AfterWords: "Jesus in ... Scripture"

 

Luke 24:13-27

Sometimes, we come across a story that doesn’t end right, that doesn’t end the way we think it should or the way we expect. That was probably on the mind of the two disciples walking towards Emmaus the afternoon after the Resurrection. Of course, they weren’t even convinced yet that a resurrection had taken place.

Their minds were on the One they had lost—the One who called them, the One who worked miracles, the One who had out-argued and out-debated the religious leaders and authorities. The same One they had seen arrested, tried, mocked, humiliated, and crucified.

They were also pondering their crushed dreams—dreams of a redeemed and renewed Kingdom of Israel. They were sure Jesus would be the one to make it happen. Now, their dreams were shattered.

And, that very morning the women had added confusion to the mix by coming to the house and saying something about the tomb being empty. Was the body stolen? Was Jesus alive again? They had no answers—only confusion.

Instead of a story that endibg with justice, grace, hope, and mercy, they sensed a story ending with loss, broken dreams, and confusion. That’s just when Jesus showed up.

When he happened upon them, they had no idea who he was. They were so lost in their own thoughts or perhaps there was something different about the resurrected Jesus. Either way, they didn’t know him…and he didn’t let on. He asked about what they were discussing, and they told him—Jesus the Messiah, prophet and miracle worker, arrested, put to death…and with his death, the death of their dreams. For them, a story with a bad ending.

Jesus turned their minds around and took them on a journey through the Old Testament…from the books of Moses through the prophets. He pointed out how all of these told the story of the coming Messiah. Jesus revealed that the Scriptures revealed him. And, he showed them that the story didn’t end wrong; the story simply hadn’t ended as yet! The story would continue to play out, and the ending would be one of justice, grace, hope, and mercy.

We learn from this encounter and exchange that we, too, encounter Jesus in Scripture. Jesus speaks to us through the Bible. We need to encounter Jesus in Scripture because he comes to us as well helping us make sense of our loss, our broken dreams, and our confusion. We learn from Jesus that our story, too, will end with justice, grace, hope, and mercy. Jesus comes to us through Scripture…just when we need him.

Sunday, April 27, 2025
“Jesus in … Scripture”
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: "A Quiet Resurrection"

 

Luke 24:1-12

That first Easter morning arrived without a bang. No sound-and-lights show. Just another day of work for the people in Jerusalem. Jesus died and rose again with no fanfare. A good PR person could have made the day quite memorable. But for the most part, Jerusalem woke up, got up, and went about their day like it was any other Rishon (Sunday).

Really, we shouldn’t be surprised, right? I mean, look at the birth that we celebrated just 16 weeks ago. Jesus, the Son of God, born into the world…and basically nothing. A few shepherds, some ‘wise-guys’ from the East, and Mary and Joseph. The rest of Bethlehem went to sleep and woke up, and they were none the wiser. Again, we find this same thing at the death and resurrection—basically non-events for the world around. Why this way?

Jesus gives us a hint. Luke tells the story of the temptation in the desert in chapter four of his Gospel. One of the temptations involved jumping off the top of the Temple and making a huge scene before the whole city. Jesus rejected that. If he had done it, he could have reduced a three-year ministry down to one day! Everyone would have known Jesus…and his ‘other worldliness’. But, in rejecting that path, that approach, Jesus made it very clear: He prefers friends over fans, family over fanatics.

We’re all fans of someone or something, for sure. I’m a fan of Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep, amazing actresses. Many are fans of sports figures, movie stars, and politicos. But, a fandom is a one-way connection. I can know about the people I’m a fan of, but they never know me. I’m more than a fan of Eugene Peterson, author of The Message and many other books. I’m more than a fan because I wrote him a letter, and he wrote me back, and I wrote another, and he wrote me again…so, I moved from fan to…pen-pal? Something a little more. When he died in 2018, maybe I felt a sense of loss a little more than the average fan…?

Jesus wants more than fans. Jesus showed us through his life that he wants to connect with people. He walked the roads of Judea and talked with people. He sat on the grass and told stories and listened to stories. He reached out to touch and heal the sick…and reached out to touch and bless the children. He poured his life into his disciples…and expected them (and us!) to live the same way.

So, Resurrection morning was a quiet affair, even quieter than our own Resurrection Sunday this week. We gathered and sang and celebrated…but the world around us just went about their day—cutting grass, shopping, working, preparing for a carne asada. Like Jerusalem (Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth), our world waits for us to walk alongside and tell them the story. Our work, it seems, is to live this quiet yet impactful disciple-life that Jesus calls us to so that others might move from fan to friend, from fanatic to family, and know the Life God has for us all. Happy Easter!

Sunday, April 20, 2025
“A Quiet Resurrection”
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: "Jerusalem - Finally!"

 

Luke 19:29-40

Today’s reading is often referred to as “the Triumphal Entry”…the culmination of Jesus’ last season of ministry that began in Caesaria Phillipi. Luke narrates the entry…an entry devoid of parables, teachings, or miracles (unless we count Jesus’ arrival without being arrested or murdered a miracle!).  But, if this account lacks all of this, is there anything to take away?

Of course, Jesus’ arrival on a donkey amidst cries of joy calls us back to Zachariah’s prophecy in the 6th Century B.C. The fulfillment of prophecy is important because it gives us confidence in the Bible itself. If Jesus is fulfilling prophecy, that gives us confidence and trust in him. The folks who study prophecy have determined that Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies in Scripture. We need something or someone we can trust or believe in this age of “fake news” and fluid truths. Between social media that say whatever they want and profit-fueled news outlets that cast the happenings to their own benefit, we hunger for something true. Perhaps this story from Jesus’ life reminds us that we can trust the Scriptures.

Or, perhaps this reading calls us to regard the disciples. They cry out “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”…words that barely register in our 21st Century minds, but fighting words in the 1st Century. We don’t think much about kings today in our world of feigned or real democracy. When the disciples shouted these words, they were simultaneously declaring that neither Caesar nor Herod were king. This cry, this declaration, was the cry of revolutionaries. They allowed nothing and no one to stand between them and their King Jesus. What about us today? Is Jesus—the person, the message, the call, the challenge of Jesus—first in our lives, or do we bow to other things, other people? Perhaps this story reminds us to hold fast to the foundational, revolutionary message and mission of Jesus.

This reading is the end of Jesus’ journey in one sense, but it’s also the beginning of a new journey—one spiritual instead of geographical. This passage marks the beginning of Holy Week. Too often we wave palms today, grab a quick Communion on Thurs. or Friday, and rush back next Sunday to celebrate. Perhaps—besides reminding us of trustworthiness of Scripture and our call to put Jesus first—perhaps this passage today invites us to slow down, to take a break—at least a little time each day—this week and remember what Jesus did and what he lived through during this week. Perhaps if we do that, Jesus will enter again into our lives…as he entered Jerusalem so long ago.

Sunday, April 13, 2025
“Jerusalem—Finally!”
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: "Towards Jerusalem - What We See (Divine Reversals)"

 

Luke 19:1-10

Many of us learned the song in VBS or Sunday School or somewhere along the way: “Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see….” We learned the words and the motions. But hearing the story and learning the song in our childhood did not reveal the real importance of this encounter, did not reveal the joyful ‘divine reversals’ this story shows us as we dive a little deeper.

Zacchaeus decides he wants to see Jesus, so he elbows through the crowded streets and finds a tree that he hopes Jesus will walk under or walk near as he’s passing through Jericho. Surprisingly, Jesus ends up spotting Zacchaeus and comes right to the tree. As the song says, “And he said, Zacchaeus, you come down! For I’m going to your house today….” Even as Zacchaeus was looking to see Jesus, Jesus sees Zacchaeus first.

We know Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, that he is on the road and passing through the city of Jericho. But, everything changes when Jesus spots Zacchaeus in that sycamore-fig tree. Now, “…I’m going to your house today.” That doesn’t mean walk past the house; this likely means a meal, a long, drawn out visit that will probably include slaughtering a goat, rounding up vegetables, baking bread. While Luke doesn’t say so, it could even mean spending the night if the day is mostly gone. In any case, Jesus has gone from “passing through” to “I’m going to your house.”

We hear at the beginning of the recorded encounter that Zacchaeus was a wealthy chief tax-collector. After encountering Jesus, after welcoming Jesus into his house, Zacchaeus experiences a profound change. “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount” (v.8). He may very well lose his standing as Chief Tax-Collector, and he is certainly parting with well over half his wealth (1/2 to the poor and then four-fold repaid to those he’s cheated). We would be hard pressed to find a more beautiful and exemplary picture of “repentance” in Scripture. Here, Zacchaeus has experienced a profound change of heart and mind—a reversal to be sure, and that change is lived out in his actions.

Zacchaeus becomes an example for us. He looks for Jesus. He takes time out of his day to receive Jesus in his home. He allows the change of heart and mind to be expressed in his words and deeds. And, Jesus? He is looking for all who are lost (not in the right place, out of place, unintentionally wandering). He is ready to take time to sit with us, to see us, to be with us. Much more than a VBS song, this encounter gives us the hope of divine reversals in our own lives as strive to see Jesus.

Sunday, April 6, 2025
“Towards Jerusalem: What We See (Divine Reversals)”
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: "Towards Jerusalem: Rich Man, Poor Man"

 

Luke 16:19-31

Too many have read this parable as a definitive statement about the rich and the poor, as a story discounting the wealthy and elevating the poor. Others have tried to use this as a doctrinal statement about the end-times and the afterlife ("eschatology"). Since we North Americans are wealthy in comparison to much of the world, perhaps it’s a good thing this is not a story directed against the “wealthy.” And as far as being an “eschatological” text, it’s about as eschatological as, “A guy died and went to heaven, and when he got to the pearly gates, St. Peter stopped him and asked….”

While the purpose of this parable differs from those common misperceptions, we do find an overriding theme: What we do here and now impacts our eternity there and then.

While you and I can probably name a dozen rich and famous people, the lack of name given to “the rich man” is yet another example of Jesus turning the world on its head. At the same time, we may be hard pressed to name a dozen…or five…or three…or even one person who is broken, destitute…yet, Jesus knows him by name: Lazarus.

So, what did “the rich man” do to end up in Hades? Did he have some deep, dark, evil sin? He does not end up in Hades because of anything he has done. So, why? The rich man ends up in Hades because of what he did not do, because of what he refused to do, because he did nothing.

At the gates of his house lies a beggar, Lazarus, who has nothing and no one. Could our rich man not have given Lazarus at least a simple, rough wool blanket…to keep the dogs from licking his sores? Could our rich fellow not have given Lazarus at least some rice and beans, some bread and olive oil? At the very least, could he not have simply acknowledged the existence of Lazarus?

The rich man’s sin was this—he closed his eyes and ears to the sights and sounds of need around him. He did nothing to alleviate the poverty that faced him each day. Nothing.

This past week, the RGV was slammed by an unexpected and destructive storm. Flood waters damaged houses, ruined automobiles, closed businesses, and destroyed dreams. Those of us who live in the RGV are now surrounded by people who suffer because of this storm.

So, how do we respond? A few weeks ago, Jesus told us the story of “the good Samaritan.” That parable calls us to be kind to those in need. We may think that what we have to offer is ‘too little’ or ‘insignificant.’ I imagine the lad who came forward with five loaves and two fish thought the same thing, yet God used his gift to feed 5000 people.

We do what we can. We cannot fix every situation. We may not even make a huge dent in the problem. But, we can do something. We can give, we can clean, we can cook, we can serve, we can listen—we do what we can. When we do what we can, God is honored, and lives are touched in profound ways. Unlike the rich man in Jesus’ parable, let’s open our eyes and ears and respond somehow—cleaning supplies, clothes, a helping hand, food, money, a listening ear. Let’s do something. Because the something we do here and now will have eternal consequences there and then.

Amen.

Sunday, March 30, 2025
“Towards Jerusalem: Rich Man, Poor Man”
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: "Towards Jerusalem: Lost and Found"

 

Luke 15:1-7

Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem where everything will come to a climax. Along the way, he encounters all kinds of people—some with earnest, heart-questions; some attempting to undermine Jesus’ broad portrayal of God’s love.

In the passage today, those pesky Pharisees and Teachers of the Law are questioning Jesus’ welcome to and association with “tax-collectors and sinners.” They remark that “he even eats with them.” Woah. But, from their worldview, that was just one burger (or kebob) too far.

Jesus responds with not one, not two, but with three parables. As far as I know, no where in the Gospels does Jesus react or respond so forcefully. The parables are about “lostness”—and being lost. The first (in the reading for this Sunday) is about a lost sheep. The second concerns a lost coin. And, the third focuses on a lost son. In each case, the object of lostness—a sheep, a coin, a son—is found and there is great rejoicing. 

While the parables are all about lost things/peoples, the listeners themselves are lost. The tax-collectors are lost in the web of greed and the machinations of the Roman occupiers. The “sinners” are lost in their own selfishness or egotism, have wandered away from God. The Pharisees and Teachers of the Law are lost in their own narrow, tunnel-vision world that prevents them from seeing people as people, and all of them loved of God.

In the 21^st Century, we don’t get lost so much geographically—our smartphones keep us on the right road and give us plenty of warning about upcoming turns. But we still get lost. We get lost in online apps, in partisan television news, in social and theological issues. And, we get lost inside ourselves…in fears, comparisons, and compulsions.

“Lost” in Scripture is when we are away from God. We are “found” when we are with God. Away from God, not listening to God, not walking with God, not talking with God—Lost. Striving to hear God, walking with God, moving towards God, listening to God—Found.

In this encounter and in the parables Jesus tells here, good news comes in several ways. First, all are welcome to come to Jesus. He’ll sit and talk and share his french-fries with anyone. Then, no matter how lost we become, the Shepherd is looking for us…and won’t give up until we’re found—we matter that much to God. Finally, we all know someone who is lost. The Shepherd is looking for her or him as well…and won’t give up until he/she is found. We can rest in this—the broad, open, searching, welcoming love of God…forever, for everyone. Amen.

Sunday, March 23, 2025
“Towards Jerusalem: Lost and Found”
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: "Towards Jerusalem: A Patient God"

 

Luke 13:1-9

The reading for this Sunday is grouped among those “difficult” readings from the Gospels. This event is really the conclusion—of sorts—of all that happens and is said in the previous chapter (Luke 12). In that chapter, Jesus talks about the false or misleading teachings of the Pharisees; the impotence of wealth before the realities of death; the misguided focus of people on appearance and possessions; the lackadaisical view towards life; the inability to make sense of the times; and that other hard passage about Jesus bringing not peace but division.

After all of these (above), someone tells Jesus about “the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices”—a fine euphemism for, Pilate killed the Galileans as they offered sacrifices at the Temple. Jesus’s response does two things:

1) Jesus forever debunks the idea that disaster is God’s punishment of sin. “I tell you, no!”

       …and…

2) Jesus calls for a life of repentance.

The first is important. Too often we see some disaster—in the lives of others or ourselves—and think, what did they do wrong or what did I do wrong that God is punishing them or me. Jesus here forever silences—we hope!—that kind of thinking. Bad things do happen in our broken world, but this is not how God responds to our sin.

Then, Jesus calls repentance—an idea in Greek that is understood as to change thinking and behavior; a linear, continuing action. Since Luke 13 is a continuation of the action or narrative from Luke 12, the change Jesus calls for refers specifically to those issues and themes we find in Luke 12: stop looking for life in the words of the Pharisees, in the limited power of wealth, in appearance and possessions, in disinterested approaches to life.

Finally, Jesus tells the parable of the barren fig tree to drive things home. Life is not guaranteed, so repent—change your thinking and behavior. Our lives have purpose just like a fig tree, so start bearing fruit, start making life count.

This passage is a call to embrace change, to do things differently—not because we may die in our sleep tonight but because we are created with purpose and we need to live into that purpose.

 

Sunday, March 16, 2025
“Towards Jerusalem: A Patient God”
Watch/Listen: HERE