost Coin: The thought described above is the same in this parable. The possession of ten silver coins, ten days wages for the typical day laborer, would have been a substantial amount of money for the overwhelming majority of Jesus' audience. One day's wages was considered enough to insure survival for one more day. In a time when the probability of lost days due to accident, illness or some other disaster was high, we can understand the woman's frantic search for that one silver drachma and her joy at finding it.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The idea of how important these two searches were and the joy expressed upon discovery of that which was lost might be difficult for us to appreciate. In our Church experience someone "missing" may go unnoticed unless we know or are used to seeing them in worship, Sunday Class or other small group experiences. If we do become aware of a person's extended absence what do we do about it? Is it not our responsibility to seek the lost or do we leave that up to the clergy? Do we have a systematic approach to keeping track of members and others so that they do not simply disappear? There are several pragmatic reasons for keeping track of members and regular visitors. There are scriptural reasons as well. Jesus is our model in this regard. Finding the lost sheep was not a matter of keeping the flock numbers up or maintaining economic stability. Jesus fervently believed the Kingdom of God was worth dying for. More than that he also believed it was worth living for. Perhaps we are a little lax on believing in this Kingdom announced by Jesus as already beginning. Perhaps we have lost our sense of being part of its work and its growth. If our view of the Kingdom is locked into some ancient notion of a distant, otherworldly abstraction then whether a sister of brother in the faith is "missing in action" might not be too important. But if we believe that Jesus has accurately revealed the character of God as one who wishes for a world in which justice, mercy, compassion and kindness are the cornerstones of life, what then? Would we not wish to share in advancing such a world and would we not want to engage everyone we can in the cause? There are lost sheep out there, those from our flock and those who have no flock at all. What are we called to do?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Two Sons and Their Father: This parable was written as an expansion of the previous two, especially emphasizing the element of joy attached to finding that which was lost - in this case a son. We probably know the story by heart and have heard it as the subject of many sermon illustrations. Perhaps the parable is so well remembered because many of us can relate to its message, either because it is our own experience or that of someone we know. Although the parable is usually named the Prodigal Son it really is the story of three characters, The Father, the Older and the younger son. Each play a role in understanding the parable's message.

The story line is simple. A younger son decides to claim his share of the property. This is highly irregular since such a distribution would normally be upon the death of the father and any pre-death arrangement was frowned upon in early Jewish writing except perhaps when the son was married. The very act of demanding his share of the property demonstrates the estrangement already existing between this son and his father and the dissolution of the family bond. The distribution was governed by Torah. Deut. 21:15-17is the section on the rights of the first born in case the man had two wives, one whom he loves and the other he dislikes. The first born son was to receive a double portion of the property even if he was the son of the wife the man disliked. Deuteronomy was the last part of Torah, written near the end of the seventh century BCE. It reflects the editing and modifications of the Law to reflect the Israelite experience. This section was intended to avoid the favoring of the youngest son over those born before him. We see this tendency in the stories about the Patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

In the normal family situation the property would remain in the possession and management of the father. Distribution would occur after his death. In the parable the younger son is able to secure possession of his share while the father is still living. As further emphasis on his breaking of family ties, the son converts the property into cash, leaves home and travels into Gentile territory. Then there is the classic descent into "wine, women and song," the wasting away of his resources, and the need to find work in order to survive. He is degraded by working with pigs (anathema to the Jews) and ends up at the edge of starvation daydreaming about home and all he had lost by his foolishness.

The parable turns on this moment of realization. The text says, "...he came to himself." The phrase is important in our understanding of the possibility of repentance, of turning in another direction. We are not locked into a predetermined path on which there is no chance of change. There are forks in the road, opportunities to realize we are going the wrong way and the need to go in a different direction. For the son the different direction was toward home where he would welcome being treated even like one of his father's servants. He at least would be home.  

At home the father waits. Everyday he has looked down that road in hopes of seeing his son walking up the path. Every day ended with a disappointing sadness; but not this day. No, not today! He barely sees him way down at the end of that path. He squints his eyes. It looks like him, much thinner, a bit haggard looking. It is him, the son whom he had lost has returned home. Forgetting the indignity of a man his age running, he does precisely that. He doesn't care who sees him. He runs down the path, heart pounding more from excitement than physical effort, grabs his son, embraces and kisses him amidst the tears of joy. Get the best robe, the family ring, a new pair of sandals and put them on him, he tells his servants. Now get the fatted calf and prepare the feast, "...for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." Like the shepherd who found the lost sheep, the woman who found the lost coin, the father shouts, "Let the celebration begin!"

We know what this is all about, don't we? Who is it that waits for us to take another path? Who keeps looking down the path to see if we are coming; and when we come to ourselves and finally do return, who welcomes us without judgment, without reprimanding incrimination? Who indeed!

Now there is the third member of this family story, the older brother, the firstborn son. He is not at all happy to see this delinquent of a brother and he especially resents the party going on to celebrate his return; all that food wasted on such a disrespectful, selfish child. He will have no part of the welcome festivities. When his father urges him to join the celebration the older son expresses his anger. He will not even address his father. After all, he has been the model son, working hard, always obedient, never asking for anything. Here comes this squanderer and he gets treated like a visiting dignitary. Forget it! But the father presses him to reconsider. You are my first born son. You will always be with me. Everything we have build up here is yours. You have lost nothing. But this is your brother. He has been dead to us for so long and now he is alive. We are a family and we must celebrate this moment. He has been lost to us, but now he is found.

February 25, 2014: Luke Chapter 14

The Gospel According to Luke Chapter 14

Originally posted Wednesday, March 19, 2008 

Luke Chapter 14:1-6 The Man With Dropsy

A major portion of this chapter takes place at the home of a leader of the Pharisees. It is the Sabbath and Jesus has been invited to dinner. The meal setting is important to the story because of the social relationships that are assumed by who is invited. To be invited is a statement of equality between host and guest. Honor is given to both. We are aware of the first century Pharisaic practices of having meals together to assure that no one suspected of ritual uncleanness would be present. The root of the Aramaic word for Pharisee is "to separate" and they lived up to the definition. It was said of the Pharisees that they were careful not to allow the shadow of an unclean person to cross their own for fear of the contagion.

As we know from our reading, table fellowship played a significant role in Jesus' ministry. The meals were events where participants shared life. On a spiritual level the sharing and recognition of equality were examples of the Messianic banquet to come where all will be equally honored and food and wine will be abundant. It is this Kingdom concept that Jesus will express at this meal with his Pharisee host and the others who were invited.

The plot is set with four elements: Sabbath, a man with edema, Scribes and Pharisees and Jesus. For Jesus this will be an opportunity to challenge the conventional Sabbath tradition on behalf of human need. He will use the meal setting to offer a radically different view of table fellowship than held by Pharisees and others of high social position.

A man swollen by the edema he suffers appears in front of Jesus. The host and other guests watch Jesus to see how he will react. He has a reputation for breaking the Sabbath rules regarding work, even touching and healing the unclean. Jesus doesn't have to be omniscient to know what is in their minds. He poses the question they have heard before: "Is it lawful to cure people on the Sabbath or not?" As always they remain silent. Jesus' reputation for choosing human need over inconsequential rules is well known. The healing that follows is God's sense of justice at work in Jesus on the very day God has bestowed for the benefit of humanity. Jesus says nothing. He heals the man and sends him home to share the Sabbath with his family. He looks at the guests and asks another question. It is similar to the one he asked in the Synagogue when he healed the woman who had suffered with a spirit of weakness for eighteen years. He makes the question personal: If your child or your ox fell into a well on the Sabbath would you not pull it out? Their dilemma is evident. Will they opt for tradition or compassion? Again they are silent, betraying that hardness of heart that chooses rules over God's demand for mercy, compassion and justice. Jesus has made his point but there is more.

Luke Chapter 14:7-14 Humility and Hospitality

When Jesus noticed the man in need of healing he did not hesitate to heal. When Jesus noticed the way people at the meal chose the places of honor he addressed the practice of ranking guests by their social standing. Such seating arrangements were important in an honor/shame based society where being distinguished by position could bring honor or shame to the guest. Jesus addresses what he has seen at the meal including the advice of a well known adage from Prov. 35:6-7: "Do not put yourself forward in the King's presence or stand in the place of the great; for it is better to be told, 'Come up here,' than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.'" using the setting of a wedding banquet (a metaphor for the Messianic Banquet in God's Kingdom) suggests they not be too quick to take the best seats, lest the host tell them to give their "higher" place to someone more important and they be told to take a "lower" place and be humiliated. It would be better, he says, to take the lower place first and when the host asks you to move higher you will be honored by everyone present. This is, of course, an extension of Jesus' teaching on the reversal of status in God's Kingdom: "...all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." The first shall be last.

Jesus follows this sage advice with another radical concept of table hospitality. Do not invite the kind of people to your table fellowship who will feel obliged to invite you to their table fellowship - the rich, relatives, socially acceptable friends. Instead, invite the poor, crippled, lame and blind - the marginalized of your society who cannot repay your hospitality and who could only dream of such a meal. This is what will bring you a blessing, for your reward will be found in the Kingdom of God.

Luke Chapter 14:15-24 The Parable of the Great Dinner

In this third part of the dinner story Jesus again takes advantage of something seen or said. In this case an exuberant guest offers a toast of sorts to those who will eat bread (dine) in the Kingdom of God. This opens the door for Jesus to announce just who these people are that the guest has called blessed. It will not be what the guest expected - fellow distinguished dignitaries, the rich and powerful of his acquaintance. Jesus' guest list is quite different.

He tells a Kingdom parable about a great dinner to which the host has invited all his important friends. In such a Semitic culture an invitation would have been issued well in advance of the event. When all was in readiness, he would send out his servants to let all the invited guests know it was time to come. In this case the servant went out but every invited guest gave an inane excuse for not being able to attend. One had just bought a piece of land he had to inspect; another had bought five yoke of oxen he needed to try out and a third had just been married. The point is that one does not buy a piece of land without seeing it nor does one buy even one yoke of oxen without trying them out, let alone five; and a marriage would have been planned as much as a year before the dinner party date.

The host is angered that the invited guests would not come. There is a dinner ready to be served and no guests. He sends his servant out into the city streets and lanes to gather the poor, the crippled, lame and blind (the same marginalized people Jesus had just advised his fellow dinner guests to invite to their table). But there is still room. The servant is told to go back out, this time beyond the towns and cities, on the country roadways and fences. There he will find those who would not be allowed in the city after sundown and could urge them to come in so that all the places at table will be filled and there will be no places left over for those who had been invited but refused. Again the lesson is clear: Those who assume their place in the Kingdom is guaranteed will be shut out. Those who could never make such an assumption are welcome. Only God can issue an invitation to the Kingdom and God has invited us all. It is only our choice that keeps us out.

Luke Chapter 14:25-33 The Cost of Discipleship

The setting changes and Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem. He has exchanged the narrowly focused environment of the Pharisees' table fellowship for the open country and the usual crowds that would be unencumbered by questions of status as they rustled along the road with Jesus. At a stopping place Jesus began to teach them about the cost of discipleship. This was not an academic discourse meant for information. This was a real challenge to those who contemplated becoming disciples or who already thought they were disciples but had not considered the level of commitment involved. There is no lure to an easy road in his words, no exclusionary clauses or undisclosed responsibilities. This is an invitation to the narrow gate and as many as were with him today, there will be less tomorrow.

Jesus gives three requirements for faithful discipleship, all in a typically Semitic hyperbolic form for the sake of contrast: to renounce one's family; to carry one's cross; and to give up all one's possessions. While these three challenges may make sense for the Twelve, for those who are on the road following Jesus and who will go back to their villages, their families and lives, the challenge is different. There still will be a price to pay for one's discipleship and everyone needs to be aware of what that cost will be in their lives. Jesus gives two examples to consider. Would you start building a tower without a plan for a firm foundation and a way to pay for the construction? If you were a King would you go out to battle with another without assessing the enemy's as well as your own military strength? Costs are an important consideration for discipleship. It is not a volunteer commitment. It is a life investment and it isn't something we can do on the cheap.

We do not want to dilute the strong emphasis in Jesus' conditions for discipleship. We do, however, need to understand their meaning. The hyperbolic form of teaching is not meant to be taken literally. Such speech involves making exaggerated, sometimes illogical contrasts to strongly emphasize an important point, to create a strong impression that needs to be contemplated. An example would be, "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse." To cite a Biblical reference, "If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away" (MT 5:29) which is meant to force a person to think about the seriousness of the sin of lust. Jesus is not telling us to hate, to go die as a martyr or to give away all our material possessions and live in the woods. He is telling us that our choice, if it is to be faithful in its commitment can be costly. He is saying that if we are not prepared or willing to pay the cost that may accrue to us by claiming to be a disciple, then we would be better served by rethinking our commitment. This, too, is strong language. It is difficult to image what total commitment as a disciple would mean, what it would look like, especially in view of how we try to balance the many other commitments we have. The question Jesus asks us is to what degree and under what circumstances would we radically commit ourselves to discipleship? What are we ready to do, now? Perhaps the best answer we can give is, and to paraphrase an Emmaus Walk slogan, we will commit as much of ourselves as we can to as much of God as we understand. If we are serious in our search our understanding of God will increase and so will our level of commitment to God's cause as revealed to us in the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth.

Luke Chapter 14:34-35 About Salt [see MT 5:13]

Jesus speaks here as if he were on stage giving an aside to the audience. In this case the audience is made up of those who have counted the cost, made their commitment and have become disciples of Christ. Using Matthew's concept of disciples being the salt of the earth, we can understand Luke's use of salt as the continuing effectiveness of our relationship with Christ. Being a disciple is inextricably tied to the ongoing vitality of that relationship. Insofar as we are lured away to other enticements we will become less effective in our discipleship by the weakening of our sense of devotion. We will not to perfect or even consistent any more than life itself is consistent. What we can do is to involve ourselves as much as possible in those activities and spiritual practices that keep us close to God, in body, mind and spirit and leave the rest to God.

February 24, 2014: Luke Chapter 13

The Gospel According to Luke Chapter 13

Originally posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008

The Gospel According to Luke Chapter 13:1-9 Repent or Perish

In this passage Luke concludes the theme of the urgency to repent. He uses two apparently historic events to demonstrate the tenuous nature of life. The first involved the death of a number of Galileans killed by Pilate's soldiers. The details of this particular atrocity are not given but we know enough of Pilate from the Jewish Historian Josephus that such an occurrence is not out of character. In the second a number of Jews were killed in a collapsed structure, one of the wall towers near the pool of Siloam in the southern part of Jerusalem. For both incidents Jesus applies a first century understanding of such disasters which assumes that their sin led to their death. He asks the rhetorical question whether those who suffered were any worse offenders against God than anyone else. Their expected answer would be, "No they were not and neither are we." The message is clear: repent or you will perish just as they did. Jesus does not use "perish" to mean physical death. Everyone dies physically. Here he uses the word as a metaphor for the final Judgment and being cut off from God's Kingdom. Only repentance can avoid such a fate.

We have two events, one a heartless killing of worshippers and a second where eighteen construction workers were killed by a collapsing tower. Both events serve the point Jesus is making. Be it deliberate or by fate, death is always near and unpredictable. Repent now before it is too late. In a social order under a capricious Roman rule and extensive poverty, such a warning was realistic.

The second part of the passage concludes the section on repentance that began at vs. 12:1. Here Luke uses the brief parable of the barren fig tree to add another dimension to the urgency of repentance. One's death is not only unpredictable, it is inevitable. The theme of the parable is taken from Isa. 5:1-2, 4-7, where God is the planter of the vineyard which is Israel. The vineyard bears no good fruit and is left to the wilds of nature to consume it. In this passage the fruit is repentance. Even though the time of Judgment may seem far off the fate of the Galileans and the victims of the falling tower demonstrate that physical death may not be.

We should consider one more use to which Luke puts this passage. Even before the time of his writing the delay in the return of Jesus had created the need too explain the validity of that return. This parable would lend itself to being treated as an allegory, as a number of parables were in the early church. If that were the case, the delay could be explained by the extended mercy of God to allow more time for repentance. The delay would allow the completion of the evangelistic goal of preaching the Gospel to all nations. The delay was certainly on the minds of Christian writers by the end of the first and beginning of the second centuries. 2 Peter 3 is an excellent example of the growing issue. Judaism had the same concern with respect to the delay in the arrival of the their Messiah. In both Christian and Jewish expectations, the delay gave rise to Apocalyptic books of the end times such as Revelation, Daniel, Enoch, Baruch and Esdras to name just a few. All deal with visions of the end times and God's ultimate destruction of all evil. This destruction is usually defined as everybody else besides either the Jews or Christians, depending on who the author was.

Luke Chapter 13:10-17 Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman

Scholars call this portion of Luke 13:10-35, the "Unexpected Reversals in the Kingdom of God" because of the change in status of the subject. This is in keeping with Mary's Song of Praise in 1:46-55 where the proud will be scattered, the powerful will be brought down and the lowly lifted up.

The outline of the healing on the Sabbath is similar to others: someone is healed and the Synagogue official or Pharisees complain that the healing is not lawful on the Sabbath because it is considered work unless the person is at death's door. Jesus, who sees healing from God's perspective as making persons whole again, works on the Sabbath the same as God does, out of compassion for all. The text says she has a "spirit of illness" that has left her doubled up for eighteen years. Jesus responds to the "Torah abiding" attendant reminding him even on the Sabbath animals are untied and taken to the water. Work that is allowed to attend to the needs of an animal should certainly - and more so, be allowed for this woman who is as much a child of Abraham as he, and especially so on a Sabbath, God's gift to all humanity. This woman who had been bound by a spirit of weakness is now exalted to the status of a daughter of Abraham.

Jesus cites this as another example of self righteous hypocrisy. The mask of the attendant's righteous indignation hides the heart which has no compassion and shows no mercy.

Luke Chapter 13:18-21 Two Kingdom Parables [see MT 13:31-33; MK 4:30-32]

The Mustard Seed: Someone has calculated that it takes about 750 mustard seeds to weigh one gram, each one being about one millimeter in diameter. In the parable The Kingdom of God is like one of these seeds sown in a garden. This tiny seed (1/750th of a gram) grows to a tree as much as nine feet in height. It is this reversal in size that is compared to the Kingdom which has an unnoticeably small and inconspicuous beginning in Jesus' ministry but will one day be a large tree with many branches. As an added touch of irony, it was the cedar tree that was often compared to powerful people of the Old Testament while here a tiny seed is compared to the Kingdom of God.

The Leaven: The English translation of the parable of the small amount of leaven as being "mixed" into the flour is incorrect. The leaven is "hidden" in a large quantity of flour, about fifty pounds of flour. That would produce enough bread to feed well over one hundred people. If we recall that leaven was considered a corrupting influence. Before Passover started, all leaven had to be removed from the house. Picture a person not wanting to waste the leaven and thinking a small amount could be hidden in the flour (but don't press the image to hard). What was hidden - a small amount turns the flour into an enormous mound of dough. Again, the Kingdom of God is hidden at first and no one will suspect its hiding place. We might think of Luke's story of Jesus' birth in a stable with animals and lowly shepherds as his attendants. This little, hidden child, has become the source of the Kingdom.

Luke Chapter 13:22-30 The Narrow Door

Luke continues the theme of reversal using the metaphor of the door (also the "way") as entry into the Kingdom of God. Overall many (the first) will try to enter but few will succeed. They may claim to know God and to have been obedient to God's commandments, but they have done evil (did not bear fruit) and are locked out. No matter their protestations, when the time for the great Messianic banquet arrives and the Patriarchs and Prophets have gathered,  they will be thrown out while others (the last) will come from all the nations and will be guests at the table (see Isa. 25:6-7, 43:5-6). 

Although Luke has an abiding interest in the rejection of the Gospel by the Jews and inclusion of the Gentiles into the Kingdom, we cannot press that too hard. There were many Jews who did believe in Jesus' Kingdom message both as a future event and as a way of living in the interim. They mostly would have been among the poor and other marginalized groups considered by the Pharisees as shut out of the Kingdom for their lack of ritual purity. They will be the last in line who will become the first while the Pharisees and others who rejected Jesus' Kingdom message will be first in line at the gate expecting an easy entrance but will find the door locked and be ushered to the back of the line.

There is an interesting hint of God's universalism in this passage. It seems even the last have an opportunity to enter this table fellowship. But there is a time when the owner of the house will shut the door and many will not be able to enter.

Luke Chapter 13:31-35 The Lament over Jerusalem [see MT 23:37-39]

We should not be surprised that a Pharisee would warn Jesus of Herod Antipas' attempt to kill Jesus (see 9:9). Pharisees were more interesting in debating the Law than harming others. At least some of the acrimony between Jesus and the Pharisees is the product of the later Church experience with the Synagogue leadership in the various locations where Christian evangelism was taking place and being opposed by that leadership. It should be remembered that Pharisees did not take part in Jesus' hearing before the Sanhedrin and there were some of their number that were followers, albeit quietly. On the other hand, as far as Luke is concerned the Pharisees who rejected Jesus' Kingdom message would be among those who were first but would end up being last.

Jesus' work will not be determined by Herod's conniving. He will finish his Galilean Kingdom ministry before he travels to Jerusalem. He is under the divine imperative and it will be God's Will that moves him forward to complete God's redemptive purpose. He knows the danger that is ahead in the city that "...kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it." Jesus is under compulsion to take that road. The capital city of Judea, of all Israel no matter where its inhabitants have traveled, was important to Jesus. As Paul sought to bring the Gospel to Rome, Jesus wanted to bring the message of God's Kingdom as near to the center of his world. He had long desired to gather the inhabitants under the saving wings of that Kingdom (see Ps 17:8; 36:7; 91:4). Because they would not accept Jesus' message their house (Israel) is forsaken (see Jer. 22:5 as part of Jeremiah's exhortation directed to Judah to repent).

February 23, 2014: Luke Chapter 12

The Gospel According to Luke Chapter 12

Originally posted on Monday, March 17, 2008

Luke Chapter 12:1-3 The Warning Against Hypocrisy [see MT 16:5,12]

This passage serves as a transition to a new theme on persecution and Judgment. There is a large crowd which has gathered, no doubt nodding their heads in agreement with Jesus' criticism of the Scribes (Lawyers) and Pharisees. Here Jesus names the leaven of the Pharisees as their hypocrisy. It is that hypocrisy noted in vss. 11:39-44, 46, 53  which is hidden behind the mask that is covered or secret  but will be made known in the age to come when the honor and praise they have received will be their shame. Jesus then shifts the reference to the disciples. They also must beware of such leaven. The couplings change from covered/uncovered to darkness/light and secret/known to whispered/proclaimed. This would have been meaningful in Luke's community. The church evangelists, as the disciples, must "practice what they preach." There cannot be a dual standard between teaching and action for such hypocrisy will see the light of day and be shouted from the housetops.

Luke Chapter 12:4-12 The Fearless Confession [see MT 10:26-33]

Vss. 4-7 is the first of four sections of this passage which contain the phrase "I tell you," as an exhortation on fear and a prelude to Jesus' encouragement in the face of persecution. The disciple is not to fear the one who can kill the human body, but the one who can cast into Gehenna (Hell); fear God and God alone. In Old Testament - and early Christian use, "fear" of God was understood as highest respect, the sense of reverent awe or the act of obedience toward God. In some elements of Protestantism the notion of fear took on a darker dimension as exhibited in the American Clergyman, Jonathan Edwards' mid eighteenth century sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." It's style and picturesque descriptions of the sinner dangling like an insect over the hot fires of Hell were more the stuff of John the Baptist than Jesus.

Luke changes the tone with Jesus' words of reassurance, "Do not be afraid," because even the sparrow sold in the market is not forgotten in God's sight and we are of much more worth than a sparrow. If God so regards the sparrow, Luke writes, God will surely regard the follower of Jesus. Whether we believe in a literal Hell or not, we might question the threat of such destruction as the best inducement to seeking a relationship with the God whose loving kindness is characterized by the good shepherd who puts everything aside to search for the lost sheep.

In the last part of the passage Luke adds examples of those situations when the disciples will be called upon to acknowledge him (bear witness to Jesus as Lord). They will be called before Synagogues as well as Jewish rulers and Roman authorities to defend themselves because of their faith. They are neither to fear them nor to be concerned about what to say. It is the Holy Spirit that will provide the words (the inspiration) they are to speak.

In any field of endeavor, the closer we are to a subject the easier it is to find the words when called upon to speak on that subject. Such spontaneity does not necessarily come naturally. Some of the best examples are found in music and sports. The inspiration to write or sing the Messiah does not fall from the sky. The long pass receiver at the Super Bowl does not trust in blind luck as he maneuvers the forbidding landscape of determined defenders to find the right place to turn and embrace the ball; as Isaac Stern is said to have replied to a passerby's question on how to get to Carnegie Hall, "Practice, practice, practice." If we want to be inspired to speak on behalf of our faith we, too, need to practice, practice, practice, that faith. If we do, the words will come and they will have meaning to the one who hears.

Luke Chapter 12:13-21 The Parable of the Rich Fool

When someone from the crowd tries to involve Jesus in settling an inheritance debate between two brothers, he not only refuses to be their estate judge, he uses the occasion to address the issue of the man's attachment to possessions. Jesus understands the man's preoccupation with property to have arisen from greed. He warns those listening to the discussion to be very careful of any kind of greed, a form of coveting. An abundance of things cannot be the sum and substance of a life well lived. He tells the people this well known parable of the farmer who has done so well. He congratulates himself on the extraordinary bounty of the harvest. It is so much he will need to build all new barns to store it. He fantasizes about what he will be able to do with all the wealth he will gain. He can retire from farming, take a life of ease, relax, buy some choice wine, the best food and taste all the pleasures this world has to offer. Such fantasies can be fleeting, Jesus warns. Who knows, he says, what any moment might bring or what disaster lurks around the corner. Then who will own all these "things" and enjoy the fruit of your labor. Jesus reminds the crowd that there is another dimension to life. While we should be gainfully employed in ways that will supply our needs, the storing up of true treasure will be realized in doing the work of God, showing mercy, compassion and doing justice. This is richness toward God amassed aplenty by living in the satisfaction of loving God, neighbor and one's self.

Luke Chapter 12:22-34 Do Not Worry [see MT 6:25-33; 6:1-21]

The basic theme and meaning of this passage on anxiety is shared by Matthew and Luke. Put simply, we are urged to seek God's Kingdom as of first importance in our lives. To do so is to free ourselves from worry about food, shelter and clothing. All such needs are amply met for it is God's wish to give the Kingdom to those who seek it. Luke adds the suggestion that we sell our possessions and give alms (charity to the poor). There are elements of good sense in these words. Life certainly needs more than food and the body more than clothing (vs.23). Worrying can't add even an hour to our lives (although it certainly can take hours away).

We have to be cautious in our interpretation of these verses. We have to understand the context of what seems to be an incredibly audacious disconnect with reality. The meaning is to be found in the lesson of the parable of the rich fool (vss.13-21 above). These words are aimed at those who do have enough to eat and clothes to wear but who are not satisfied with enough. Their sense of security must be found in possessions, engaging in a never ending spiral of acquiring, grasping and acquiring more for fear of running out. These are the ones who are driven by their anxieties. For them honestly seeking the Kingdom of God, not as another possession but as the center of one's being, may put a new perspective on life. The lens through which we see the Kingdom allows us to see the world and the people who inhabit it through new eyes. It may now be possible to sell some possessions for the sake of the poor. It might be more sensible to think in terms of what we need rather than what we want. Maybe instead of anxiety about how long we will live we can now live the life we have to its fullest and in its own richness.

There are two other understandings of Jesus' teaching on worry that would have had meaning to his audience and to the earliest church. One is found in the example of the twelve disciples as persons chosen to be with Jesus in fellowship and sharing. This was applied as a model for later developing communities of other followers of Jesus'. The word that describes that relationship is commensality. It refers to table fellowship, to the sharing of what one has with others. This was the foundation upon which the first waves of Jesus' followers went out into the towns and villages to share the good news and built the small gatherings which would become the Church. It was the heart of the Eucharist table. Those who are the least anxious about possessions/resources are the usually the best in sharing them. When people share what they have there is always enough to go around.

The other understanding that would have evoked a feeling of shared emotions would be that of the coming Kingdom of God. Especially for the very poor the image of the abundance of the new age was one of hope. The Prophets wrote of the time of God's Reign and the transformed world in which the happiness of the poor and hungry would be realized. But even this vision of the future was already beginning. The stories of feeding the four and five thousand are stories of sharing one's meager possessions with others as they offer their own to share in the fellowship of believers. Even among the poor the Kingdom seed had been sown and would flourish. What was shared today was but a precursor of what was to come, in God's time. 

Luke Chapter 12:35-48 Watchfulness [see MT 24:43-51]

The two stories of this passage are in parable form, imparting lessons rooted in the relationships between master and slave and the need for being prepared when the important time comes. As such they relate to the end times and the coming of the Son of Man at the beginning of the new age. The question they ask is whether or not the believers will be ready for that hour. The opening phrase, "Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit," will remind us of  the Andre' Thomas spiritual, "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning," based on the Parable of the ten virgins in MT 25:1-13. In the first parable it will be the slaves who are alert and ready no matter what time of the night the Master returns home who will be blessed and rewarded. In the second it is the faithful steward of the Master's house who knows what the Master wants and who is found doing his duties as instructed when the master returns and will be rewarded.

Luke adds an interesting reference to the two servants who did not do what the Master wanted done while he was gone. One knew what he wanted but didn't prepare himself for the task or do it. The other did not know what the Master wanted done and therefore what he did was wrong. The former deserves a severe beating while the latter deserves a light beating. Lest we think this odd, the Old Testament calls the first slave's sin "High Handed" and it deserved a beating. The latter has committed a sin without knowing it and deserves a light punishment, usually a small sacrifice will do.

The subtext of these stories of readiness is common sense in the work place. It is the employee who is actively involved in productive work when the manager walks by who gets noticed and (hopefully) rewarded. It will not be the one hanging around the water cooler. Not exactly high theology, but...

Luke Chapter 12:49-53 Jesus, The Cause of division [see MT 10:34-39]

Many of the passages in this chapter (and the next) deal with the timing of the coming Kingdom of God. The rich fool, freedom from anxiety, the watchful and faithful/unfaithful slaves are meant to focus followers of Jesus (and church communities) on being ready and found doing God's work while waiting. This passage explores the stress of family divisions which will occur in the interim as a sign that the Kingdom is near.

Matthew's version of the common source is briefer and with less detail than Luke's but lacks Luke's important introduction. To appreciate Luke's description of this time of the approaching Kingdom read again Luke's story of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-14). Bringing the fire is symbolic of the coming of the Holy spirit. We will recall from John the Baptist's preaching that "the one who is to come" will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (vs. 3:16), with the purifying fire as a definer of the Spirit. Here In vs. 49 Jesus speaks of this Spirit fire he has come to bring and the urgency he feels to fulfill that work. The time will be one of turmoil and divisions not of peace. Jesus will be one of its first casualties. Luke's community has suffered this fire that divides as families are fractured by allegiances to this new belief challenge. The "sword" mentioned by Matthew will sever family bonds among Jews and Gentiles alike. It will be a time when pagan temples and Jewish Synagogues will lose their supporters to a new way of understanding religion. God has set the dividing stake firmly in the ground and proclaimed the new future starts here. The signs are as obvious as the predicting the weather from the color of the sky; so obvious only the spiritually blind will fail to see them.

Luke Chapter 12:57-59 Settling with Your Accuser [see MT 5:25-26]

The situation described above is desperate. Time is running out and the signs must be heeded. The parable of the accuser and the accused emphasizes this urgency. Before time runs out the accused could avoid being sent to prison by settling his case with the accuser before he is handed over to the judge, then to the officer and finally sent to prison from which there is no release. The parable emphasizes the warning that the Kingdom and Judgment are so near that immediate repentance is vital before it is too late. Once the day has passed and the opportunity missed, one's fate is sealed.

Such a warning was part of the evangelists' preaching. Although the Day of Judgment could not be predicted, the message pressed the issue of readiness before that time arrived. We can hear this message repeated in tent revivals, evangelistic crusades and on television. It is the basis for a myriad of end times books and calculations, Internet sites, street corner pamphlets and poorly disguised fiction. Repent now, before it is too late. To whatever degree anyone might be anxious about the timing or any of the certainly misguided predictions, we will miss the real message within the message: It is not the time that is important. It is not the day or hour. The issue for us is whenever and if ever the day arrives, and until it does, are we now and will we then be engaged in work set before us, doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with our God.

 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Notes:

1) The Greek word translated as hypocrite (hypocrisis), literally "play acting," refers to an actor who wears a mask as part of the performance. Jesus says the Pharisees are wearing a mask of outward piety to cover, hide their inner corruption. This is the corrupting leaven to be avoided by ignoring their teaching, at least to the degree that their teaching is from their oral tradition of the Holiness Code.

2) In vs. 10:28 Matthew alludes to the destruction of both body and soul in hell, something only God can do. The concept of the immortal soul as separate from the body was not known in Judaism as it was in Hellenistic (Greek) religious thought. For Judaism the soul referred to the life force within, represented by blood. The idea in sacrificing animals was the offering of the animal's life to the one who gave life, to God. In later Jewish understanding of resurrection, the body and soul (life blood) would be rejoined in the age to come. It is not clear exactly when early Christianity adopted the concept of the immortal soul, but it begins to appear in the writings of Christian philosophers and theologians by the third century.