Daughter

Luke 8:49-56 (The Message)

While he was still talking, someone from the leader's house came up and told him, "Your daughter died. No need now to bother the Teacher."

Jesus overheard and said, "Don't be upset. Just trust me and everything will be all right."

Going into the house, he wouldn't let anyone enter with him except Peter, John, James, and the child's parents.

Everyone was crying and carrying on over her. Jesus said, "Don't cry. She didn't die; she's sleeping."

They laughed at him. They knew she was dead.

Then Jesus, gripping her hand, called, "My dear child, get up."

She was up in an instant, up and breathing again! He told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were ecstatic, but Jesus warned them to keep quiet.

"Don't tell a soul what happened in this room."

Now...back to Jairus and his daughter:

This is an amazing story. It's a mystery and a miracle, and we shouldn't kill the beauty of it by overthinking it too much.

Maybe we should just learn what we can from its power and beauty --

"...just trust me and everything will be alright..."

"...she's just sleeping..."

"...they laughed at him..."

"...dear child...get up..."

"...her parents were ecstatic..."

Can you imagine the joy that filled that room?

Perhaps.

I definitely know something of the sadness that filled it before this healing, because, as a pastor, I have been with parents who have lost their children.

I know the depth of their desire to find this kind of miracle...for life to be restored.

It's hard to imagine how "ecstatic" they really must have been when their precious little girl came back.

Why would Jesus ask them to keep quiet?

Perhaps because he knew that his mission was to restore life to the living...who need salvation and forgiveness...and to one day bring the power of resurrection to all people.

Maybe it's because his message of redemption and reconciliation with God makes possible the restoration of life...both here and hereafter.

Perhaps this little girl, and the ecstatic joy of her parents, are a foreshadowing of the amazing joy that awaits the heavenly reunion of God's people.

Perhaps...the lesson is that we should never tell Jesus what is or isn't possible. And for that we can be so very thankful.

Prayer: Father God, we bring our deepest pain and uncertainty before you. We long to see brokenness healed, and death swallowed up in life. May Jairus' daughter remind us that our own fate lies with you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Risk

Luke 8:40-48 (The Message)

On his return, Jesus was welcomed by a crowd.

They were all there expecting him. A man came up, Jairus by name. He was president of the meeting place.

He fell at Jesus' feet and begged him to come to his home because his twelve-year-old daughter, his only child, was dying. Jesus went with him, making his way through the pushing, jostling crowd.

In the crowd that day there was a woman who for twelve years had been afflicted with hemorrhages.

She had spent every penny she had on doctors but not one had been able to help her.

She slipped in from behind and touched the edge of Jesus' robe. At that very moment her hemorrhaging stopped.

Jesus said, "Who touched me?"

When no one stepped forward, Peter said, "But Master, we've got crowds of people on our hands. Dozens have touched you."

Jesus insisted, "Someone touched me. I felt power discharging from me."

When the woman realized that she couldn't remain hidden, she knelt trembling before him. In front of all the people, she blurted out her story—why she touched him and how at that same moment she was healed.

Jesus said, "Daughter, you took a risk trusting me, and now you're healed and whole. Live well, live blessed!"

This passage in Luke is fascinating because of its structure. It's really two stories in one. First, we meet Jairus, leader of the "meeting place," and learn that his daughter is deathly ill. But then our attention switches to an anonymous woman in the crowd.

Don't worry, we'll come back to Jairus...

But this woman...what a story. She's been terribly afflicted by hemorrhages for 12 years.

She's spent all of her money on doctors, to no avail.

She's desperate. Impoverished. Though she is not at fault, she probably felt buckets of shame and humiliation.

She's perfectly ripe for an act of great faith.

How often do we really cry out to God when we feel confident, healthy and on top of our games?

Real faith, and connection to God takes vulnerability, humility and a deep acknowledgment of our spiritual and physical need. When we are so broken that we choose to become dependent...then God can do some powerful things.

What a fascinating healing this woman's really is. She doesn't approach Jesus face-to-face. She doesn't verbalize her need. She doesn't even profess her faith.

She acts on it.

She reaches...touches...hopes...strives...believes.

"Daughter," Jesus calls her, "you took a risk...now you are healed."

What better words could we ever hope to hear?

Prayer: Father, we know that today there will be some opportunity for risk. Show us the way and quiet our fears. Teach us the art of vulnerability, soft-heartedness, and risk. You take a chance on us today, may we take the right chances in your world.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Fast

Luke 8:26-39 (The Message)

(Note from Adam: It's a fairly long passage today. Get quiet. Take just a moment, and really read it at a deep level...hear and feel it, and see it and enter into it...it's worth it.)

They sailed on to the country of the Gerasenes, directly opposite Galilee. As he stepped out onto land, a madman from town met him; he was a victim of demons.

He hadn't worn clothes for a long time, nor lived at home; he lived in the cemetery.

When he saw Jesus he screamed, fell before him, and bellowed,

"What business do you have messing with me? You're Jesus, Son of the High God, but don't give me a hard time!" (The man said this because Jesus had started to order the unclean spirit out of him.)

Time after time the demon threw the man into convulsions. He had been placed under constant guard and tied with chains and shackles, but crazed and driven wild by the demon, he would shatter the bonds.

Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"

"Mob. My name is Mob," he said, because many demons afflicted him. And they begged Jesus desperately not to order them to the bottomless pit.

A large herd of pigs was browsing and rooting on a nearby hill. The demons begged Jesus to order them into the pigs.

He gave the order.

It was even worse for the pigs than for the man. Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff into the lake and drowned.

Those tending the pigs, scared to death, bolted and told their story in town and country. People went out to see what had happened.

They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had been sent, sitting there at Jesus' feet, wearing decent clothes and making sense.

It was a holy moment, and for a short time they were more reverent than curious. Then those who had seen it happen told how the demoniac had been saved.

Later, a great many people from the Gerasene countryside got together and asked Jesus to leave—too much change, too fast, and they were scared.

So Jesus got back in the boat and set off. The man whom he had delivered from the demons asked to go with him, but he sent him back, saying, "Go home and tell everything God did in you."

So he went back and preached all over town everything Jesus had done in him.

A man had been driven insane by demons. He was naked, living in a cemetery, shackled and desperate. He was cast out of society, and he's just plain scary.

This man was healed by Jesus. There were many witnesses, both to the actual act of his healing, and to his disposition in its aftermath.

There he is...dressed, sane, and making sense.

And then, "later...a great many people...got together and asked Jesus to leave."

What?

Why?

"They were scared."

Of a sane man, with a thankful heart, who had been restored to life and health?

Well...yes. And no.

Perhaps they weren't afraid of him after his healing, but the power of God made known in their presence was more than they were prepared to receive. They didn't want to do the work of understanding, or of receiving...they just wanted things back to "normal."

What power does "normal" have in our lives? How can the gravitational pull of "normal" cause us to drive Jesus out of our hearts?

The former "demoniac" went home and became a preacher. He told his story. We don't know who listened, or what lives were changed.

But we do know that he decided not to be afraid.

Sometimes, many times, we're afraid of what we don't understand. Maybe we'd rather have our demoniacs locked up in the cemetery. When they're clean, redeemed, and asking if we'd like to sit down for a cup of coffee...what do we do then?

Learn to embrace the mystery and power of Jesus Christ. It's the very same grace that saves us all.

Prayer: Father, teach us to embrace the redeemed and admit our own needs. We know that you hear our prayers, and can calm all our fears. Open us to something new...no matter how fast it comes.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Trust

Luke 8:22-25 (The Message)

One day he and his disciples got in a boat.

"Let's cross the lake," he said. And off they went.

It was smooth sailing, and he fell asleep. A terrific storm came up suddenly on the lake. Water poured in, and they were about to capsize.

They woke Jesus: "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"

Getting to his feet, he told the wind, "Silence!" and the waves, "Quiet down!"

They did it. The lake became smooth as glass.

Then he said to his disciples, "Why can't you trust me?"

They were in absolute awe, staggered and stammering, "Who is this, anyway? He calls out to the winds and sea, and they do what he tells them!"

A wonderful member of SOTH signs her e-mails with a powerful quote:

"Don't tell God how big your storm is...tell the storm how big your God is!"

That's a great way to walk through this life. But it doesn't come easily.

Often, that kind of faith-filled confidence is only possible after you've ridden out some pretty big storms.

Sometimes we're tempted to believe that following Jesus will be all about smooth sailing. Surely, those who follow him will never have to ride through swells and storms...right?

The good news of our faith is actually slightly different than that idea, and even more wonderful.
Christians will not be immunized against experiencing the storms of living in this world. But we can enter those storms with an entirely different strength and confidence.

Someone of power and prominence rides in our boat, right alongside us. He can stand tall, and when he speaks, even the biggest waves obey his voice.

Can we get sick? Yes.
Can we experience pain? Yes.
Will we experience our own mortality in this life? Yes.
Will we sometimes be misunderstood, and can there be times of anxiety and uncertainty? Yes.

Can anything ever separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ? No.
Can anything ever change our core identity as children of God? No.
Can any earthly experience really take away our joy, peace and confidence in God?

Ultimately, no. Absolutely not.

The best question of them all...the one that Jesus poses directly in this passage...

"Why can't you trust me?"

Ask yourself that question. Place it squarely before God and seek the answer. Within it lies the ability to tell the storm just how big your God really is.

Prayer: God our Father, creator of oceans, sustain of life, commander of the waves...we seek your face. We seek to know you more completely. We ask the question...why can't we trust you more? We pray that we might learn how to trust. And in that trust, that we might find peace, power and possibility.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Obedient

Luke 8:19-21 (The Message)

His mother and brothers showed up but couldn't get through to him because of the crowd. He was given the message, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside wanting to see you."

He replied, "My mother and brothers are the ones who hear and do God's Word. Obedience is thicker than blood."

I recently heard legendary Atlanta Braves' pitcher Tom Glavine talk about winning his 300th major league game.

300 wins is a major milestone. Few pitchers in the entire history of the game have done it.

At the time, Glavine pitched for the Mets. He said that after winning his 299th game, he realized his next start would be in Chicago against the Cubs.

"What went through your mind?" the reporter asked.

"How am I possibly going to get 40 tickets for my family at Wrigley Field?" he said.

At this point in the Gospel of Luke, the situation is becoming something like that for Jesus.

The crowds are pushing in on him. Everywhere he goes, it's a sold out stadium.

On this particular day, the crowd was so thick that Jesus' own family couldn't get through to see him. He had become a celebrity. His response to their messenger's request is remarkable.

"My mother and brothers are the ones who hear and do God's word. Obedience is thicker than water."

What must Jesus' family have felt?

Abandonment? Confusion? Pain? What could this mean?

I think that Jesus never misses a chance to teach important lessons. Perhaps the lesson of this difficult saying is this: obedience matters more than entitlement when it comes to relationship.

Jesus' message was not only for his physical family, or even Abraham's family, the Jews. He was to be the messiah for everyone. No one, through right of birth, has any more claim to him than anyone else. It's not the Jesus mother and family were "out," it's just that anyone can be equally "in." The test is obedience.

How can we be part of Jesus' "family?"

Listen to his words, receive them into our hearts, and do what he commands. Love God, and love neighbor. And welcome to a place at the table.

Prayer: We pray to become more obedient to the teachings and grace of Christ. Forgive us for assumptions of privilege and free us to follow you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Light

Luke 8:16-18 (The Message)

No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a washtub or shoves it under the bed. No, you set it up on a lamp stand so those who enter the room can see their way.

We're not keeping secrets; we're telling them.

We're not hiding things; we're bringing everything out into the open. So be careful that you don't become misers of what you hear.

Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes.

The Cookie Thief
by Valerie Cox

A woman was waiting at an airport one night,
With several long hours before her flight.
She hunted for a book in the airport shops.
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book but happened to see,
That the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be.
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between,
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.

So she munched the cookies and watched the clock,
As the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock.
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,
Thinking, "If I wasn't so nice, I would blacken his eye."

With each cookie she took, he took one too,
When only one was left, she wondered what he would do.
With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh,
He took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half, as he ate the other,
She snatched it from him and thought... oooh, brother.
This guy has some nerve and he's also rude,
Why he didn't even show any gratitude!

She had never known when she had been so galled,
And sighed with relief when her flight was called.
She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate,
Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.

She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat,
Then she sought her book, which was almost complete.
As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise,
There was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes.

If mine are here, she moaned in despair,
The others were his, and he tried to share.
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

Jesus' message is simple: share your cookies. In the end, there will be even more for you, because his grace is inexhaustible.

Prayer: Teach us to share. Show us how we experience generosity in your world, and teach us to live with that same, generous, freedom. May we watch giving create more giving, over and over, to the glory of Jesus Christ.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Soil

Luke 8:4-15 (The Message)

As they went from town to town, a lot of people joined in and traveled along.

He addressed them, using this story: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. Some of it fell on the road; it was tramped down and the birds ate it. Other seed fell in the gravel; it sprouted, but withered because it didn't have good roots. Other seed fell in the weeds; the weeds grew with it and strangled it. Other seed fell in rich earth and produced a bumper crop.

"Are you listening to this? Really listening?"

His disciples asked, "Why did you tell this story?"

He said, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom—you know how it works. There are others who need stories. But even with stories some of them aren't going to get it:

Their eyes are open but don't see a thing,
Their ears are open but don't hear a thing.

"This story is about some of those people. The seed is the Word of God. The seeds on the road are those who hear the Word, but no sooner do they hear it than the Devil snatches it from them so they won't believe and be saved.

"The seeds in the gravel are those who hear with enthusiasm, but the enthusiasm doesn't go very deep. It's only another fad, and the moment there's trouble it's gone.

"And the seed that fell in the weeds—well, these are the ones who hear, but then the seed is crowded out and nothing comes of it as they go about their lives worrying about tomorrow, making money, and having fun.

"But the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there's a harvest.

Every good gardener knows that it all starts with the soil.

North Georgia soil is easily compacted. It's clay, and can bake just like a brick in the summer sun.

It has to be loosened and enriched. It often needs lime, and it need humus of all kinds...organic matter that breaks down and encourages good worms, bugs and bacteria. It needs to "live," so that plants can stretch their roots, gain the nutrients they need and truly flourish.

So, I guess it all really starts with the seed...but it really depends on the soil.

For the last few months, my family and I have been conducting a backyard science experiment. Ultimately, if all goes well, this endeavor will really help our soil, and the plants that root within it.

We've been making compost.

Actually, God has been making it. Nature is at work, along with some help from a few thousand worms.

We've just been supplying the raw materials. Leftover vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, eggshells, old newspapers, yard trimmings...anything that can breakdown over time and turn into rich, black compost.

Gardeners call it, "black gold."

Today, I poured some compost by-product onto my tomato plants. A rich "tea," collects in two plastic tubs under the bins. High in nitrogen and all kinds of stuff, this earthy brew is a fore-runner of the finished product.

Sound gross?

Interesting, isn't it? The work of growth, of soil-building, of health...is sometimes off-putting.

It's not just true for compost and tomatoes...sometimes it's true for our souls as well.

It's hard to really open up the soil of our lives. Sometimes it seems easier to protect ourselves, and to act like pain hasn't been part of who we are...because we're embarrassed, or tired, or proud.

But I'm convinced that our souls can't really grow green, with deep roots in God, unless we're willing to see every single experience of our lives as having a place and purpose. All the difficulties and successes...all of it has to be placed into the great compost bin of God...and presence with him can transform our pain into the very kind of fertile soil that allows for true growth.

This life is about more than "wild enthusiasm that doesn't go very deep." It can be more than, "making money, having fun and worrying about tomorrow."

It can be about depth, roots, growth and victory.

Don't be ashamed of the things in your past that make you who you are today...and offer the possibility for deep-rooted dependence on God.

Embrace it all, and trust God to break us down into the soft, loamy, rich, black soil of grace.

Prayer: Father, we ask that you would sit among us, soften us, loosen us and enrich our hearts as fertile soil for the seeds of your grace. We ask for presence, focus, humility and gratitude.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

People

Luke 8:1-4 (The Message)

He continued according to plan, traveled to town after town, village after village, preaching God's kingdom, spreading the Message. The Twelve were with him.

There were also some women in their company who had been healed of various evil afflictions and illnesses:

Mary, the one called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod's manager; and Susanna—along with many others who used their considerable means to provide for the company.

As they went from town to town, a lot of people joined in and traveled along.

Today, we encounter a slight break from the action, for Luke to do a bit of bookkeeping.

He takes a moment to catch us up on exactly where were are: traveling, gathering momentum, encountering and including some notables.

Jesus' followers were men, and women. The women are noted in scripture. This was revolutionary thinking and practice for the time, place and culture. But we shouldn't be surprised.

Contrary to what the people thought then, and many still try to believe now, Jesus, and his kingdom, are all about inclusion.

And look what beautiful things happen when you open the doors wide to all of God's people: Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Susanna all bring powerful witnesses, and apparently great material as well as spiritual resources.

They, "used their considerable means to provide for the company."

A great church, mirroring the Kingdom of God, provides a place for everyone. The poor don't have to be held captive by the same of poverty, and the rich can be freed from the pride that sometimes follows stuff. Everybody has something to share.

Our church, just like the community in which we're located, is incredibly diverse.

On my street, 2 miles from my office at SOTH, there are black, brown, yellow and white families living side by side. There are people with prestigious degrees from famous universities and there are hard-working, blue collar laborers. There are long-time southerners, and brand new immigrants to the U.S.

Across the street lives a family from Haiti. Next door, a family from Gloucester, England. Our other neighbors have lived in Detroit, and Washington, D.C.

At our neighborhood pool, you might hear English, French, Spanish and a variety of other languages and dialects I can't recognize.

Folks, that's the kingdom.

Men and women. Rich and poor. Native and foreign.

But not ever "in," and "out."

Everybody's in. And we all have gifts. Watch what God can do among us, as we follow Jesus along the path he's blazing...together.

Prayer: God our Father, you love all of your children the same. Your nature is to include us all. May we learn that lesson, with great joy, day by day, as we discover the gifts of our brothers and sisters around us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Grateful

Luke 7:40-50 (The Message)

Jesus said to him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."

"Oh? Tell me."

"Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?"

Simon answered, "I suppose the one who was forgiven the most."

"That's right," said Jesus.

Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, "Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair.

You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn't quit kissing my feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume.

Impressive, isn't it?

She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal."

Then he spoke to her: "I forgive your sins."

That set the dinner guests talking behind his back: "Who does he think he is, forgiving sins!"

He ignored them and said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

As the seventh chapter of Luke concludes, Jesus teaches us a very basic spiritual principle of massive importance.

The "volume" of forgiveness experienced is directly proportional to the "volume" of gratitude expressed.

That seems fairly straightforward, doesn't it?

So, how grateful are we?

How "much" have we been forgiven?

I think that depends on how honest we're willing to be before God. The truth, of course, is that Simon the Pharisee needed every bit as much forgiveness as the "harlot" in this story.

He just didn't want to admit it. He didn't think that could be true. She knows that God has done an abundant and amazing miracle in her life. Simon, in his self-deception is too cool to be that impressed with God's grace.

What about us? What does the worship of our church express about what God has done? I'll always remember hearing a teacher in my seminary days say that, "the amount of joy a congregation expresses in worship is directly related to that congregation's sense that God has delivered them into new life."

I have found that to be absolutely true. The same could be said for an individual life. What is our sense of joy? It's directly proportional to our knowledge that God has given us more than we deserve.

We all stand in equal need of forgiveness before God. Our joy and gratitude expressed in this life, however, will stand in direct connection to how deeply we understand that need.

Let's embrace our own shortcomings...and goodness of God's forgiveness...and celebrate gratitude in the world.

Prayer: You have forgiven so much in us. We pray that you would create in us clean hearts and stir us up by the power of your Holy Spirit. May we express our gratitude through service to the world.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Scandal

Luke 7:36-39 (The Message)

One of the Pharisees asked him over for a meal.

He went to the Pharisee's house and sat down at the dinner table.

Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfume and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his feet.

Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him."

Who do we think Jesus is?

"If this man was the prophet I thought he was..." he would do things differently.

Obviously, this Pharisee had different thoughts about who Jesus was supposed to be. He would have known "what kind of woman this is..."

Of course, Jesus did know. He knew that this was a woman who understood her need for relationship, and her need to show worship, humility and love to the Messiah.

The Pharisee in this story doesn't even know what he doesn't know. But, he is starting to learn. This man is not the prophet he had thought he'd be.

Who we think Jesus is has much to do with what kinds of things "scandalize" us.

If we think Jesus is only about order, dignity and appropriate behavior, then inappropriate people and actions will leave us feeling uncomfortable and violated.

But if we think Jesus is God's ultimate outreach to all people...all people...regardless of standing, life history or "proper" etiquette, we'll start to be scandalized be quite different things.

Things like hunger, poverty, disease, brokenness, abuse, hatred, anger, selfishness...you get the idea.

How can we learn to embrace the role of the "harlot" in this story, seeing her as a role-model in the faith? How can we learn the lessons of the upright and conscientious...and judgmental...Pharisee, and welcome people in the way that God welcomes us?

If we're going to get upset...may it be for all the right reasons.

Prayer: Father God, we ask you to sustain us today, to give us humility, to crucify our egos, and to help us depend fully on you. May we worship you without fear of what anyone will think, and may we love you and your children in extravagant ways.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Spoiled

This morning, I thought I would include two versions of our short passage from Luke. First is the New Revised Standard Version, this is the translation that we use at SOTH on Sunday mornings. Second, Eugene Peterson's paraphrase "The Message," which I've been using exclusively in the blog as we've studied Luke. I really enjoy Peterson's work here, but it's pretty creative as he tries to modernize Jesus' words, and I just wanted to give you a side by side this time for comparision:

Luke 7:31-35 (New Revised Standard Version)
³² ‘To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like?

They are like children sitting in the market-place and calling to one another,

“We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not weep.”

³³³⁴³⁵For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, “He has a demon”; the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!”

Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children.’

Luke 7:31-35 (The Message)
"How can I account for the people of this generation?

They're like spoiled children complaining to their parents,

'We wanted to skip rope and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk but you were always too busy.'

John the Baptizer came fasting and you called him crazy. The Son of Man came feasting and you called him a lush. Opinion polls don't count for much, do they?

The proof of the pudding is in the eating."

At this point, I think it's safe to say that Jesus has almost had enough.

He's frustrated, and it makes me feel good to see that he, too, could feel frustration. The problem is that Jesus feels frustration for the right reasons...and I usually don't.

I'm too often frustrated because, like a spoiled child, I somehow haven't gotten my way. What about you?

Jesus compares the generation of Israelites that he experienced in the Gospels to a bunch of whiny kids..."we wanted to skip rope, but you were too tired."

"What do you want," he almost seems to ask. "John fasted and you didn't understand...I celebrate, eat and drink and I'm villainized...the truth is that what you think doesn't matter" (my paraphrase).

The proof of the pudding is, "in the eating."

Remember the tree and its fruit? Bad fruit doesn't come from a healthy tree. Jesus is carrying this same theme forward and now applying it to himself.

What do people say about him? It doesn't matter.

What do people say about us? It doesn't matter. How much freedom is in that truth?

What matters is the fruit...the "pudding"....you name the metaphor: look around our lives, and we'll know whether we've allowed God to take up residence in our hearts. And it's never too late to begin.

Prayer: We hear the frustration of Jesus' words, and we pray that you would take the "spoiled child's" heart from within us and replace it with grace, peace, and love. May we fast when the time is right and eat when the time is right...and may we see your abundant fruit produced in the world around us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Expectations

Luke 7:18-30 (The Message)

John's disciples reported back to him the news of all these events taking place. He sent two of them to the Master to ask the question, "Are you the One we've been expecting, or are we still waiting?"

The men showed up before Jesus and said, "John the Baptizer sent us to ask you, 'Are you the One we've been expecting, or are we still waiting?'"

In the next two or three hours Jesus healed many from diseases, distress, and evil spirits. To many of the blind he gave the gift of sight. Then he gave his answer: "Go back and tell John what you have just seen and heard:

The blind see,
The lame walk,
Lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised,
The wretched of the earth
have God's salvation hospitality extended to them.

"Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves fortunate!"

After John's messengers left to make their report, Jesus said more about John to the crowd of people. "What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A messenger from God? That's right, a messenger! Probably the greatest messenger you'll ever hear. He is the messenger Malachi announced when he wrote,

I'm sending my messenger on ahead
To make the road smooth for you.

"Let me lay it out for you as plainly as I can: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer, but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. The ordinary and disreputable people who heard John, by being baptized by him into the kingdom, are the clearest evidence; the Pharisees and religious officials would have nothing to do with such a baptism, wouldn't think of giving up their place in line to their inferiors.

Expectations often pre-fabricate our opinions.

Was something good or bad? It really depends on whether it met your expectations. Just ask any politician...they know how to "lower expectations" before a debate or election, so that they can then frame their showing in the best possible light.

So...what do you expect from Jesus?

That question, and how we answer it, cuts right to the heart of our faith.

Jesus was not the kind of messiah that many expected in his world. Many wanted a strong, assertive, charismatic military leader who would rally the people and lead them in an overthrow of the Romans.

Most thought that the Messiah would be ten feet tall and bulletproof, to say the least.

To me, Jesus seems to laugh at our expectations. We tend to form them more in our own opinion than in scripture. If the people had been able to really read and understand the prophets who had come before, they might have realized that Jesus was indeed their man.

"Are you the messiah, or are we still waiting?"

"Take a look," Jesus seems to say, "and judge for yourselves."

Who do you expect Jesus to be in your life? How do you expect to encounter him?

He is with us. We can come to know him, more and more each and every day...as we learn to look, and expect to see.

Mother Teresa famously said, "I see Jesus Christ, each day, in all of his distressing disguises."

It all depends if we want to look...if we're willing to see...and if we're ready to stop waiting.

Prayer: Give us eyes that see and tender hearts that soften and respond to the presence of the Christ, "in all his distressing disguises."

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Funeral

Luke 7:11-17 (The Message)

Not long after that, Jesus went to the village Nain. His disciples were with him, along with quite a large crowd.

As they approached the village gate, they met a funeral procession—a woman's only son was being carried out for burial. And the mother was a widow.

When Jesus saw her, his heart broke.

He said to her, "Don't cry." Then he went over and touched the coffin.

The pallbearers stopped. He said, "Young man, I tell you: Get up." The dead son sat up and began talking. Jesus presented him to his mother.

They all realized they were in a place of holy mystery, that God was at work among them.

They were quietly worshipful—and then noisily grateful, calling out among themselves, "God is back, looking to the needs of his people!" The news of Jesus spread all through the country.

This is a fascinating scripture for me to read on this day.

I've been to a funeral today. In fact, I helped conduct it. I've seen pallbearers and a mourning family. I've felt loss and celebrated life. All of us will miss Maggie Green, and our lives are better for having known her.

Jesus encountered this funeral procession and heard the weeping. He saw the widow, who had lost her only son.

His heart broke. He touched the casket and the pallbearers stopped. That scandalous act dissolved into amazement as the boy sat up, alive again.

What does all of this mean for us?

Well, I think it means that Jesus' heart breaks for us all when we weep and mourn in loss and grief.

It means that there is hope. The funeral procession does not mark the end for any of us who believe in him. The witness of our worship at SOTH today was that we will see our loved ones again.

"I died," Jesus said, "and behold I am alive forevermore. And because I live, you shall live also."

What is the hope of ressurection? "A holy mystery."

But I know it's true.

Let's be "quietly worshipful," and "noisily grateful" in the rest of this life...and the one that's yet to come.

Prayer: God, our Father, we thank you for a heart that breaks, overflowing with compassion and love. When we need you most, we know that you will never fail us.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Orders

Luke 7:1-10 (The Message)

When he finished speaking to the people, he entered Capernaum.

A Roman captain there had a servant who was on his deathbed. He prized him highly and didn't want to lose him.

When he heard Jesus was back, he sent leaders from the Jewish community asking him to come and heal his servant. They came to Jesus and urged him to do it, saying, "He deserves this. He loves our people. He even built our meeting place."

Jesus went with them.

When he was still quite far from the house, the captain sent friends to tell him, "Master, you don't have to go to all this trouble. I'm not that good a person, you know. I'd be embarrassed for you to come to my house, even embarrassed to come to you in person.

Just give the order and my servant will get well. I'm a man under orders; I also give orders. I tell one soldier, 'Go,' and he goes; another, 'Come,' and he comes; my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."

Taken aback, Jesus addressed the accompanying crowd:

"I've yet to come across this kind of simple trust anywhere in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know about God and how he works."

When the messengers got back home, they found the servant up and well.

What do we understand about authority?

In our culture, maybe not too much. We Americans in particular do cherish our autonomy.

A friend who attended the recent United Methodist General Conference told me of how differently Methodists from around the world obeyed the authority of their Bishops.

When difficult or contentious moments came, she said that the African and Latin American delegations were much more likely to say, "Lead us, Bishop!" while the Americans would often look at their Bishops as if to say, "don't you dare!"

If we struggle to understand authority in our culture, and even our church, where does that leave us in our spiritual walk with Jesus?

Who is in charge, anyway?

The Roman Captain in this story was clear about authority. He was a man "under orders," and he understood what it meant to give and take orders.

Jesus seems to appreciate that about him. Jesus calls it "simple trust."

That's a beautiful thing. Simple trust. Not easy to come by, but the key to it all.

How can we trust Jesus more "simply?" We could simply ask, and then simply believe.

Maybe it's not that hard after all...a simpler, better, miracle-filled life...lived "under orders."

Prayer: We pray for trust, and submission to the your powerful presence in our lives. Help us to ask, to believe, and to keep is simple.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.