Today's Forecast

Gospel: Luke 12: 54-59

Human beings have been proficient in forecasting the weather for millennia.  Of late we have been able to add to our forecasting acumen in weather, health, and other natural phenomena.  Our science has enabled many to avoid harm and seek safety, though even here our self-interested egos will override some to commit irrational acts that lead to destruction for themselves and others. Such is the way of doing one's own research...

Jesus tells us that we have the ability to determine what is just and good with even greater accuracy than forecasting the weather.  We have been given this ability as being made in God's image, in being an image of Christ himself, and in being temples of the Holy Spirit.  The teaching and example of Jesus provides us with a clear guide for us in determining what is just and good, and yet again our self-interested egos lead us to our own ruin and the ruin of so many others.  

Jesus gave us the Beatitudes to be our guide: being poor in spirit, meek, empathetic, pure of heart, peace-making, thirsting for justice.  He went about healing people, liberating them from their demons, and bringing people together at table.  No empires, no armies, no manipulative media, no violence of any kind.  The road map is clear for us to discern the good and the just.  If we create any other Christianity than this, it is because we would take the devil's bargain that Jesus himself rejected.

A House Divided

Gospel: Luke 12: 49-53

At first glance, today's Gospel portion is shocking.  How can it be that the Prince of Peace came to bring division and war?  What are we to make of this contradiction?  Consider the entire sweep of the Gospels in reflecting on this dilemma, looking at the various encounters where Jesus receives opposition and incredulity both from the religious leaders of his day as well as his disciples.  There we find a common element where division arises.

In each case Jesus extends mercy through healing and liberation to someone who is regarded as unworthy by the crowd, or the extension of mercy overrides the Law in another matter.  When Jesus heals people on the Sabbath, opposition arises from those who think the Sabbath prohibition on work is more important than mercy.  When Jesus heals lepers, demoniacs, foreigner, and unclean women, opposition and incredulity come from nearly everyone - the crowds, religious leaders, even his own disciples.  

This opposition will extend to the table of fellowship and hospitality when Jesus chooses to dine with tax collectors and prostitutes as well as Pharisees and scribes.  This division and war is an ironic one, as it is our response to Jesus extending mercy to all people, not reserving it for a privileged elite who would control God.  The division and war is our making, not that of Jesus.  So it was then, so it has been, and so it is in our own day.  Will we accept the mercy and hospitality of Jesus for all, or resist his love? 

The Intended Audience

Gospel: Luke 12: 39-48

Peter asks Jesus an important question: are these parables and teachings meant for us alone, or for everyone? In typical fashion, Jesus does not directly answer the question.  He instead relates another parable about the tending of the master's house - how some servants are faithful to those duties and fulfill their tasks well, while another group of servants are abusive of the estate and of other servants, taking advantage of the master's absence.  

At this point we are tempted to interpret this parable in various ways.  First century audiences would see this as condemnatory of Jewish religious authorities who failed to care for God's kingdom.  In later times up to our own day many will see this parable as a condemnation of bad shepherds in the Church who have neglected the tending of the estate and abused others with their authority.  Such readings are understandable.

But what if we see the master's estate as our own soul and our tending of the kingdom of God within us? Now we have to consider our neglect and our own abuse of that responsibility.  We would like to blame others for the state of our soul, and we seek to do so with vigor.  The master dwelling within will not allow such shirking of duty.  The parables of Jesus are intended for the examination of our own lives, not that of others.