Heart 's Cry

Saturday, April 21 / Luke 20:27-47

Don’t be like these people, Jesus tells me this morning—people who twist the truth of God to suit their own purposes.

Don’t be like these people. Don’t be so concerned with trying to dazzle others with intellectual superiority (as if I could! Ha!). Don’t be so focused on projecting a pious image when your heart is focused on self.

Don’t be like these people, Jesus says to me today—people whose actions scream “Look at me!”

Instead, let your life—in thought, word and deed—reflect His mercy, grace and love.

Let your true heart’s cry be, “Look at Jesus!”

Lord, help me to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with You…

Teachable Moments?

Luke 20:1-26

My dad has always been an expert… on nearly everything. He reads a lot, listens to people, and shares what he learns, whether it’s about animals, history, health, sports, or life. As a kid, I wasn’t always receptive to these teachable moments, when my dad decided to share his knowledge with me.

One day, my dad suggested that our family play soccer in our backyard. (I had recently started playing soccer, and I loved it. Soccer was fun to play and a sport my dad knew nothing about until then.) That day, my dad decided to be the referee for this family game and eventually made a call that I disagreed with. I told him he made a mistake, but he stuck to it. As we went back and forth, I realized that my dad was right. But I continued to argue my point, because I had already invested so much in the argument and wanted so desperately to know more about my new sport than my dad. Eventually, I convinced him he was wrong, that I knew more than he did.

The Pharisees seem to be in a similar struggle in our reading from Luke 20. They want desperately to be right and to be more powerful than Jesus. They try to trap Jesus and fail. Jesus shares a parable that screams, “I am the Son of God!” But all they recognize is that he thinks they are the evil tenants in his story, and they want to arrest him immediately.

The Truth Jesus brings us is convicting and difficult to hear. We don’t like to hear that we’re desperate and sinful, that we need a Savior, or that we need to obey God’s commands. But if we don’t accept Jesus’ claim that he is the Son of God and receive him as our Savior, our pride is as fragile as my victory with my dad that day. In the end, it will be clear that it was based on a lie. When we resist God’s work of conviction, we short-circuit the work of the Gospel to save and transform us. What difficult truth are we resisting today?

Every Stone Shall Cry

Luke 19:28-48

I’ve learned how helpful it is to learn Scripture songs. When my thoughts become a whirlwind, and I can’t seem to remember any scripture, songs can help me focus, to again “fix my eyes on Jesus.”

Recently, though, it’s been the other way around. As I’ve been reading our assigned daily passages, I often hear in my mind music I’ve known in the past, that was inspired by these stories. So, as Jesus wept over Jerusalem, in Luke 13, and again in today’s reading, it’s my old record of the Medical Mission Sisters singing, “How I have longed to draw you to myself, as when a hen covets her brood, but you went darting like chicks in a storm, how could you know that my wing was warm . . .” And when, in the Luke 14 parable, men give excuses for not following Jesus, I hear the voices singing again, “A certain man held a feast on his fine estate in town. He laid a festive table and wore a wedding gown. He sent invitations to his neighbors far and wide, but when the meal was ready, each of them replied . . . I cannot come to the banquet, don’t trouble me now. I have married a wife. I have bought me a cow. . .”

Lately, since we have celebrated Palm Sunday, I keep hearing the 80’s song by Gary McSpadden - “If we keep our voices silent, all creation will rise and shout. If we fail to praise You, Father, then will the very rocks cry out.”

In today’s reading of the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, Jesus counters his opponents by saying that if his followers keep quiet, the stones themselves will cry out. And as Jesus weeps again for those who refuse to understand the ways of peace, he foretells the time when not a single stone will be left in place.

Stones. I heard Rev. Omar Gjerness preach during Lent. As he described Jesus’ scourging and crucifixion, he reminded us of the earthquake which occurred when Jesus gave up his spirit (Matthew 27:50-54). At that moment, the stones did indeed cry out!

A favorite poem of mine is this one written by Richard Wilbur -

A stable-lamp is lighted
Whose glow shall wake the sky;
The stars shall bend their voices,
And every stone shall cry.
And every stone shall cry,
And straw like gold shall shine;
A barn shall harbor heaven,
A stall become a shrine.

This child through David’s city
Shall ride in triumph by;
The palm shall strew its branches,
And every stone shall cry.
And every stone shall cry,
Though heavy, dull, and dumb,
And lie within the roadway
To pave his kingdom come.

Yet he shall be forsaken
And yielded up to die;
The sky shall groan and darken,
And every stone shall cry.
And every stone shall cry
For stony hearts of men:
God’s blood upon the spearhead,
God’s love refused again.

But now, as at the ending,
The low is shifted high:
The stars shall bend their voices,
And every stone shall cry.
And every stone shall cry
In praises of the child
By whose descent among us
The worlds are reconciled.

Deetje Wildes

With Privilege Comes Responsibility

What a wonderful story!  Did you ever wonder how the wife of Zacchaeus reacted when her husband brought Jesus to their house for dinner…unexpectedly?  What do you suppose Jesus and Zacchaeus talked about?  V. 8 – The transformation of Zacchaeus.  (Note: that’s a rather good indication of the changed life, wouldn’t you say?)  What has changed in YOUR LIFE since you came to know Jesus?  Actually, write down just a few things that come to mind.  Do you feel that other folks who aren’t Christians recognize something in our lives that is different?  V. 10 – A wonderful key verse to memorize.

V. 11-26 – Time to ask myself some questions: Which of the servants am I most like?  One with few talents or many?  One who is Faithful or Unfaithful?  How can we become more willing to be faithful…no matter how many or few talents we may have?  The Lord wants each one of us to be faithful to Him.  Notice the harsh words Jesus spoke about ‘the coming day of judgment’.  We must remember – with privilege comes responsibility.  How can we best apply that to our own lives?  Blessed Lord, help us.  Please help us.  Amen

 

Donald E. Pardun

Luke 18:18-43

Good day,

 

In our readings today we see two men who are quite different.  The first has it all, the second has nothing.  The first man was the Rich Religious leader, and the second was the Blind Beggar.  The question is, which person would you rather be?  At first glance I guess I would much rather be the Rich Religious Leader.  I’ll be honest, being a Blind Beggar doesn’t really appeal to me so much, and since some may already consider me a religious leader (Pastor of Youth and Family Ministries) I just have to work on that “rich” part!  J  I guess what this boils down to is that I would rather have much than have little. 

 

Look a little deeper with me comparing and contrasting these two men.  The Rich Religious Leader asks Jesus, “Good Teacher, what should I do to enter eternal life?”  The Blind Beggar says, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.”  The Rich Religious Leader said regarding commandments 4-8 (love your neighbor) “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”  When Jesus asked the Blind Beggar what he wanted he said, “Lord, I want to see.”  The Rich Religious Ruler went away sad because Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and give to the poor.  The Blind Beggar was healed and followed Jesus praising God.

 

Now this is an interesting turn of events.  Which man would you rather be now?  I’m going to change my answer to the Blind Beggar.  Here is the true question for us to ask, “Would you rather have your own stuff, or God’s stuff?  The Rich Religious Leader wanted to have his own stuff, his own money, his own good works, his own efforts into the Kingdom of Heaven.  The Blind Beggar knew he had nothing and wanted Jesus’ stuff – healing.

 

The way to get Jesus is through the narrow gate – humble repentance.  Do you think what you have is better than what Jesus has to offer you?  Do you think that you only need a little Jesus to help you out from time to time?  Do you really think like the Rich Religious Leader who thought that he could fulfill the law in his own strength?  Let’s not kid ourselves, the Bible says we were “sinful from birth”, “nothing good lives in me”, “the heart is more deceitful than all else, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” and even our good deeds are like “filthy rags” to God. (Ps 51:5, Rom 7:18, Jer 17:9, Is 64:6)  Shout with the Blind Beggar, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.”

 

I’ll conclude with a quote I came across yesterday.  Let me know if you like it or if you can guess the author.

 

“In short, if you desire to attain the true righteousness that avails before God, you must despair altogether of yourself and trust in God alone; you must surrender yourself entirely to Christ and accept him, so that all that he has is yours, and all that is yours, becomes his.  For in this way you begin to burn with divine love and become quite another man, completely born anew, and all that is in you is converted.  Then you will have as much delight in chastity as before you had pleasure in unchastity, and so forth with all lusts and inclinations.”

 

Grace and Peace,

 

Pastor Adam

 

Monday with Children

Luke 18:1-17

Mitch Albom wrote a wildly popular book. Seems every member of humanity (but me) has read Tuesdays with Morrie. So, I can't comment much on that, except I understand Mr. Albom's tank weekly got filled from what he learned from this guy, Morrie.

This Monday morning, my tank is filled by what I learn by observing children as Jesus does.

I think we have a liability reading the Scriptures as if they were some kind of journal - like some list of random thoughts, episodes, experiences of the writers. We do better to realize that Scripture is very intentional literature. Composed and ordered very deliberately to convey spiritual truth and interpreted messages from God. Things in the text are placed next to each other for good reason. That is why one Gospel writer can retell incidences from Jesus' life with varying orders and included or excluded details. Their inspired purpose was not simply to record history, but to teach and change us according to God's revealing of Who He is and who we are.

Our reading today I believe is a very important time to remember this. On the surface it appears as three quite unconnected vignettes: Jesus tells a story about persistent prayer; then Jesus tells another story about a pompous Pharisee & a likable down-and-outer; and then Jesus plays with the kids.

But it is all one connected narrative context, culminating in these well-known but too often poorly-plumbed words, I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it. (v.17)

I think you'll have to tune-in Sat eve or Sun morning at 8 (if indeed I preach on this passage), and listen to the sermon if you want to ponder further evidence and impact of this. But, I believe vv. 1-8 are saying "Receive the kingdom, praying as a little child." Prayer is not about adult-common persuasion, nor tactics of manipulation and control. It is just honest, repetitive crying out with hurt or ache or need. Express with the trust and dependency of a child until the Father in His way stills your fuss!

And, I believe vv. 9-14 (in light of where we land in vv. 15-17) come to say, "Receive the kingdom in all humility, not with great confidence in [your] own righteousness" -- really not with ANY confidence at all -- but like the meekest, shyest child! Repentance renders a person childlike. Little children are in the place we must be brought to by repentance and dependence to Receive the Kingdom of God -- to receive Him, Jesus! To receive His rightly timed/ portioned/natured response to our prayers. To receive His full-justifying forgiveness for our sin. Let me pray like a little child! Let me repent, becoming so confidence-empty & receptive like a little child! And, let me be touched and so blessed ...like a little child.

Mondays with little children. I could learn a lot.

-PPaul