Luke 13:31-35 28 February 2010

Luke 13:31-35

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’ He said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox for me, “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed away from Jerusalem.” Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”


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This week's reading begins with some Pharisees warning Jesus to flee from Herod who wants to kill him. What do you remember about the Pharisees? Do they seem to be acting in character here? Why would they warn Jesus? What do you remember about Herod? Why would he want to kill Jesus?

I think of Pharisees as obsessive rule keepers who censure, judge, and punish the rule breakers. We all probably experienced a teacher, fellow student, co-worker, or perhaps a sibling who played this role. Perhaps you have played or still play this role. Bill Dols refers to the rule breakers as the spirited one. Rumi described him like this:

HAS ANYONE SEEN THE BOY?

Has anyone seen the boy who used to come here?
Round-faced trouble-maker, quick to find a joke,
slow to be serious, red shirt,
perfect coordination, sly, strong muscled,
with things always in his pocket: reed flute,
worn pick, polished and ready for his Talent
you know that one.
Have you heard stories about him?
Pharaoh and the whole Egyptian world
collapsed for such a Joseph.
I'd gladly spend years getting word
of him, even third or fourth hand.

(Version by Coleman Barks and John Moyne)

What do you know of an inner Pharisee who wants everything done by the rules? What do you know of a rapacious inner Herod who is willing to kill anyone who threatens his rule? What do you know of the inner "spirited one?" How does the conflict between them play out in your life?

Deuteronomy 26:1-11 21 February 2010

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, ‘Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.’ When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, you shall make this response before the Lord your God: ‘A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labour on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.’ You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.


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As part of their annual harvest tithe, the ancient Hebrews remembered their origin stories and their founding fathers. As you read and think about this passage, remember your own origin stories. Our shared stories of the voyages of Columbus, the Pilgrims, the Revolutionary War and its heroes, and Ellis Island come to my mind. Native Americans, African Americans and other groups have other stories in addition to these. Notice too that none of these stories really happened in the way we remember and tell them. In the telling, we leave out inconvienet truths and emphasize the parts that make us look good or make for a good story.

Also, consider your personal origin stories with their heroes and villains. What do you include in your story? What do you edit out? The late Henry Berne, one of my mentors, reminded me that the stories we tell are "our" stories and that we don't have to tell them in a way that makes us a helpless victim. Is there a way you can tell your story differently that empowers you?

Luke 9:28-36,(37-43a) 14 February 2010

Luke 9:28-43a

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had , and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. Just then a man from the crowd shouted, ‘Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child. Suddenly a spirit seizes him, and all at once he shrieks. It throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and will scarcely leave him. I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.’ Jesus answered, ‘You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.’ While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astounded at the greatness of God.

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"These sayings" in referred to in the first verse include Jesus' question to his disciples: "Who do the crowds say I am?" and "Who do you say I am?" The Transfiguration, as verses 28-36 are known, is reported in the synoptic Gospels (Mark, Luke, and Matthew) but significantly, not John. In John Jesus knows who he is from the very beginning. In the synoptic Gospels Jesus has a mountaintop experience which confirms his identity for him, the three who were with him, and the readers of the Gospel.

What do you know of having a "mountaintop experience"?

Is the mountain top a place you stay indefinitely?

Isaiah 6:1-8, (9-13) 7 February 2010

Isaiah 6:1-8, (9-13)

[6:1-8] A Vision of God in the TempleIn the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’
Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’

[6:9-13]
And he said, ‘Go and say to this people:
“Keep listening, but do not comprehend;
keep looking, but do not understand.”
Make the mind of this people dull,
and stop their ears,
and shut their eyes,
so that they may not look with their eyes,
and listen with their ears,
and comprehend with their minds,
and turn and be healed.’
Then I said, ‘How long, O Lord?’ And he said:
‘Until cities lie waste
without inhabitant,
and houses without people,
and the land is utterly desolate;
until the Lord sends everyone far away,
and vast is the emptiness in the midst of the land.
Even if a tenth part remains in it,
it will be burned again,
like a terebinth or an oak
whose stump remains standing
when it is felled.’
The holy seed is its stump.

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The official lectionary, Revised Common Lectionary, for today is Isaiah 6:1-8, Bible Workbench included verses 9-13. The official lectionary is straightforward in the context of 8th century BCE Hebrew writing. It ends with, “Here I am; send me!” No doubt the right response when your god asks, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”

Verses 6:9-13 are a bit more problematic for me. Is God sending Isaiah to harden the people’s hearts so that they will not listen or understand? On the other hand, is he to warning them of the consequences if they do not listen? My Universalist leanings lead me to prefer the latter reading. In doing so I realize that I’m imposing my values on a 2700 year old text from another culture. The notes for this passage in the New Oxford Annotated Bible suggest that the passage serves to explain why Isaiah failed to influence king Ahaz at the time of the Syro-Ephraimite war (734 BCE).


Food for thought: Have you ever been called and what was your response?