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November 3, 2013–Forgiveness is a Journey

Contributed by David Delaney, Salem, VA

 

Warm-up Question

What famous person or celebrity would you most like to meet?   Would it be a current music star or movie star or model?   A public leader like the president or the pope?   A sports hero from one of the teams in the World Series or the upcoming football season?  A TV personality?  A character from a reality show?  Or the star of the latest viral video on Youtube?

Whoever that would be, imagine that this person came to your town and decided to have an open air parade where she would just ride down the street and wave to people with no one holding the crowds back;  people could just come up to her and say hello or climb up on the car or anything.  Keep in mind that this is someone who is probably very, very popular, so the crowd is going to be huge. What do you think your chances would be of getting close enough even to say hello, let alone have a conversation?  That is how a lot of people felt when Jesus came riding through Jericho that day on his way up to Jerusalem.  Because of his miracles and teaching, common people were fascinated with him and religious and political authorities distrusted him, so he was someone a lot of people wanted to see.

Let’s make the situation harder:  The morning of the parade where you are going to see your celebrity, you just sprained your ankle and you’re on crutches, so you can’t even walk up to the parade.  You have to watch from a distance.  Don’t forget:  this is someone you *really* admire and would give anything to meet.  Right when the parade is passing and hundreds or even thousands of people are crowded around, your celebrity looks right at you and points and says, “I have to meet *that* person!”  You – along with everyone else – would be stunned.  How did she even know you?

Let’s make the situation even more complicated yet:  Let’s say you’ve done something – at school or in your community – to make everyone despise you, like you won the lottery by cheating or something like that.  No one can prove it, but everyone knows that it’s true, so they basically hate you.  Now, when the celebrity looks at you and calls your name, the crowd is not only stunned, they’re angry and resentful.  This is very much what the scene would have looked and felt like to Zacchaeus when he saw Jesus pass through Jericho.

Forgiveness is a Journey

Many people have not heard of a small but committed movement called “Theshutterstock_157483391edit Forgiveness Project.”  The aim of this movement is to collect and share stories where people have found peace and renewed relationships by forgiving someone who has harmed or deceived them.  In some cases, the harm that had been done was quite significant – murder of a loved one, permanent injury, spousal unfaithfulness, squandering all of a family’s resources, and other things like that.

In August of this year a prominent friend of The Forgiveness Project named Anne Gallagher died suddenly, and her death inspired a lot of renewed sharing about her unique ability to bring about reconciliation through forgiveness.  Anne was from Northern Ireland, where she had started her own organization, “Seeds of Hope,” as a way of helping people who have either been victims of the long and violent conflict in Northern Ireland (what the Irish call “The Troubles”) or have been perpetrators of that violence, especially if they have been imprisoned.  Its primary vehicle for forgiveness and healing is shared story-telling.

Anne Gallagher’s gift was somehow to inspire people to see the humanity in every single person, regardless of what terrible things they might have done.  Yet her death has also allowed her friends and followers to recall the importance she attached to forgiveness when reconciliation was the goal.  People could not just start to get along again or pretend that the past did not matter– they had to acknowledge the harm they had done or the harm that had been done to them, and only then, when faced with another person who did not really deserve to be forgiven, could true forgiveness occur and reconciliation follow.

“Forgiveness … is needed to bring closure to the pain and suffering experienced in Northern Ireland,” Anne said. “You can’t contemplate hope unless you address despair. To heal the wounds of Northern Ireland I believe you have to see humanity in the face of the enemy. But forgiveness is a journey. Today you can forgive and tomorrow you can feel pain all over again … for me forgiveness is about grace. To be able to forgive someone who has hurt you is a moment of grace.”

 Discussion Questions

  • We do not know how the conversation between Jesus and Zacchaeus started, but somehow it ended up with Zacchaeus admitting to Jesus what he had done and vowing to make the same admission to those he had cheated, so that there could be both forgiveness and reconciliation.  Can you see any similarity between Jesus actions and the vision which inspired Anne Gallagher’s work?
  • What gives people the courage to forgive when as in the case of Northern Ireland, there is long tradition of distrust, violence, and pain?

 

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, November 3, 2013 (Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost)

Isaiah 1:10-18

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

Luke 19:1-10

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

 

Gospel Reflection

This passage allows us to take up one of several roles, depending on our life circumstance.  For some of us, it is possible to look at things we have done and presume that we are no longer able to be on friendly terms with the “decent” people we know because of our guilt.  Others of us are content to let people who are obviously bad stay out of our lives.  Others of us are – like Jesus – strongly motivated to overcome the divisions we see between people around us.

What a gift Jesus gives us here to pass on, especially if we are someone who is not always on the receiving end of hatred and rejection. We can reach out to those who are. It is possible that they have earned the negative reputation they have, but – like Jesus – we can go to them, not out of moral superiority or in order to demand justice, but just because we want the relationship to be restored.

Who knows what might come of that if it is tried?  And if we are the ones who have been rejected – with or without justification – imagine the joy and gratitude we would experience at being encountered by those who we thought would never have anything to do with us!

Discussion Questions

  •  It is difficult to overestimate the dislike that the Jews of Jericho would have had for a tax collector in Jesus’ day.  First of all, the Jews generally despised the Roman Empire because Rome continued to occupy the territory that the Jews considered to be their ancestral promised land, so anyone who worked for or collaborated with the Romans – such as tax collectors – would have been considered a traitor to the Jewish cause and also “unclean” for worship because of the tax collector’s frequent contact with the Romans who were pagans.  Furthermore, tax collectors were on their own to determine what amounts to charge, as long as they gave the correct amount to the Roman authorities.  Jericho was a border town, which meant that anyone who crossed either way had to pay a customs tax and was at the mercy of the tax collector.  An ambitious tax collector might very well charge as much as four times a normal amount to someone who was obviously anxious to get across the border.  Shortly after Jesus’ day the law among Jews was that if a tax-collector came into your house, the entire house and everything in it would become religiously unclean.  How does this inform or change your view of what a serious matter it must have been when Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus’s house for a meal?  Look back in the previous chapter of Luke and see if this helps make sense of passages like 18:31-34.
  • Note the placement of this story.  If you look at the rest of chapter 19 and through to chapter 22, what is getting ready to happen to Jesus?  Is it surprising that Jesus takes this kind of risk, knowing that he already has enemies in the Jerusalem area?  What other kinds of risky and surprising things do we see Jesus doing in this gospel and in the other gospels?
  • What does it mean when Jesus says “Salvation has come to this house” ?  What do we think when we hear the word “salvation,” and does a passage like this inform or change our ideas at all?  If we think of salvation only in terms of what happens to us after we die, this passage doesn’t make much sense, but if salvation is as much what happens to us now, in terms of growing close to God, is that a better understanding of salvation, especially here?
  • The overall story in Luke’s gospel is full of criss-cross patterns.  This passage actually has a kind of parallel to the instructions given by John the Baptist to both Jews and Romans back in chapter 3:7-14.  Note even the parallel reference to children of Abraham.   What is this passage teaching us about our own possessions, our own honesty, our own tendencies to be greedy, and our own relationship to the poor and needy around us?  Let’s imagine what our own reactions would be if Jesus himself showed up in the flesh to one of our homes for a meal.  What would we find ourselves admitting to him?  What would we promise to do to be faithful to the call to gospel living that is in both chapter 3 and chapter 19?

Activity Suggestions

  •  Invitations to meals are always a good way to build relationships.  Are there people in the school or neighborhood – or even the congregation – who would welcome an invitation to a meal with the youth of your church?  Plan a meal and then ask them if they would like to come join you!
  • Use the various online and other tools that are available to you to find places in the world where unjust economic practices have created a rift of hatred between the wealthy and the poor or between those who have power to extort money from the population and those who are victimized by that.  Keep these people – perpetrators as well as victims – in your prayers throughout the rest of the fall.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, in your love you have reached out to the lonely, the rejected, and the guilty in every generation, and you have reached out to us as well to announce to us that you intend to come and make your home in our lives and our hearts.  Give us, we pray, the strength to welcome you with repentance and gratitude and courage, so that we may in turn welcome others into the family of Abraham’s children.  In your holy name we pray, Amen.

October 27, 2013–How Embarrassing!

Contributed by Bob Chell, Brookings, SD

 

Warm-up Question

What is the thing you are most ashamed of in your life? Share with the Group. Wait! Don’t do it! Rather, answer this question: Have you ever smiled inwardly at another’s misfortune? Still to personal? Okay, try this; What personality trait do you find most irritating in others?

How Embarrassing!

shutterstock_115487677editA 14-year-old boy was charged with breaching the Communications Act after students at Alva Academy in Clackmannanshire,  Scotland set up a Facebook page which school administrators said was “designed to deliberately cause humiliation, defamation and insult to staff.”  The page, contained images of teachers with sexual references written on them.  Officials expressed dismay at the number of students who had visited the page and “liked” some of the images. The page has since been deleted.

Parents were informed of the page and urged  to check their student’s electronic devices.  One Alva Academy pupil tweeted last week: “Ridiculous how far the schools taking this whole thing. Ma mums going nowhere near my phone or laptop [sic]”.  The incident has spurred discussion over whether students are overly technologized, having access to tools which they do not have the maturity to use responsibly.  Many perceive this sort of behavior as becoming more widespread, prompting questions about how much parents can and should limit use of computers.

 

Discussion Questions

  • Should the person who set up this facebook page be punished? If so, how? What about others who posted or commented, or ‘liked’ posts?
  • What differentiates teasing from humiliating?
  • Have you been embarrassed or humiliated by something someone said, or posted, about you?
  • Have you ever said, or posted, something about another person which you regret posting? If so, have you spoken with that person about it? Why, or why not?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, October 27, 2013 (Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost)

Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

Luke 18:9-14

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

 

Gospel Reflection

Schadenfreude is a German word which means pleasure derived from the misfortune of another.  You may not know this word but you do know the feeling. If you’ve been passed on the highway and nearly driven off the road by someone driving 30 miles over the limit only to see them pulled over by the Highway Patrol five miles down the road the feeling you had was Schadenfreude. If the person your parents are always holding up as a good example is arrested for vandalism at Halloween you’ll know the feeling.

I have been a pastor for many years, in congregations, on campuses and currently, in a prison. One of the great privileges of being a pastor is being trusted by others with their stories, especially shameful or humiliating stories. I have heard many stories, shocking stories, scandalous stories, stories so incredulous they demand to be retold—were they not told in confidence to a pastor. Sexy or shameful, they share one thing in common; they are overwhelmingly sad.

Remember the opening warm up question above, the one about sharing the thing you are most ashamed of in your life? The men I work with in prison have had the most shameful thing they have done published in the paper, often in headlines on the front page. They are reminded every day of the worst thing they have ever done by where they wake up and, for some, where they will spend the remainder of their lives.  Not only does everyone know the worst thing they have ever done, it’s the ONLY thing most people know about them.

The Pharisee in the gospel lesson thinks because he follows God’s commandments closely he is better than others. You know people who, because they are smarter than others think they are better. You know people who are more athletic, more popular, more this and more that which provide them reason to look down on others—and when they get their comeuppance, we experience schadenfreude.

Like every parable Jesus told this parable is really about you and me. Sometime’s we’re the Pharisee and sometimes the tax collector. Jesus said, “…those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” I don’t believe this means they trade places. I believe it means they end up in the same place, on the same level. The truth is we are no better or worse than anyone else. Have we done shameful things? You bet! The gospel message, the message Jesus brought tells us we aren’t defined by what we have done. Instead, we are defined by what God has done; namely claimed us as sons and daughters in baptism, in spite of what we have done or will do.

Can we hurt others? Of course. Will we mess up? Well, yeah, but we can never wander so far God will give up on us. Like a shepherd in seek of a lost lamb, God will never give up on us.

Discussion Questions

  • What does it mean to “compare your inside to someone else’s outside”? Have you ever done this?
  • Have you ever trusted another person with your deepest pain? If so, how was that. If not, is there someone you could trust that much?
  • Have you experienced grace, acceptance of who you are, as you are, from another person? If parent’s, tell them thanks! If it’s a friend, thank God, friends like that are among God’s greatest gift.
  • Have you been called to be a friend like this to another? Someone whose ‘outside’ is much different than yours?

Activity Suggestion

Make it a point this week to say a kind word to someone you find difficult or challenging to love. Next week talk about what did or didn’t happen as a result.

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, thank you for loving us in spite of our failure to live as you want us to live. Forgive us for the hurtful things we’ve said and the shameful things we’ve done. We thank you for those people who listen and forgive on your behalf.  When we are burdened by guilt and regret open our hearts to those we can trust to speak a word of forgiveness and home. Help us to be that person for another.  Amen.

October 20, 2013–You Gotta Have Heart

Contributed by Scott Moore, Erfurt, Germany

 

Warm-up Question

When have you wanted something that you wouldn’t give up striving for until you got it?

You Gotta Have Heart

After 41 years, the conviction of Herman Wallace, 71, was finally overturned. In 1972 Wallace immediately was placed into solitary confinement after the murder of a prison guard named Brent Miller. He was finally convicted of the crime two years later in 1974. He was kept in a Louisiana cell that was 6’ X 9’ and only allowed out for one hour each day for solitary exercise and to shower. In addition, he had no meaningful social interaction, work opportunities, or educational classes.  Nor was he part of any rehabilitation program.

Problems with the grand jury in this case are what led Judge Brian Jackson to finally rule to correct this error. Wallace was convicted of this crime along with two others, one of whom was released in 2001; the other is still serving his sentence in solitary confinement. Wallace had appealed over 160 times in the 40+ years. One of his claims was that he and Albert Woodfox (still in prison), were falsely implicated for their political activism in prison as members of the Black Panther Party.

While he is certainly happy that his case was finally heard, there isn’t much time for him to enjoy his new freedom. He has been diagnosed with liver cancer and it is believed that he only has weeks to live. Tessa Murphy, of human rights watchdog organization Amnesty International, said, “The case of Herman Wallace is a tragic example of ‘justice’ gone wrong in the USA.”

 

Discussion Questions

  • When have you witnessed something that you felt was unjust?
  • When have you acted to stop an injustice or to right a wrong?
  • When have you felt powerless against injustice?
  • When have you seen a conflict between two different versions of what “justice” is?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, October 20, 2013 (Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost)

Genesis 32:22-31

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

Luke 18:1-8

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

 

Gospel Reflection

shutterstock_125593883edit“Pray and do not lose heart” is what Jesus encourages those listening to him in Luke’s gospel, and that includes us right now. Jesus uses once again a parable to make his point clear. He tells us about a widow, one of the most powerless in society at that time, who pleads and pleads with the judge to rule in her favor against her opponent. She turns to the one who can “make things right” for her. She places her life in the hands of the one who has the power and authority to turn things around. We know nothing from this story about what the opponent did or whether or not she deserves the justice she seeks. We do know two things: 1) the judge doesn’t really care about God or about the people he has been appointed to serve, and 2) the woman is persistent and threatens to “wear the judge out.” She keeps coming and coming and coming. He is sick of hearing her pleas. He grants her justice because she doesn’t give up.

Jesus’ hearers know that widows have no chance in society. They are the ones with the fewest chances; they are dependent on everyone. They do, however, have a voice and can speak up. The unjust judge finally hears the widow in Jesus’ story. Jesus sets us up, however. If an unjust judge, who doesn’t care about God or others can break down and give in, how much more likely is it that God, who is just, will hear the cries of God’s chosen ones. God is infinitely more compassionate than this unjust judge. Jesus says, “and will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them.”

These words encourage us to persevere. Jesus gives his hears advice based on trusting in God. It’s simple. God wants what’s best for us. Jesus tells us to be like the annoying widow. He promises us that God will act.

Don’t give up in your pursuit of God’s blessings and justice. The asking and the pursuit alone strengthen your relationship to God even when things don’t happen as timely as you want. Ask for what you need. Demand it: day and night.

Discussion Questions

  • When have you prayed for something that you were convinced was answered positively?
  • When have you not received what you asked for in prayer?
  • What is the longest you have ever prayed for something before you got an answer?
  • What are you praying for that is still unanswered?
  • What do you not dare to ask for in prayer? Why not?

Activity Suggestion

 “Blind” Dominoes

You will need lots of dominoes or blocks that can be stood up to fall like a domino chain.  Participants are asked to choose a pattern to build with their dominos/blocks but there’s a catch.  Choose one catch. If you choose more than one and if time permits, reflect on the differences.

  1. Participants must build the agreed upon pattern together but blindfolded.  Start over if they are knocked over.
  2. Participants must build the pattern with two people “holding” each domino together pressed between just one finger of one hand of each participant.  Starting over if they are knocked over.
  3. Participants must build a pattern under a per-determined time limit.  Start over, of course, when the dominos fall.

Reflection:  What was frustrating about the “catch”?  How did you overcome it?

Closing Prayer

God of justice, God of abundance, we wait upon you and your goodness. We do not always act in the name of justice. We do not always share the blessings we have with others. In spite of all that, you turn your ear to us. You hear our cries both day and night. Hear us now as we plead for justice, peace, and wholeness for ourselves and for the whole world. We ask this in the name of the one who encourages us to pray and not lose heart, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

October 13, 2013–The Cost of Healing

Contributed by John Wertz, Blacksburg, VA

Warm-up Question

Think about the last time you were really sick.  Who helped you to deal with your illness?  How did you express your gratitude to that person?

The Cost of Healing

Everyone will get sick at some point in their lives, however, since a visit to the doctor or the emergency room, can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, it has not always been possible for those who are sick to see a doctor, especially if they lack insurance.   According to the Health Insurance Coverage Estimates produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “In the first 3 months of 2013, 46.0 million persons of all ages (14.8%) were uninsured at the time of interview, 57.4 million (18.5%) had been uninsured for at least part of the year prior to interview, and 34.5 million (11.1%) had been uninsured for more than a year at the time of interview.”   When the statistics are examined more closely, it becomes clear that the uninsured rate is even higher for those on the lower end of the socio-economic scale.  For people who are considered poor (those earning up to $23,550 in income for a family of 4) or near poor (those earning up to $47,100 in income for a family of four), the uninsured rate rises to nearly 30%. (accessed Sept. 30, 2013 – http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/insur201309.pdf and http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/13poverty.cfm#guidelines).  For those struggling to make a living, therefore, adequate health care can be out of their financial reach and a major medical event can mean financial disaster.

In an attempt to provide access to health care to all Americans, the Federal government passed the Affordable Health Care Act in 2010.  After three years of lawsuits and political wrangling, the Act went into effect at the beginning of this month.  While it will be years, before the success or failure of this law can be accurately measured, in the short-term millions of our most vulnerable neighbors will now have access to medical insurance and the care that they need when they are ill.

 

Discussion Questions

  •  Do you think that access to health care is a right or a privilege?
  • Do you think a certain level of care should be available to everyone regardless of their financial resources?
  • For many people, money is at the heart of the discussion over health care.  How much do you think it should cost to go to the doctor?  How does that compare to what you are willing to pay for other goods and services?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, October 13, 2013 (Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost)

 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c

2 Timothy 2:8-15

Luke 17:11-19

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

 

Gospel Reflection

shutterstock_112584377edit

Photo by Radu Razvan / Shutterstock.com

“Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (Lk 17:13)  If there was ever a group of people who could use God’s mercy and the healing presence of Jesus, it was definitely the lepers.  These men and women, who were battling the affects of a long-term, debilitating disease, were outcasts from society and essentially unemployable.  Regardless of their social standing or skill set before they became ill, lepers were forced to survive on the charity of others and to live in a colony with those coping the disease.

Their cry, Luke says, came from a distance.  Lepers always kept their distance from the rest of society, because to get too close was to risk subjecting someone else to the pain and suffering that dominated their lives.   “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” was their plea, but what form did they expect Jesus’ mercy to take?  Were they seeking a financial donation from him like the donations they had sought from travelers before him?  Were they looking for a gift of food like the 5,000 had received?  Were they hoping for healing like the crippled woman who could now walk again?  Obviously, we cannot know everything that was racing through the minds of those ten lepers as they called out to Jesus, but Jesus’ response to their cry is immediate and clear, “Go and show yourselves to the priest.”(Lk 17:14)  He doesn’t ask them to jump through any hoops.  He doesn’t call them over so he can perform a ritual.  Jesus hears their cry for help and acts to restore health and wholeness to their lives.

The healing, it is worth noting, didn’t happen immediately.  It was only after the lepers obeyed Jesus’ command and began walking toward the priests who could certify their healing and release them from their unclean status that they noticed a change in their health.  As they walked, as they obeyed Jesus command, they experienced God’s healing power and were made well.

It’s hard to blame the nine who didn’t come back to thank Jesus and to praise God.  After all, Jesus told them to go to the priest and once they were declared clean, they could go home.  Almost anyone in their shoes would have raced to share the good news with their family and friends, but one leper returned.  One former leper gave glory to God in a loud voice and prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet.  One newly healed Samaritan understood that Jesus offered more than simply a path back into the world.   One man of faith believed in Jesus and discovered not simply physical healing, but the key to a whole, healthy life of faith.  Jesus command, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well” (Lk 17:19) is not the end of the story, but  a new beginning for this once ailing man who now returns to the world free from the horrors of leprosy and connected to the new life that comes from faith in Jesus.

Discussion Questions

  • If you were one of the ten lepers who were made clean, do you think you would have returned to thank Jesus?
  • Even though leprosy is not a major disease in the world today, there are still millions of people who are isolated and left out of society.  What are some of the ideas, situations and circumstances that make someone a ‘leper’ in today’s world?  What do you think it is like to live on the edges of society?
  • How can we follow Jesus’ example and show mercy to those who are in need of healing and hope?

Activity Suggestions

  • Work with your church to assembly Personal Care Kits or Baby Care Kits which can be distributed by Lutheran World Relief to people around the world in need of healing and help. More information on LWF kits can be found at: http://lwr.org/getinvolved/kits
  • “Thank You Day” – pick a day to go out of your way to say, “Thank You!”  Pay special attention to all the ways that people assist and help you throughout the day.  Acknowledge their help with words of thanks and consider writing a personal note to those who make the biggest impact in your life.

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, you reach out to us with your compassion and caring.  Bless all those who use their gifts to bring healing and health to others.  In our times of need, help us to experience your merciful presence and make us always thankful for the gifts you have given us.  In your name we pray.  Amen.

October 6, 2013–Are Christians Christ-like?

Contributed by Jen Krausz, Bethlehem, PA

Warm-up Question

What do you consider great faith or devotion to look like? Share an example with the group.

Are Christians Christ-like?

shutterstock_125972684editThroughout his ministry, Jesus repeatedly criticized the religious leaders of his time, the Pharisees, for being self-righteous and judgmental of others, while not seeing their own sins. The Pharisees loudly condemned people for breaking God’s laws and made it clear that they were different, were more righteous. Jesus, on the other hand, did not hesitate to spend time with sinners and eat with them if it gave him an opportunity to show God’s love to them and gently encourage them to follow God’s ways. With sinners who knew their broken state, Jesus was merciful.  On the arrogant Pharisees, he heaped contempt and judgment.

A recent study by Barna Group shows that while some Christians model Christ-like attitudes and behaviors, many are more like the Pharisees in their viewpoints and actions. 51% of the self-identified Christians surveyed had behaviors and attitudes consistent with those of the Pharisees, such as avoiding those people they consider to be sinful and thinking that “people who follow God’s rules are better than people who do not.”

Only 14% of self-identified Christians had behaviors and attitudes consistent with those Jesus modeled during his life (as written about in the scriptures), such as caring about persons for who they are rather than what they’ve done and having compassion for people doing immoral things. A slightly higher percentage, about 21%, had a mixture of attitudes and behaviors, some Christ-like and some Pharisaic.

In a time when many people outside the Christian church consider Christians to be hypocrites, it is significant to consider whether our attitudes and actions mirror Jesus or a group for whom he had many harsh words.

 

Discussion Questions

  • When you look around at the Christians you know, do they seem more like the Pharisees (focused on rules and appearances) or like Jesus (focused on God’s love and on showing compassion to others)?
  • What steps do you think your church could take to be more Christ-like?
  • Many non-Christians see Christians as being hypocrites. How do you think Jesus would answer such an accusation?
  • What is the difference between accepting a person as they are and accepting an immoral behavior? Can we as Christians “love the sinner but hate the sin”? How?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, October 6, 2013 (Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost)

Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4

2 Timothy 1:1-14

Luke 17:5-10

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

 

Gospel Reflection

 

To understand these verses, we need to realize that saying that we have faith and acting according to our faith are two totally different things. When Jesus tells the disciples that if they had faith as tiny as a mustard seed they could make a tree throw itself into the ocean, he isn’t talking about reciting the Apostles Creed.

The kind of faith Jesus talks about is faith that gets into your life and changes you from the inside out, faith that compels you to treat those society thinks are the lowest of the low with dignity and respect. He means faith that leads you to stand up for what is right without putting down those you think are wrong, faith that takes you far out of your comfort zone to be the hands and feet of Jesus to all those people who think Christians are hypocrites.

This kind of faith isn’t primarily about doing things, although it ends up that way. This kind of faith is about being someone who gets to know Jesus in the most personal, give-away-your-heart kind of way. It’s about becoming a person who does what Jesus would do because you just love Jesus so much that you can’t help but follow in his footsteps. It’s about transforming from a self-centered person into a God-centered person. God can really work through a person like that.

The verses about the servant (7-10) don’t appear to have much to do with these verses about faith. A deeper look, however, does show a connection. Jesus is making a point here. He’s saying we can’t do good deeds and think that God somehow owes us some kind of reward. That’s not how God’s kingdom works. We can get caught up in the “servant” or “slave” language and start thinking it doesn’t apply to us today. We don’t have slaves and not many people have servants anymore either.

In the time when this was written, a servant was someone who was totally devoted to another person. Is it making more sense now? That’s us, or it should be us—totally devoted to God, right? In our devotion to God, do we feel like God should thank us or reward us? It’s good to remember that in reality, we are all unworthy of what God has already given us. When we get to thinking we deserve rewards for doing what God wants, we can’t focus on knowing Jesus and following him. The focus shifts back to ourselves, and God can’t use us as well.

Both these passages, seemingly very different, show what it is like to be a disciple–challenging, difficult, and yet so rewarding.

Discussion Questions

  • If faith only counts when it is backed up by actions, do you consider yourself a person with great faith or little faith? Why?
  • Why is it so difficult for the church as a whole to follow Jesus’ example?
  • Why is it difficult for you to follow Jesus’ example?
  • What steps could you take to be more Christ-like in your daily life? Do these steps seem difficult or easy? Why?

Activity Suggestions

  • In most parts of the country, the weather is changing from summer into fall. What a great time to take a prayer walk, enjoy God’s creation, and draw near to God. Thank God for making everything, and ask God to reveal what you can do to impact the world around you for Christ.
  • With your class or youth group, explore the attitudes Jesus would have toward different groups of people you come into contact with regularly. What would Jesus think of the cheerleaders? Of the football players? Of the kids on the fringe of middle or high school life? How do you think Jesus would want you to approach them with the love of God? Try to come up with some concrete ideas for actions to take.

Closing Prayer

Lord God, bring us into an ever deeper relationship with you. We pray that we would allow that relationship to transform us to be more like your son, Jesus. Help us to take Jesus’ attitudes and actions into the world around us and love people with your love. Amen.