Uppity Woman of the Bible meets Unconventional Jew
John 4: 5-42
Opening Prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be always acceptable to you, our rock and our redeemer.
Introduction: I am very thankful for the privilege of being able to preach today. Last week when I saw what today's passage, I called Ted and begged to be able to preach. This is the passage I did my paper on for my Exegesis class.
I really enjoy studying the Gospel according to John because there are various levels of meaning in it. It is like being in front of a giant buffet with one plate, and trying to decide which dishes to sample. Everything looks so good!
When we remember that John uses a lot of metaphors and symbols in the gospel, it really affects the interpretation. Last week, Sara preached on Nicodemus, a well respected religious leader and how he came in the night, was searching, and stayed spiritually in the dark during that encounter. So today, we hear about the Samaritan woman who had been married five times and was now living unmarried with a man, who Jesus talked to during the day, and she saw the light spiritually. In addition, today's passage can be looked at as an allegory, but that would be another sermon.
The Gospel Passage:
Maybe it's just me, but have you ever had a lingering question after reading a passage? This passage is packed with so much, and yet, I continue to wonder if Jesus ever got his drink of water. I just had to mention that so I can put it out of my way. :)
This is one of those times when we see Jesus being very unconventional. Jesus was not just a good man, or wise teacher. Jesus really went against the traditions at times. Here he is talking to a woman, who is a Samaritan, and he is asking her for a drink of water. The Jews considered Samaritans unclean. Not only that, it was not considered appropriate for a man to talk with a strange woman in a public place.
There is a Buddhist parallel to the Samaritan woman at the well. It is thought to be from the 2nd or 3rd century A.D.
Buddha's favourite disciple Ananda, tired after a long journey, asks a girl of the Candala caste who is drawing water at a well for a drink. When she warns him not to contaminate himself, he replies: "My sister, I do not ask what your caste or your family is; I am only asking you for water, if you can give it to me."
In an environment where water is so plentiful, it can be easy for me to take it for granted and to forget how essential water is. In this passage, Jesus starts off talking about water in the literal sense, but then offers water in the metaphorical sense. Water is often a symbol of God's blessing and of spiritual refreshment. Think of the times you have felt like you were in a spiritual drought. Think of times when you have felt spiritually thirsty. There are times I have been in Church services or events where I was spiritually thirsty, and left feeling even thirstier. And yet, there have been times when I left spiritually refreshed. The cool, running, living water of the Spirit will run into me and fill me up, and as a result, I can then give to others. Water is also connected with Baptism.
Jesus was literally thirsty for water, but the same Greek word can also be used figuratively to mean someone "long earnestly for, or having a strong desire for."
Just as 'water' is used literally and figuratively in the passage, 'drink' is also used literally and figuratively. In the figurative use of the word, Kittel states "It signifies receiving the means of salvation offered by Jesus, and finally receiving Jesus Himself, through faith."
Our interpretation of the passage says more about us than it does about the passage. This passage is read during the third Sunday of Lent. Traditionally, Lent was time when the candidates for Baptism were being prepared for Baptism during the Easter Vigil. Since they were preparing for Baptism, this passage was included because of the emphasis on water. Since then, the focus of Lent has changed. The focus tends to be more on Lent being a penitential season when people are to take stock of their spiritual life and confess their sins. I believe this has added a filter of sinfulness to the story that was not meant to be. Many preachers will focus on how sinful the woman must have been. And yet, we are not told why she was married five times. Jesus does not appear concerned about it. Maybe she was a five-time divorcee, or maybe some of her marriages ended with the death of her husband. We don't know. Women had no power then. Divorce in that time period was the sole prerogative of the man. What ever happened, we can guess that her life had been rough. Jesus showed he was a prophet by telling woman she had had five husbands, and the man she was living with now was not her husband. Jesus just made an observation, and not a judgment. There was nothing said about her needing to repent, or that he forgave her. He just made an observation.
How does this relate to us today?
Think back to times in your life when someone knew everything about you, even the dark secrets, and still loved and accepted you unconditionally. That is so liberating! Look at the woman's reaction. Jesus told her to call her husband, and come back. When she said she did not have a husband, Jesus told her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!" Then they moved on in their conversation. Jesus did not dwell on it; instead they moved on with the conversation. In addition, Jesus treated her like an intelligent person, which was unusual for a woman to be treated that way by a man.
We all need water in order to sustain life; but Jesus also offers us "living water", which sustains us spiritually by his very real presence. The "living water" of the Spirit will never run dry. We can drink all we want from that stream, and it will continue to refill with more "living water". All we need to do is to ask for that "living water" of the Spirit.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Sunday, December 26, 2010
"And the Word became flesh and lived among us"
"And the Word became flesh and lived among us"
John 1: 1-18
Opening Prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be always acceptable to you, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
Introduction: If you were here two nights ago on Christmas Eve, or yesterday, which was Christmas Day; you would have heard the Gospel according to Luke about the birth of Jesus. It is easy to picture it in our minds; after all, we have seen it re-enacted in Christmas pageants and Christmas presentations each year. It is very concrete. There is a donkey, Mary, Joseph, and a baby. There are shepherds and angels. Pictures. Pictures.
What a contrast to today's passage from the Gospel according to John! It is very abstract, and somewhat "foggy". However, the theology in it is very powerful! In addition, the hymn writers have "snuck" some of the theology into Christmas songs. An example is the hymn, 'O Come, all ye Faithful'; in the second verse, it mentions 'God from God, Light from Light eternal'. That is right out of the gospel passage for today.
I believe the placement in the lectionary is significant. When we hear the Christmas story, it is easy to keep thinking of Jesus as a little baby, or as a man that did everything right. By following up with this passage from John, we are reminded that 'The Word became flesh and lived among us.'
With today's passage, I feel the need to use more of a teaching style than I usually do when I preach.
As many of you are aware, the words we use are influenced a lot by the culture we are in, and the time period. The Gospel according to John was the last of the gospels written, and was influenced by the Greek culture of the day.
The Text: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being." In the Gospel according to John, the Greek word 'logos' is used for "the Word". Word refers to Christ (the second person of the Trinity). In the book of Genesis, we notice that God spoke and then something happened. In other words, the Word is a mixture of something heard and something observed.[1]
Previously, the Jewish Wisdom literature used the term 'sophia' (Wisdom) to describe the second person of the Trinity. Wisdom (sophia) is a feminine noun in Greek, and is often shown as a female character in the wisdom literature. It is thought that by using the term 'logos' instead of 'sophia', John was reshaping the tradition to reflect the historical reality of the incarnation; that is, that Jesus was a man.[2]
If we substitute 'Christ' for 'Word', it becomes easier to get a handle on the passage. "In the beginning was Christ, and Christ was with God, and Christ was God. Christ was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Christ, and without Christ not one thing came into being. What has come into being in Christ was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it....And Christ became flesh and lived among us as Jesus." Does that help the passage become clearer to you? It does to me.
All things come into being through Christ, and without Christ not one thing came into being. WHY?? would Christ give all of that up in order to come to earth in human form? I am sure a number of you have felt as I, and wished to have more than 24 hours in the day to get things done with, and more than 7 days in a week. What about needing to be in more than one place at a time? What about when your mind wanted to do something, but your body couldn't go on anymore? So why in the world would the second person of the Trinity choose to give all that up and come to earth as a human? That's a lot of power to give up! It is a tremendous sacrifice.
God has been reaching out to God's creation ever since we were created. God has and will continue to reach out to creation because God loves us. We cannot earn God's love; God freely gives us that love.
Christ has been part of God from before creation, therefore, if we have seen Jesus, we have seen God.
"And Christ became flesh and lived among us." so that we might see God.
We then need to be Jesus to others so that they may also see God.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Emmanuel - "God is with us"
Emmanuel - "God is with us"
Matthew 1:18-25
Opening Prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be always acceptable to you, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
Introduction: It is always interesting for me when I am preparing a sermon to get a balance between historical/cultural stuff that is good to know, versus, what will edify people spiritually.
First, I believe it is important to have some information about why it was a big deal for Mary to become pregnant while engaged. It was much more serious then than if a woman today is engaged, gets married, and has a "premature" birth, with a baby weighing 7 pounds. In the ancient Mediterranean world (as in a number of places today), marriages were arranged by the parents to join extended families. They did not wed out of love for each other, but for the political or economic advantage of their families. It was arranged by the parents, and was a legal contract.
Honor is a very important code in the Mediterranean culture, and it demands that no one take what properly belongs to someone else. When Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant, he knew the child was not his. In addition, the husband was expected to display publicly the "tokens of virginity" on his wedding night (Deut. 22:13-21). The "token of virginity" consisted of spreading out the bloodstained wedding garment. If the husband found out she was not a virgin, she was to be taken to the door of her father's house and stoned to death.[1]
Unfortunately, "honor killings" are still going on in some Arab countries. If a woman has been raped, often it is the male family members that she has to fear the most, because the family honor has been affected, and the only way to save the family honor is to kill her.
There are a number of theologians that do not believe Mary was a virgin when Jesus was born, and do not think it is important. Some believe that Joseph was the biological father, and others believe that she was probably raped by a Roman soldier. However, I believe Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit, and that it is important theologically. In addition, today's gospel refutes the Roman Catholic belief that Mary remained a virgin. In the last verse, "he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus."
In today's gospel, it is stated that "they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, "God is with us." Over the centuries, the nature of Jesus has been debated, and where it currently stands is that Jesus was fully human, and fully divine. From a biology point view; how could he be full divine, if both parents were human?
I started thinking about what it means that "God is with us." The idea will have different connotations for different people. The first thought that came to my mind was the poem called 'Footprints'.
Footprints in the Sand
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
"You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during
the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one
set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
you have not been there for me?"
The Lord replied,
"The times when you have
seen only one set of footprints,
is when I carried you."
Mary Stevenson[2]
Because God is with us, God bears witness to our suffering. There are times when others cannot "fix" a situation, such as when a loved one dies, but it sure makes a difference when we know that we are not alone, that others are walking with us during that time as best as they can.
Nothing is hidden from God. If I am by myself, and have an accident; or if (God forbid) I am assaulted by someone; God still knows about it. It is not hidden from God. God is with us every minute.
The other thought that came to me when I thought about what it means that God is with us, is that "God has our back." I had not realized until recently, but apparently, that phrase is a jailhouse slang expression. (It shows who I hang out.) If I am on guard against danger, God is keeping alert at my back (where I am not looking), and will warn me if danger is starting to come at me from another direction.
We see in scripture that from the very beginning, God has been reaching out to God's creation. However, often people saw God as a real scary, harsh judge that was unreachable. Or else, God was seen as something that only "special" people could have contact with. And yet, when we read in the Hebrew scriptures (i.e. Old Testament) all of the "special" people also had "feet of clay".
The Incarnation is about God reaching out to us by coming to earth as a human baby, and born in a manger. Now That Is Being Vulnerable! Communication systems being what they were in that time period, when Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem to register for the census, they were not able to make reservations in advance at the Hilton, or Comfort Inn; not even Super 8. It is likely that someone took pity on Mary and let them stay with the animals, where at least they would have shelter and have the warmth from the animals. Probably there were a lot more people sleeping on the streets.
It has been said that Jesus is "God with skin on." I believe the Incarnation continues today. Even though Jesus is not physically here on earth, I believe that God still reaches out to us through other human beings. We are God's hands and feet. We are the Body of Christ; and that is an awesome responsibility. We can draw people toward God, or drive them away.
When Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts-Schori was here in September, she talked about the Theology of Risk. She said that there is a difference between 'reckless' and 'risk'. When we take a risk, we do our homework and prepare. She also said that discipleship does not promise a safe harbor; and that God has never been one to play it safe. After all, God created the human race. Relationships are the riskiest thing to do. We were also challenged with the question of "What would I do in response to God's call if I was not afraid to risk?"[3]
So, remember, "God is with us". Knowing that God "has your back"; what would you do in response to God's call if you were not afraid to risk.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Love One Another
5/2/10 at Holy Spirit in Eagle River
Love One Another
John 13: 31-35
Opening Prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be always acceptable to you, our rock and our redeemer.
Introduction: My guess is that a number of your are wondering, as I did, why this passage is being used during the Easter Season. After all, this gospel passage takes place shortly before the crucifixion, and is often used during Maundy Thursday services.
Jesus was preparing his disciples for how to live when he was no longer with them. The lectionary is preparing us for how to live after Ascension Day, when Jesus was longer walking around after the Resurrection.
"I give you a new commandment, that you love one another."
I believe it is telling that when Jesus gave his disciples this new commandment, it was not a suggestion or a recommendation. Neither was it religious advice - something that would be good for them if they would get around to doing it.
Jesus' last instruction to his disciples was to "love one another as I have loved you." Jesus showed his love to his disciples by washing their feet, even though he was the Master, and they were the followers. He also showed his love by dying for us. That is the kind of love he was talking about when he told them to love others as he had loved us. Love is an action, not just a mushy feeling.
The sacrificial love that Jesus showed went way beyond respecting the rights and needs of others. That is what made this a "new" commandment. Almost every society and religion value love; but God gives us grace to love our enemies, those who differ from us, or disagree with us, and those whom we find most difficult to love or understand.
If sacrificial love was easy to do, or was natural for us, Jesus would not have "commanded" us to do it. We usually are most likely to show sacrificial love for close family members.
I remember one preacher saying "Love your enemies. It will drive them crazy." When we can show that kind of love, it comes from a position of strength, and not weakness. Walter Wink tells the story of how South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu once walked by a construction site on a temporary sidewalk the width of one person. A white man appeared at the other end, recognized Tutu, and said, "I don't make way for gorillas." At which Tutu stepped aside, made a deep sweeping gesture, and said, "Ah, yes, but I do."'
The reference for today was especially of the need for the members of the community of faith to have love for one another. Many of you probably recall where the gospels make reference to the disciples arguing with themselves which one of them was the greatest. In addition, when the Gospel according to John was written, the Johannine church was having a tough time. They were having a lot of doctrinal disputes, and various members responded differently to outside pressure. Therefore, the unity of the Johannine church was wearing down. It was essential that if they were going to survive as a community of faith that they have love for one another.
When we as a community of faith can love each other in spite of differences in doctrine, we will grow. I am not talking just about the Holy Spirit congregation, or the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska, or even the Anglican community as a whole. I am talking about the Christian church as a whole. We are our own worst enemies. It is fine to go to a particular service because we prefer Rite I or Rite II, or because we prefer organ music or guitar music. It is also fine to prefer the Episcopal Church because we like the liturgy, or the moving around during the service by standing, sitting, or kneeling. My parents prefer the Methodist church because they like the informality of the service. What is destructive is when congregations evaluate other congregations on if they are "real" Christians. One of the Christian radio stations was advertising for a position awhile ago. They described the position at the radio, and also stated that the applicant needed to be part of a "Bible believing church."
One reason I like Baptisms and Confirmations in the Episcopal Church is I get to renew myself when we recite the Baptismal Covenant. It helps me get back on track. I also love that after each question, the answer is "I will, with God's help."
Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breading of bread, and in the prayers?
I will, with God's help.
Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
I will, with God's help.
Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
I will, with God's help.
Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
I will with God's help.
Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
I will with God's help.
LOVE ONE ANOTHER!
Love One Another
John 13: 31-35
Opening Prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be always acceptable to you, our rock and our redeemer.
Introduction: My guess is that a number of your are wondering, as I did, why this passage is being used during the Easter Season. After all, this gospel passage takes place shortly before the crucifixion, and is often used during Maundy Thursday services.
Jesus was preparing his disciples for how to live when he was no longer with them. The lectionary is preparing us for how to live after Ascension Day, when Jesus was longer walking around after the Resurrection.
"I give you a new commandment, that you love one another."
I believe it is telling that when Jesus gave his disciples this new commandment, it was not a suggestion or a recommendation. Neither was it religious advice - something that would be good for them if they would get around to doing it.
Jesus' last instruction to his disciples was to "love one another as I have loved you." Jesus showed his love to his disciples by washing their feet, even though he was the Master, and they were the followers. He also showed his love by dying for us. That is the kind of love he was talking about when he told them to love others as he had loved us. Love is an action, not just a mushy feeling.
The sacrificial love that Jesus showed went way beyond respecting the rights and needs of others. That is what made this a "new" commandment. Almost every society and religion value love; but God gives us grace to love our enemies, those who differ from us, or disagree with us, and those whom we find most difficult to love or understand.
If sacrificial love was easy to do, or was natural for us, Jesus would not have "commanded" us to do it. We usually are most likely to show sacrificial love for close family members.
I remember one preacher saying "Love your enemies. It will drive them crazy." When we can show that kind of love, it comes from a position of strength, and not weakness. Walter Wink tells the story of how South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu once walked by a construction site on a temporary sidewalk the width of one person. A white man appeared at the other end, recognized Tutu, and said, "I don't make way for gorillas." At which Tutu stepped aside, made a deep sweeping gesture, and said, "Ah, yes, but I do."'
The reference for today was especially of the need for the members of the community of faith to have love for one another. Many of you probably recall where the gospels make reference to the disciples arguing with themselves which one of them was the greatest. In addition, when the Gospel according to John was written, the Johannine church was having a tough time. They were having a lot of doctrinal disputes, and various members responded differently to outside pressure. Therefore, the unity of the Johannine church was wearing down. It was essential that if they were going to survive as a community of faith that they have love for one another.
When we as a community of faith can love each other in spite of differences in doctrine, we will grow. I am not talking just about the Holy Spirit congregation, or the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska, or even the Anglican community as a whole. I am talking about the Christian church as a whole. We are our own worst enemies. It is fine to go to a particular service because we prefer Rite I or Rite II, or because we prefer organ music or guitar music. It is also fine to prefer the Episcopal Church because we like the liturgy, or the moving around during the service by standing, sitting, or kneeling. My parents prefer the Methodist church because they like the informality of the service. What is destructive is when congregations evaluate other congregations on if they are "real" Christians. One of the Christian radio stations was advertising for a position awhile ago. They described the position at the radio, and also stated that the applicant needed to be part of a "Bible believing church."
One reason I like Baptisms and Confirmations in the Episcopal Church is I get to renew myself when we recite the Baptismal Covenant. It helps me get back on track. I also love that after each question, the answer is "I will, with God's help."
Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breading of bread, and in the prayers?
I will, with God's help.
Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
I will, with God's help.
Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
I will, with God's help.
Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
I will with God's help.
Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
I will with God's help.
LOVE ONE ANOTHER!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Prodigal Father
The Prodigal Father
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Opening Prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be always acceptable to you, our rock and our redeemer.
Introduction: When Ed first called me about the two Sundays you were needing a priest for, I decided that with my school schedule, I could only do one Sunday. However, when I started to work on sermon preparation for last Sunday I noticed that the gospel for this week is the one I did my Christology paper on. So I called Ed and begged to be able to do this Sunday also.
Many of us grew up hearing this story referred to as "The Prodigal Son"; however, I like to think of the story as "The Prodigal Father." The term 'prodigal' is often meant to refer to someone being wastefully or recklessly extravagant. And certainly, the younger son wasted his inheritance. However, 'prodigal' can also refer to someone being lavishly abundant; giving or yielding profusely. I think that is a wonderful description of God, which of course the Father in the story is showing us.
Each gospel writer has their own unique view of Jesus. The Lukan Jesus was compassionate, and a friend to outcasts. Jesus is shown as the Savior sent to seek and save the lost. Jesus also talks a lot about the rich and the poor. In this section of the gospel of Luke, there were those who were concerned about how many would be saved (13:22-30). When we are concerned about how many will be saved, we are operating out a scarcity model; that there is a limited amount of God's mercy, so we have to make sure "we get ours". However, God is lavishly abundant! In the gospel of Luke, we see many examples of the upside-down values of God's kingdom in which the poor are more important than the rich.
The Revised Common Lectionary for today includes the first few verses of the chapter, which gives us the context in which the parable was told.
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." (Lk.15:1-2)
A rabbinic tradition cautions: "Let not a person associate with sinners even to bring them near to the Torah" (Mekilta 57b on Exod 18:1). Feeding sinners is praiseworthy; eating with them is forbidden. "Hosting" or "welcoming" sinners, as Jesus does here (15:2), makes the Pharisees furious.
Table fellowship was a very important issue in Jesus' day. To eat with another person was a sign of deep fellowship. In addition, one only ate with people in one's own social class. The Pharisees were upset that Jesus ate with all the wrong people. Jesus responded by telling several stories about God who welcomes sinners and eats with them.
The first story is about lost sheep. The shepherd leaves the 99 to find the one lost sheep. Then we go to the parable about the lost coin. One coin out of 10 is lost. The value keeps increasing. We go from one out of one hundred sheep, to one out of ten coins, to one out of two sons.
The Lost Son and the Prodigal Father
The parable of the lost son is powerful at face value, but it becomes more powerful when the cultural factors are recognized. "The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them." (Lk. 15:12) For the younger son to request his share of the inheritance was to basically tell his father to "drop dead". This request was totally out of line. The father would have every right to explode with anger at such a request, but instead he granted the request. Honor and shame are the core values in the Mediterranean culture. By asking for his inheritance, the younger son was shaming his family's name since he was basically wishing his father was dead. In addition, the Mediterranean culture is very strong-group. Weak-group societies such as the United States encourage individualism. People are encouraged to stand on their own two feet as distinct individuals. In the Mediterranean culture, the individualism that the younger son was showing was just not done.
"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living." (Luke 15:13) We Westerners usually interpret that to mean he was engaging in immoral living. However, Eastern commentators do not take it to mean a necessarily immoral lifestyle. Certainly the son was spending money excessively. It was the older brother who indicated the lost son was spending his money on prostitutes. How would he know? He had not even talked to his brother yet. So, the younger brother has spent all him money in "wild living", whatever that may have been. In doing so, he finds that when he had money, he had lots of friends. But now that he has spent the money, his "friends" have vanished.
He humbles himself and returns home when he realizes that even the servants on his father's land eat better than he is. The father sees him when he is still a long way off; he then runs to his son, throws his arms around him, and kisses him. The lost has been found. The father had been regularly looking for his son, and sees him when he was still far off. "No other image has come closer to describing the character of God than the waiting father, peering down the road longing for his son's return, then springing to his feet and running to meet him. In ancient Palestine it was regarded as unbecoming - a loss of dignity - for a grown man to run. Yet the father set aside all concern for propriety and ran...The kiss expressed forgiveness." All this happened before the son had a chance to ask for his forgiveness. The father throws a celebration that his son has been found. When the elder son hears the celebrating going on, he becomes angry and refuses to join the celebration. So, the younger son has been found, but now it is the older son who is lost.
Relationships
I am drawn to this parable because of the strong relationship theme. When the son asks for his inheritance, the loving father allows him to use his free-will and to allow natural consequences to occur. Unlike the poem of 'The Hound of Heaven', the father does not pursue the son in his travels, but waits for him to return. When the father sees the son return, he does not have a difficult ritual for him to go through, but runs and kisses him even before the son has a chance to express repentance. Even though the son has already spent his inheritance, the father lets him know he is still his son, and will always be his son.
One of my favorite passages is Romans 8:38 -39. "For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below - there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord."
If God is full of mercy and compassion, why do we not always experience it? In today's parable, the older son separated himself from the father's mercy and compassion. He cut himself off from the relationship. We are not told what the older son decided to do. That's where the decision comes to each us. The younger son was not just "that son of yours!" He was also the oldest son's brother. Both of them belonged to the same family where they liked it or not.
reached at Holy Spirit Episcopal in Eagle River.
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Opening Prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be always acceptable to you, our rock and our redeemer.
Introduction: When Ed first called me about the two Sundays you were needing a priest for, I decided that with my school schedule, I could only do one Sunday. However, when I started to work on sermon preparation for last Sunday I noticed that the gospel for this week is the one I did my Christology paper on. So I called Ed and begged to be able to do this Sunday also.
Many of us grew up hearing this story referred to as "The Prodigal Son"; however, I like to think of the story as "The Prodigal Father." The term 'prodigal' is often meant to refer to someone being wastefully or recklessly extravagant. And certainly, the younger son wasted his inheritance. However, 'prodigal' can also refer to someone being lavishly abundant; giving or yielding profusely. I think that is a wonderful description of God, which of course the Father in the story is showing us.
Each gospel writer has their own unique view of Jesus. The Lukan Jesus was compassionate, and a friend to outcasts. Jesus is shown as the Savior sent to seek and save the lost. Jesus also talks a lot about the rich and the poor. In this section of the gospel of Luke, there were those who were concerned about how many would be saved (13:22-30). When we are concerned about how many will be saved, we are operating out a scarcity model; that there is a limited amount of God's mercy, so we have to make sure "we get ours". However, God is lavishly abundant! In the gospel of Luke, we see many examples of the upside-down values of God's kingdom in which the poor are more important than the rich.
The Revised Common Lectionary for today includes the first few verses of the chapter, which gives us the context in which the parable was told.
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." (Lk.15:1-2)
A rabbinic tradition cautions: "Let not a person associate with sinners even to bring them near to the Torah" (Mekilta 57b on Exod 18:1). Feeding sinners is praiseworthy; eating with them is forbidden. "Hosting" or "welcoming" sinners, as Jesus does here (15:2), makes the Pharisees furious.
Table fellowship was a very important issue in Jesus' day. To eat with another person was a sign of deep fellowship. In addition, one only ate with people in one's own social class. The Pharisees were upset that Jesus ate with all the wrong people. Jesus responded by telling several stories about God who welcomes sinners and eats with them.
The first story is about lost sheep. The shepherd leaves the 99 to find the one lost sheep. Then we go to the parable about the lost coin. One coin out of 10 is lost. The value keeps increasing. We go from one out of one hundred sheep, to one out of ten coins, to one out of two sons.
The Lost Son and the Prodigal Father
The parable of the lost son is powerful at face value, but it becomes more powerful when the cultural factors are recognized. "The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them." (Lk. 15:12) For the younger son to request his share of the inheritance was to basically tell his father to "drop dead". This request was totally out of line. The father would have every right to explode with anger at such a request, but instead he granted the request. Honor and shame are the core values in the Mediterranean culture. By asking for his inheritance, the younger son was shaming his family's name since he was basically wishing his father was dead. In addition, the Mediterranean culture is very strong-group. Weak-group societies such as the United States encourage individualism. People are encouraged to stand on their own two feet as distinct individuals. In the Mediterranean culture, the individualism that the younger son was showing was just not done.
"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living." (Luke 15:13) We Westerners usually interpret that to mean he was engaging in immoral living. However, Eastern commentators do not take it to mean a necessarily immoral lifestyle. Certainly the son was spending money excessively. It was the older brother who indicated the lost son was spending his money on prostitutes. How would he know? He had not even talked to his brother yet. So, the younger brother has spent all him money in "wild living", whatever that may have been. In doing so, he finds that when he had money, he had lots of friends. But now that he has spent the money, his "friends" have vanished.
He humbles himself and returns home when he realizes that even the servants on his father's land eat better than he is. The father sees him when he is still a long way off; he then runs to his son, throws his arms around him, and kisses him. The lost has been found. The father had been regularly looking for his son, and sees him when he was still far off. "No other image has come closer to describing the character of God than the waiting father, peering down the road longing for his son's return, then springing to his feet and running to meet him. In ancient Palestine it was regarded as unbecoming - a loss of dignity - for a grown man to run. Yet the father set aside all concern for propriety and ran...The kiss expressed forgiveness." All this happened before the son had a chance to ask for his forgiveness. The father throws a celebration that his son has been found. When the elder son hears the celebrating going on, he becomes angry and refuses to join the celebration. So, the younger son has been found, but now it is the older son who is lost.
Relationships
I am drawn to this parable because of the strong relationship theme. When the son asks for his inheritance, the loving father allows him to use his free-will and to allow natural consequences to occur. Unlike the poem of 'The Hound of Heaven', the father does not pursue the son in his travels, but waits for him to return. When the father sees the son return, he does not have a difficult ritual for him to go through, but runs and kisses him even before the son has a chance to express repentance. Even though the son has already spent his inheritance, the father lets him know he is still his son, and will always be his son.
One of my favorite passages is Romans 8:38 -39. "For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below - there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord."
If God is full of mercy and compassion, why do we not always experience it? In today's parable, the older son separated himself from the father's mercy and compassion. He cut himself off from the relationship. We are not told what the older son decided to do. That's where the decision comes to each us. The younger son was not just "that son of yours!" He was also the oldest son's brother. Both of them belonged to the same family where they liked it or not.
reached at Holy Spirit Episcopal in Eagle River.
The Prodigal Father
PThe Prodigal Father
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Opening Prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be always acceptable to you, our rock and our redeemer.
Introduction: When Ed first called me about the two Sundays you were needing a priest for, I decided that with my school schedule, I could only do one Sunday. However, when I started to work on sermon preparation for last Sunday I noticed that the gospel for this week is the one I did my Christology paper on. So I called Ed and begged to be able to do this Sunday also.
Many of us grew up hearing this story referred to as "The Prodigal Son"; however, I like to think of the story as "The Prodigal Father." The term 'prodigal' is often meant to refer to someone being wastefully or recklessly extravagant. And certainly, the younger son wasted his inheritance. However, 'prodigal' can also refer to someone being lavishly abundant; giving or yielding profusely. I think that is a wonderful description of God, which of course the Father in the story is showing us.
Each gospel writer has their own unique view of Jesus. The Lukan Jesus was compassionate, and a friend to outcasts. Jesus is shown as the Savior sent to seek and save the lost. Jesus also talks a lot about the rich and the poor. In this section of the gospel of Luke, there were those who were concerned about how many would be saved (13:22-30). When we are concerned about how many will be saved, we are operating out a scarcity model; that there is a limited amount of God's mercy, so we have to make sure "we get ours". However, God is lavishly abundant! In the gospel of Luke, we see many examples of the upside-down values of God's kingdom in which the poor are more important than the rich.
The Revised Common Lectionary for today includes the first few verses of the chapter, which gives us the context in which the parable was told.
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." (Lk.15:1-2)
A rabbinic tradition cautions: "Let not a person associate with sinners even to bring them near to the Torah" (Mekilta 57b on Exod 18:1). Feeding sinners is praiseworthy; eating with them is forbidden. "Hosting" or "welcoming" sinners, as Jesus does here (15:2), makes the Pharisees furious.
Table fellowship was a very important issue in Jesus' day. To eat with another person was a sign of deep fellowship. In addition, one only ate with people in one's own social class. The Pharisees were upset that Jesus ate with all the wrong people. Jesus responded by telling several stories about God who welcomes sinners and eats with them.
The first story is about lost sheep. The shepherd leaves the 99 to find the one lost sheep. Then we go to the parable about the lost coin. One coin out of 10 is lost. The value keeps increasing. We go from one out of one hundred sheep, to one out of ten coins, to one out of two sons.
The Lost Son and the Prodigal Father
The parable of the lost son is powerful at face value, but it becomes more powerful when the cultural factors are recognized. "The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them." (Lk. 15:12) For the younger son to request his share of the inheritance was to basically tell his father to "drop dead". This request was totally out of line. The father would have every right to explode with anger at such a request, but instead he granted the request. Honor and shame are the core values in the Mediterranean culture. By asking for his inheritance, the younger son was shaming his family's name since he was basically wishing his father was dead. In addition, the Mediterranean culture is very strong-group. Weak-group societies such as the United States encourage individualism. People are encouraged to stand on their own two feet as distinct individuals. In the Mediterranean culture, the individualism that the younger son was showing was just not done.
"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living." (Luke 15:13) We Westerners usually interpret that to mean he was engaging in immoral living. However, Eastern commentators do not take it to mean a necessarily immoral lifestyle. Certainly the son was spending money excessively. It was the older brother who indicated the lost son was spending his money on prostitutes. How would he know? He had not even talked to his brother yet. So, the younger brother has spent all him money in "wild living", whatever that may have been. In doing so, he finds that when he had money, he had lots of friends. But now that he has spent the money, his "friends" have vanished.
He humbles himself and returns home when he realizes that even the servants on his father's land eat better than he is. The father sees him when he is still a long way off; he then runs to his son, throws his arms around him, and kisses him. The lost has been found. The father had been regularly looking for his son, and sees him when he was still far off. "No other image has come closer to describing the character of God than the waiting father, peering down the road longing for his son's return, then springing to his feet and running to meet him. In ancient Palestine it was regarded as unbecoming - a loss of dignity - for a grown man to run. Yet the father set aside all concern for propriety and ran...The kiss expressed forgiveness." All this happened before the son had a chance to ask for his forgiveness. The father throws a celebration that his son has been found. When the elder son hears the celebrating going on, he becomes angry and refuses to join the celebration. So, the younger son has been found, but now it is the older son who is lost.
Relationships
I am drawn to this parable because of the strong relationship theme. When the son asks for his inheritance, the loving father allows him to use his free-will and to allow natural consequences to occur. Unlike the poem of 'The Hound of Heaven', the father does not pursue the son in his travels, but waits for him to return. When the father sees the son return, he does not have a difficult ritual for him to go through, but runs and kisses him even before the son has a chance to express repentance. Even though the son has already spent his inheritance, the father lets him know he is still his son, and will always be his son.
One of my favorite passages is Romans 8:38 -39. "For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below - there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord."
If God is full of mercy and compassion, why do we not always experience it? In today's parable, the older son separated himself from the father's mercy and compassion. He cut himself off from the relationship. We are not told what the older son decided to do. That's where the decision comes to each us. The younger son was not just "that son of yours!" He was also the oldest son's brother. Both of them belonged to the same family where they liked it or not.
reached at Holy Spirit Episcopal in Eagle River
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Opening Prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be always acceptable to you, our rock and our redeemer.
Introduction: When Ed first called me about the two Sundays you were needing a priest for, I decided that with my school schedule, I could only do one Sunday. However, when I started to work on sermon preparation for last Sunday I noticed that the gospel for this week is the one I did my Christology paper on. So I called Ed and begged to be able to do this Sunday also.
Many of us grew up hearing this story referred to as "The Prodigal Son"; however, I like to think of the story as "The Prodigal Father." The term 'prodigal' is often meant to refer to someone being wastefully or recklessly extravagant. And certainly, the younger son wasted his inheritance. However, 'prodigal' can also refer to someone being lavishly abundant; giving or yielding profusely. I think that is a wonderful description of God, which of course the Father in the story is showing us.
Each gospel writer has their own unique view of Jesus. The Lukan Jesus was compassionate, and a friend to outcasts. Jesus is shown as the Savior sent to seek and save the lost. Jesus also talks a lot about the rich and the poor. In this section of the gospel of Luke, there were those who were concerned about how many would be saved (13:22-30). When we are concerned about how many will be saved, we are operating out a scarcity model; that there is a limited amount of God's mercy, so we have to make sure "we get ours". However, God is lavishly abundant! In the gospel of Luke, we see many examples of the upside-down values of God's kingdom in which the poor are more important than the rich.
The Revised Common Lectionary for today includes the first few verses of the chapter, which gives us the context in which the parable was told.
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." (Lk.15:1-2)
A rabbinic tradition cautions: "Let not a person associate with sinners even to bring them near to the Torah" (Mekilta 57b on Exod 18:1). Feeding sinners is praiseworthy; eating with them is forbidden. "Hosting" or "welcoming" sinners, as Jesus does here (15:2), makes the Pharisees furious.
Table fellowship was a very important issue in Jesus' day. To eat with another person was a sign of deep fellowship. In addition, one only ate with people in one's own social class. The Pharisees were upset that Jesus ate with all the wrong people. Jesus responded by telling several stories about God who welcomes sinners and eats with them.
The first story is about lost sheep. The shepherd leaves the 99 to find the one lost sheep. Then we go to the parable about the lost coin. One coin out of 10 is lost. The value keeps increasing. We go from one out of one hundred sheep, to one out of ten coins, to one out of two sons.
The Lost Son and the Prodigal Father
The parable of the lost son is powerful at face value, but it becomes more powerful when the cultural factors are recognized. "The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them." (Lk. 15:12) For the younger son to request his share of the inheritance was to basically tell his father to "drop dead". This request was totally out of line. The father would have every right to explode with anger at such a request, but instead he granted the request. Honor and shame are the core values in the Mediterranean culture. By asking for his inheritance, the younger son was shaming his family's name since he was basically wishing his father was dead. In addition, the Mediterranean culture is very strong-group. Weak-group societies such as the United States encourage individualism. People are encouraged to stand on their own two feet as distinct individuals. In the Mediterranean culture, the individualism that the younger son was showing was just not done.
"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living." (Luke 15:13) We Westerners usually interpret that to mean he was engaging in immoral living. However, Eastern commentators do not take it to mean a necessarily immoral lifestyle. Certainly the son was spending money excessively. It was the older brother who indicated the lost son was spending his money on prostitutes. How would he know? He had not even talked to his brother yet. So, the younger brother has spent all him money in "wild living", whatever that may have been. In doing so, he finds that when he had money, he had lots of friends. But now that he has spent the money, his "friends" have vanished.
He humbles himself and returns home when he realizes that even the servants on his father's land eat better than he is. The father sees him when he is still a long way off; he then runs to his son, throws his arms around him, and kisses him. The lost has been found. The father had been regularly looking for his son, and sees him when he was still far off. "No other image has come closer to describing the character of God than the waiting father, peering down the road longing for his son's return, then springing to his feet and running to meet him. In ancient Palestine it was regarded as unbecoming - a loss of dignity - for a grown man to run. Yet the father set aside all concern for propriety and ran...The kiss expressed forgiveness." All this happened before the son had a chance to ask for his forgiveness. The father throws a celebration that his son has been found. When the elder son hears the celebrating going on, he becomes angry and refuses to join the celebration. So, the younger son has been found, but now it is the older son who is lost.
Relationships
I am drawn to this parable because of the strong relationship theme. When the son asks for his inheritance, the loving father allows him to use his free-will and to allow natural consequences to occur. Unlike the poem of 'The Hound of Heaven', the father does not pursue the son in his travels, but waits for him to return. When the father sees the son return, he does not have a difficult ritual for him to go through, but runs and kisses him even before the son has a chance to express repentance. Even though the son has already spent his inheritance, the father lets him know he is still his son, and will always be his son.
One of my favorite passages is Romans 8:38 -39. "For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below - there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord."
If God is full of mercy and compassion, why do we not always experience it? In today's parable, the older son separated himself from the father's mercy and compassion. He cut himself off from the relationship. We are not told what the older son decided to do. That's where the decision comes to each us. The younger son was not just "that son of yours!" He was also the oldest son's brother. Both of them belonged to the same family where they liked it or not.
reached at Holy Spirit Episcopal in Eagle River
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