Bad system…

As he was teaching, he said, “Watch out for the legal experts. They like to walk around in long robes. They want to be greeted with honor in the markets. They long for places of honor in the synagogues and at banquets. They are the ones who cheat widows out of their homes, and to show off they say long prayers. They will be judged most harshly.” Jesus sat across from the collection box for the temple treasury and observed how the crowd gave their money. Many rich people were throwing in lots of money. One poor widow came forward and put in two small copper coins worth a penny. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I assure you that this poor widow has put in more than everyone who’s been putting money in the treasury. All of them are giving out of their spare change. But she from her hopeless poverty has given everything she had, even what she needed to live on.” (Mark 12:38-44, CEB)

This passage is used by pastors for stewardship Sunday, or to praise the stewardship of this widow. She is held up as a person of strong faith and conviction. But is that what is really happening here?

She put in all of her money. The last penny. Jesus said, “I assure you that this poor widow has put in more than everyone who’s been putting money in the treasury.” Everyone else gives out of excess but she has to put in the money she needs to live on. This is not proclaiming her as a person to follow and mimic, although we do need to give all, more than it is a rebuking of the system where she feels she has to give all of her money while others live comfortably not giving near as much.

She gave it all because the system is corrupt and keeps the poor poor and held down.

Work against injustice.

Loving People. Loving God.

What?

The next day, after leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. From far away, he noticed a fig tree in leaf, so he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing except leaves, since it wasn’t the season for figs. So he said to it, “No one will ever again eat your fruit!” His disciples heard this. They came into Jerusalem. After entering the temple, he threw out those who were selling and buying there. He pushed over the tables used for currency exchange and the chairs of those who sold doves. He didn’t allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. He taught them, “Hasn’t it been written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you’ve turned it into a hideout for crooks.” The chief priests and legal experts heard this and tried to find a way to destroy him. They regarded him as dangerous because the whole crowd was enthralled at his teaching. When it was evening, Jesus and his disciples went outside the city. Early in the morning, as Jesus and his disciples were walking along, they saw the fig tree withered from the root up. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look how the fig tree you cursed has dried up.” Jesus responded to them, “Have faith in God! I assure you that whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea’—and doesn’t waver but believes that what is said will really happen—it will happen. Therefore I say to you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you will receive it, and it will be so for you. (Mark 11:12-24, CEB)

Ok re-read the first four lines of that text.

Jesus was hungry and as he was leaving Bethany he spotted a fig tree off in the distance. He got closer to the tree and saw only leaves because it wasn’t the season for figs. And finding nothing to eat he cursed the tree and and said no one will ever eat fruit from you.

Excuse me? Jesus was hangry and just cursed a tree even though it wasn’t the season for figs. Now yes he is the son of God and could have made figs grow, but we heard nothing of this magic. He just comes upon the tree expecting fruit in a season when there is no fruit. And when it is as it should be for the season, Jesus curses the tree.

Does this mean Jesus didn’t have enough faith or believe it would really happen?

Sometimes I am baffled by the texts included in Holy Scripture…

Loving People. Loving God.

Will

This is why he’s the mediator of a new covenant (which is a will): so that those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance on the basis of his death. His death occurred to set them free from the offenses committed under the first covenant. When there is a will, you need to confirm the death of the one who made the will. This is because a will takes effect only after a death, since it’s not in force while the one who made the will is alive. So not even the first covenant was put into effect without blood. Moses took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the Law scroll itself and all the people after he had proclaimed every command of the Law to all the people. While he did it, he said, This is the blood of the covenant that God established for you. And in the same way he sprinkled the meeting tent and also all the equipment that would be used in the priests’ service with blood. Almost everything is cleansed by blood, according to the Law’s regulations, and there is no forgiveness without blood being shed. So it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be cleansed with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things had to be cleansed with better sacrifices than these. Christ didn’t enter the holy place (which is a copy of the true holy place) made by human hands, but into heaven itself, so that he now appears in God’s presence for us. (Hebrews 9:15-24, CEB)

Will – not the person but the thing. This reading from Hebrews says the covenant is a will. And a will doesn’t go into effect until the person who set it in place dies.

So the new covenant didn’t take effect until Jesus died.

Jesus made a way, and came to show us how to do that.

Love all. Lift up those held down by society. Do good in all things.

Loving People. Loving God.

die…

While we were still weak, at the right moment, Christ died for ungodly people. It isn’t often that someone will die for a righteous person, though maybe someone might dare to die for a good person. But God shows his love for us, because while we were still sinners Christ died for us. So, now that we have been made righteous by his blood, we can be even more certain that we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. If we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son while we were still enemies, now that we have been reconciled, how much more certain is it that we will be saved by his life? And not only that: we even take pride in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, the one through whom we now have a restored relationship with God. (Romans 5:6-11, CEB)

This passage reminds me of a conversation from my distant past with a friend who is a Secret Service Officer. He knew that if Al Gore had been elected president he would be on protection detail because Al knew him and liked him. The problem was, he really didn’t care for Al. So we got into a discussion about how he would be able to perform the duty of protection and possibly take a bullet for the president if that were to come about. He said very plainly, “I will protect the office of president, regardless of who that person is and my personal feelings for them.” My friend was willing to take a bullet to protect the office and whomever was filling it.

Seldom will a person die for a good person, but someone they don’t like or has wronged them.

Jesus came to show us how to love and for that, he was killed.

When we love like Jesus people won’t like it. Love anyway.

Know God has called us to love and to be there for the community that needs us.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

New?

When Judas was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Human One has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify the Human One in himself and will glorify him immediately. Little children, I’m with you for a little while longer. You will look for me—but, just as I told the Jewish leaders, I also tell you now—‘Where I’m going, you can’t come.’ “I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.” (John 13:31-35, CEB)

Was this commandment really new? Jesus and all people knew they were to love God and love neighbor. These are from the law.

Love each other wasn’t new, but I believe it was Jesus telling the disciples, this is what is most important. Love.

The world will know you follow me if you love.

Loving People. Loving God.

Do good…

“When it was time for God to keep the promise he made to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly expanded. But then another king rose to power over Egypt who didn’t know anything about Joseph. He exploited our people and abused our ancestors. He even forced them to abandon their newly born babies so they would die. That’s when Moses was born. He was highly favored by God, and for three months his parents cared for him in their home. After he was abandoned, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted and cared for him as though he were her own son. Moses learned everything Egyptian wisdom had to offer, and he was a man of powerful words and deeds. “When Moses was 40 years old, he decided to visit his family, the Israelites. He saw one of them being wronged so he came to his rescue and evened the score by killing the Egyptian. He expected his own kin to understand that God was using him to rescue them, but they didn’t. The next day he came upon some Israelites who were caught up in an argument. He tried to make peace between them by saying, ‘You are brothers! Why are you harming each other?’ The one who started the fight against his neighbor pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who appointed you as our leader and judge? Are you planning to kill me like you killed that Egyptian yesterday?’ When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he lived as an immigrant and had two sons. (Acts 7:17-29, CEB)

Do good, even when others don’t want it or accept it.

But wait, was killing an Egyptian good? Well no not really, however, we do not have all the details, but killing or murder is against the commandments. Well, it could have been an accident. We don’t know. But the Israelites thought Moses might kill them too.

So he fled. Because he felt the crime would need to be paid for and because his own people didn’t want him. Sometimes doing right isn’t accepted. Do right anyway.

Love always. Help lift the downtrodden up.

Loving People. Loving God.

Love wins…

Don’t pay back anyone for their evil actions with evil actions, but show respect for what everyone else believes is good. If possible, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people. Don’t try to get revenge for yourselves, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. It is written, Revenge belongs to me; I will pay it back, says the Lord. Instead, If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. By doing this, you will pile burning coals of fire upon his head. Don’t be defeated by evil, but defeat evil with good.

Don’t be in debt to anyone, except for the obligation to love each other. Whoever loves another person has fulfilled the Law. The commandments, Don’t commit adultery, don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t desire what others have, and any other commandments, are all summed up in one word: You must love your neighbor as yourself. Love doesn’t do anything wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is what fulfills the Law.(Romans 12:17-21; 13:8-10, CEB)

Do not seek revenge but leave space for God. Love those who hate you and persecute you. Feed them, give them a drink, for in doing so you pile burning coals upon their head. Do not let evil win, but overcome evil with love.

The commandments can be done by loving your neighbor.

Love is what fulfills the law. Love is all we need!

Loving People. Loving God.

Which Commandment?

One of the legal experts heard their dispute and saw how well Jesus answered them. He came over and asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus replied, “The most important one is Israel, listen! Our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, You will love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.” The legal expert said to him, “Well said, Teacher. You have truthfully said that God is one and there is no other besides him. And to love God with all of the heart, a full understanding, and all of one’s strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself is much more important than all kinds of entirely burned offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he had answered with wisdom, he said to him, “You aren’t far from God’s kingdom.” After that, no one dared to ask him any more questions. (Mark 12:28-34, CEB)

“Which commandment is the most important of all?”

Love God. Love neighbor.

It seems easy, even the legal expert in this passage gets it. “To love one’s neighbor as oneself is much more important than all kinds of entirely burned offerings and sacrifices.”

Follow all the rules you want if you don’t love people it doesn’t mean anything.

Loving People. Loving God.

prove

A legal expert stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to gain eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law? How do you interpret it?” He responded, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.” But the legal expert wanted to prove that he was right, so he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He encountered thieves, who stripped him naked, beat him up, and left him near death. Now it just so happened that a priest was also going down the same road. When he saw the injured man, he crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. Likewise, a Levite came by that spot, saw the injured man, and crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. A Samaritan, who was on a journey, came to where the man was. But when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. The Samaritan went to him and bandaged his wounds, tending them with oil and wine. Then he placed the wounded man on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day, he took two full days’ worth of wages and gave them to the innkeeper. He said, ‘Take care of him, and when I return, I will pay you back for any additional costs.’ What do you think? Which one of these three was a neighbor to the man who encountered thieves?” Then the legal expert said, “The one who demonstrated mercy toward him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:25-37, CEB)

Who is my neighbor? The legal expert asked this question to prove he was right.

The legal expert asked this question to show that they could treat those they didn’t like or thought didn’t fit as scum, second class, not worth the time things.

He wanted an excuse to be who he already was when he knew that neighbor is everyone beyond yourself.

Do not look for proof to dehumanize God’s children. Love neighbor, Love God.

Simple.

Loving People. Loving God.

stinky

When Mary arrived where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.” When Jesus saw her crying and the Jews who had come with her crying also, he was deeply disturbed and troubled. He asked, “Where have you laid him?” They replied, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus began to cry. The Jews said, “See how much he loved him!” But some of them said, “He healed the eyes of the man born blind. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?” Jesus was deeply disturbed again when he came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone covered the entrance. Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said, “Lord, the smell will be awful! He’s been dead four days.” Jesus replied, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you will see God’s glory?” So they removed the stone. Jesus looked up and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. I know you always hear me. I say this for the benefit of the crowd standing here so that they will believe that you sent me.” Having said this, Jesus shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his feet bound and his hands tied, and his face covered with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.” (John 11:32-44, CEB)

“Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you will see God’s glory?” Jesus replied to Mary about Lazarus who had died. Jesus never said, “If you believe, nothing bad will ever happen to you again. You will live a peaceful life forever and never suffer or die.”

And when those bad things happen and we come out of them, the community needs to be there to help unwrap or unpack what happened.

Life is stinky and messy sometimes we need to help those around us unpack their stuff. Community relationships are the basis of love and understanding.

Be in relationships and make community better.

Loving People. Loving God.