Wars and Rumors of Wars

As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” 2Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.” 3When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4“Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 6Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birthpangs. (Mark 13:1-8, NRSV)

This is one of those texts people say is happening now. This is the beginning, well we have had the beginning before.

Many times people have said this is the beginning. You know who knows when the beginning of the end of times will be? The Father and only the Father. Jesus said not even he knew, that only the Father knows when this will all happen.

We do not know and can not tell. Signs get misinterpreted and we do not have all of the information nor do we understand everything.

SO hold tight and have faith in God.

The Widow’s Gift

41He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”(Mark 12:41-44, NRSV)

We often hear this text as a stewardship text, look at what this widow did by giving everything. When I actually read this as Jesus condemning the system. This widow feels like she has to give all she had, while others give out of their abundance. We are shamed into giving and that is not what God wants. God wants a cheerful giver, for us to give out of our abundance because we see others around us in need and know we can help. We should never feel shamed into giving.

The system should not hold us down. Being a follower of Jesus should free us to love those around us.

Son of David

35While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David? 36David himself, by the Holy Spirit, declared, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ 37David himself calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?” And the large crowd was listening to him with delight. 38As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! 40They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” (Mark 12:35-40, NRSV)

How can this be? I don’t understand because logically it doesn’t make sense to me. This is really where we get into trouble because when we want to make logical sense out of things that don’t make logical sense we stop believing them,

A lot of what we believe is completely on Faith. We must step out and say I can not logically explain this, or understand this but I believe it.

Sometimes things don’t make sense to us. We have to have faith and step out and believe.

Have faith.

Steadfast Love, Not Sacrifice

“Come, let us return to the Lord; for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck down, and he will bind us up. 2After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. 3Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord; his appearing is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth.” 4What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early. 5Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have killed them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light. 6For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:1-6, NRSV)

God: What is that smell?

Me: a sacrifice to you. I couldn’t afford a lamb, so I got a raccoon.

God: a raccoon? seriously you think that is what I want?

Me: I’m trying my best with what I have here.

God: uhm, no not really. I don’t want that smelly thing.

Me: then what can I do?

God: Love as I loved you. I took you when you were smellier than that thing and still loved you. Love like that.

Me: I can’t.

God: I know, but try at love and I’ll help.

Me:

God: just try I’ll be there with you.

Love Your Neighbor

13You shall not defraud your neighbor; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a laborer until morning. 14You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. 15You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. 16You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the Lord. 17You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. 18You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:13-18, NRSV)

This whole passage can be summed up in the title, Love your neighbor. Treat the people around you as you would want to be treated.

If you wouldn’t want someone to do it to you, then don’t do it to someone else.

Love God, Love neighbor.

Hear, O Israel

Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the ordinances—that the Lord your God charged me to teach you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, 2so that you and your children and your children’s children, may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life, and keep all his decrees and his commandments that I am commanding you, so that your days may be long. 3Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe them diligently, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you.4Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:1-5, NRSV)

The Shema is 1 of 2 prayers commanded in the Torah and the last 2 verses here start that. Hear O Israel The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Jews pray this every day.

I wonder how our lives would change if we all prayed this every day before we went to bed. The Lord is our God, the Lord alone, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. How would our lives be different?

I believe we would be less fearful. I know as we live in the time of Covid-19 and we are all washing our hands and singing Happy Birthday or something else, I have started praying the Lord’s Prayer because it is 20 seconds long and is the amount of time needed for proper handwashing, and it puts me at ease, knowing that God is in control and will always provide for my needs.

How would our lives change?

The Greatest Commandment

28One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; 33and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ —this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question. (Mark 12:28-34, NRSV)

Love God and love neighbor. There is nothing above this. We can do all of the good deeds and sacrifice as many animals as we want but none of that matters. All that matters is you love God and neighbor.

Do you love God and neighbor?

Debate on Resurrection

18Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, saying, 19“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that ‘if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.’ 20There were seven brothers; the first married and, when he died, left no children; 21and the second married her and died, leaving no children; and the third likewise; 22none of the seven left children. Last of all the woman herself died. 23In the resurrection whose wife will she be? For the seven had married her.” 24Jesus said to them, “Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God? 25For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27He is God not of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong.” (Mark 12:18-27, NRSV)

Sometimes we get so hung up on the rules we miss the real thing. God is the God of the living not the dead, so even when we die we go on living.

We are so hung up on getting things right we miss the people for the person doing something we don’t like.

Let us love as God loved us, picked us up when God couldn’t stand to look at us or be with us and loved us.

Love.

Taxes to the Emporer

13Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. 14And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? 15Should we pay them, or should we not?” But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.” 16And they brought one. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” 17Jesus said to them, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him. (Mark 12:13-17, NRSV)

Why do we put God to the test?

We hear what God wants us to do and we balk and question. We don’t want to do what God asked us or is sending us to do.

We try to get out of it or figure a way to make it different.

But everything we have is God’s and we should give it back as it was given. And follow where we are led and know that God is always with us.

The Chief Cornerstone

21I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
22The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
23This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
24This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!
26Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.
(Psalm 118:21-26, NRSV)

Today is a gift from God and we should rejoice and be glad God has given it to us.

Let us be glad for another rotation of the earth we get to participate in and let us share God’s love in everything we do.