Brett Davis, Washington, DC

Warm-up Question

Are you a creature of habit?  Do you like routine/structure?

Extreme Happiness

Alexsander Gamme is a Norweigan adventurer and explorer who has seen some incredible sights.  He’s summited Everest and been to some of the wildest, highest, and most remote places in the world.  He might be a bit of an adrenaline junkie – but maybe even that can become habit?

A video from one of his expeditions went viral a few years ago and has since been picked up on several news stories because it is one of the purest, most unbridled displays of sheer joy.  The video is self-footage from day 86 of his solo South Pole expedition, and it’s the last leg of his journey.  He’s approaching the spot where his last stash of food and supplies is set.  It’s a routine thing, and although he is probably happy approaching it, he is tired, hungry, and calm.  He mutters and talks to himself as he digs the bag out of the snow, and then you see him calmly opening and describing its contents – until – there’s a pause and then just a shout of sheer joy – “YAAAAAAAAA!”

This is the happiest you’ve ever seen someone, certainly about a bag of Cheeze Doodles but probably anything else.  He then throws the bag high up in the air; it lands on the snow with a soft thud, as he continues screaming his happiness.  He continues unpacking other things, gear, and then another shiny package catches his eye – this time a king-size candy bar.  This discovery, and a couple other sweets he finds, leaves him laying on the snow clutching a bag of candy, giggling and yelling in a free and joyful way.

(The video is called “basic needs – extreme happiness,” and you can watch it here if you’re able.)

Gamme has commented later that he intentionally did not make notes or know what was in each pack, so that it would be a surprise.  He talks to himself and sounds so tired as he approaches and begins opening the pack – one news story about this included a rough translation: “He says in the beginning that he is so hungry. He wonders if they have left any goodies apart from the most important stuff. He finds Vaseline and wishes to find food. He doesn’t know if they have left anything to eat. And then he finds the snacks, cheese and candy. And before that, when he crawls back to the camera, he says he didn’t think there will be any, but you should never lose hope.”

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever experienced joy like this?
• If your packed lunch every day was the same thing, and then one day it was ___(you fill in the blank)___, how would you react?
• Do you think people fake this kind of joy sometimes?
• Can you think of some times, personal or not, when a very routine moment has been interrupted by joy?
• Do you think that real joy has to be a surprise?

Resurrection of our Lord

(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 B at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

We think of Easter as this special day, and this is, of course, a special story.  But not at first.  As the story begins, Jesus has died and everything has changed for his disciples.  What are they to do now?  We’re not sure what the men are doing at this point in Mark’s gospel, but we know what the women do.

The women (Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome), are simply following routine.  Burial practices are a cultural practice, more elaborate than a habit like brushing your teeth or turning off lights when you leave a room, but still, this is a habit.

What’s striking is how normal this scene is.  At the very beginning of the passage is the note “when the Sabbath was over.”  This tells us that the women had done what they had done every Saturday – kept the Sabbath.  Even if grieving, they probably went through all the regular motions of their Sabbath day.  Then it’s Sunday morning, and they get up and do together what they would have done for any loved one who has died.  It seems special to us, but this is what would’ve been done for everyone – spices to prepare the body, caring for the tomb.  They ask the question “who will roll away the stone for us” because they’ve done this before.  As hard as it is, it’s also routine – like family members who might go to visit a loved one’s grave today and have to call ahead of time to make sure the cemetery gate will be open.

Jesus’ death didn’t change their routines.  Maybe the women are trying to use their routines to make sense of Jesus’ death.  While we all react differently to grief and shock, this is something that can be helpful – having things to do, routines to follow, words to say, and practices that help bring meaning.

This is a totally normal story – and should sound pretty ho-hum…  until they see the stone has been moved… and a “young man” sits there and tells them – “do not be alarmed.”  But they are, at first.  Something that was so routine has been totally interrupted.  Such an interruption can at first naturally bring fear – a part of our body’s shock reaction – but can blossom into joy.  Perhaps after everything that happened with Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, the routine practices were needed, so that they could be interrupted by the joy of the resurrection.

Discussion Questions

• Do you find routine helpful in making something meaningful, or does it just get boring? (Possible examples: a bedtime “I love you” from a parent, a special way you and a friend greet each other, etc.)
• Do you find worship to be routine? Are there things that your church community does in worship every week?  Are they meaningful, stale, or both sometimes?
• Have you ever had a time when a routine was really helpful, so that you had something to do?
• Could routine help us notice the moments of sheer joy that happen? Can you think of any examples of this?

Activity Suggestions

How could your group share a taste of the experience that Gamme had with the cheez doodles and candy bar?  Brainstorm a few ways that you could bring joy into something that is so totally routine.  This could be as simple as writing encouragement on sticky notes and putting them somewhere that someone will encounter them while doing a very routine task.  This could be a way to bring resurrection joy to someone else today!

Closing Prayer

God of surprise, shock us.  Open us up to find joy in small things – like Cheez Doodles or a candy bar, or a smile – in the midst of the ordinary routines of life.  We thank you for the gift that life is sometimes boring, with peace and no stress.  Tomorrow, on Mondays and in all the ordinary stuff of life, help us to see you.  Give us patience and strength to follow you faithfully like the women at the tomb, and when joy breaks in, to shout like Gamme and let joy free.  Amen.

Dave Delaney, Salem, VA

Warm-up Questions

• Who doesn’t love a parade? When was the last time you saw one, or even were in one? Have you ever seen a passing motorcade of an arriving dignitary, either in person or by video?  What is going through the minds of those who pause to watch motorcade cars go by?  If you knew someone famous was coming to town who was either going to be the featured rider in a parade or arrive by motorcade, what would inspire you to go out of your way to go watch it in person?
• When you cheer for someone – say your school’s or city’s sports team – what kinds of things do you find yourself yelling to generate the most excitement? A lot of professional or even college teams have standard cheers that their fans have developed.  What kinds of cheers would we make up and yell if we knew that Jesus was coming to town?
• We are coming toward the end of the Lenten season. Did you take on any special extra faith-forming activities for Lent this year as people often do, such as depriving yourself of a certain food or treat?  How has that Lenten discipline gone this year for you?

Put Out the Red Carpet

Even before television got involved, the Academy Awards ceremony, held around the first week in March each year, has been preceded by “the red carpet,” where arriving celebrities are greeted by fans and the press as they enter the theater.  This has been going on at the Oscars since roughly 1922, although the tradition of putting out a red carpet as a sign of honoring dignitaries was common in medieval Europe and dates back possibly as far as 5th century BC Greece.

In recent years, the Oscars red carpet has been a place where making political statements has been possible, either by wearing some kind of extra decoration – a ribbon or a badge – or by giving (or denying!) an interview to one of the countless media outlets there.  Sometimes wearing a particular color or style has been taken up as representing support for a particular cause.  In 2018, with several high-profile concerns still in recent memory, including things like MeToo/Time’s Up and gun control, a number of celebrities took the opportunity to make statements, either aloud or symbolically, to call fans and the larger culture to awareness of some of these concerns.

Some history of the red carpet:  https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/08/red-carpet-history

Discussion Questions

• Does anyone watch red carpet coverage any more?  If so, is that kind of scrutiny – especially for appearance and style – sound like something you would want for yourself or are you just not cut out to be the celebrity type?
• Some think that entertainers in general have no business using their fame to advocate for any particular political stance, since they normally do not possess any special expertise in the causes they represent.  So if someone is that well known, does s/he have a responsibility to speak up for an important matter just because they’re famous, or should celebrities leave political opinions to policy makers and the general public?  When would it be okay for someone to use fame as an opportunity to advocate for a social or political position?
• Does it make a difference when the matter of concern is something that really affects the lives of the performers, like the treatment of women or inclusion of under-represented communities in the entertainment industry?

Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion

(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 B at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem a few days before he was to be arrested, tried, and executed shows that he was already well-enough known that his presence could attract a red-carpet-like crowd.  Do we, then, see him using that notoriety to make statements of any kind?  We do, actually, but the messages he sends are subtle and perhaps not obvious to modern readers.

In ancient Israel, animals had some strong cultural associations.  In our own time, think of the lion at the beginning of MGM pictures or German Shepherds as police and military dogs.  From Israel’s earliest days in their promised land, the average subsistence level farming family living in the hilly center of the country would mostly likely have a donkey as one of their agricultural tools, a simple work animal that was stable on a hilly slope and did not require a lot of the farmer’s grain resources to be healthy, reliable, and effective.  Farmers working in flatter areas might use oxen to plow and thresh, but only in the flattest parts of the coastal plain next to the Mediterranean or the flattest valleys in Galilee would horses be present, requiring a lot of grain to be fed and representing military and political power far more than farming.

A king entering either a loyal or a newly-conquered city would almost certainly be seated on a horse.  The prophetic passage that is echoed in this story, however – Zechariah 9:9 – envisions the messianic king not on a horse but on a donkey – a humble hill-dweller’s animal – even on a colt of a donkey, so clearly would this king’s identification with common people be.  And so this king, Jesus, rides into the city not on a horse but very specifically on a donkey colt.

We don’t know exactly what the original onlookers meant when they were throwing branches and coats on the path, shouting “Hosanna!” and proclaiming the rebirth of great king David’s reign from a thousand years earlier.  To be sure it meant that they regarded Jesus as royalty, and “hosanna” basically means “please help (or save),” something that might well be shouted at a king. They could have meant that they were hoping for a revival of those old, glorious days, a rule that would mean the end of the Roman Empire’s occupation and a purification of worship and public life.  Or they could have meant that they understood quite well that this king was going to be different, reigning not from a place of superiority, but from a place of humility.  In either case, Jesus makes no red-carpet-like speeches, choosing rather to return back to his guest house in Bethany and, perhaps, contemplate the painful week that he knew was ahead of him.

Discussion Questions

• The long tradition of the Christian faith has often presented the city of Jerusalem as a symbol of our own hearts and lives.  How do we welcome Jesus into the places of our lives, both in the world of our inner spirit and thoughts as well as the places where we live and learn and play?  As silent as Jesus appeared to be (at least in Mark’s account of this day), those who welcomed him were not!  Do we welcome his presence in all areas of our lives or are we more likely to turn away or shut him out or try and turn him back for certain portions of life?  Do we hope that he’ll come in as a conqueror, sweeping all sorts of trouble from our lives, or do we see him as a disciple-maker, calling us by his example to a life of humility, service, and love for others?
• In all four gospels, we see crowds cheering Jesus’ at his entry into Jerusalem, but then calling for his crucifixion later in the week.  What expectations do you think they had that caused them to turn against him?  Have you ever felt let down by God when things you hoped or prayed for did not come to pass?  Did you feel let down enough to turn hateful?   It is tempting to think that we would never have been part of that Thursday crowd calling for Jesus to die, but at those times when we admit we might have, how then do we return to God, and how does God regard us despite our frustration and anger?
• Jesus showed tremendous courage by appearing in Jerusalem during Passover because of the political tension present during that time.  Strong feelings of desire for Jewish independence, stemming from the memory of Israel’s release from Egyptian slavery 1200 years earlier, could easily spark unrest, and someone like Jesus who could serve as a rallying point was exactly the kind of person the Roman rulers would hate to see appear.  What kind of courage do we need to show in representing God’s presence,  promise, and call to stand firm for justice and merciful treatment of those who are often not treated fairly?  Does the Palm Sunday story help us do that?

Activity Suggestions

• If you have a group that loves to dig through their Bibles, have them compare Mark’s very sparse account of Palm Sunday with the accounts in Matthew 21:1-9, Luke 19:28-38, and John 12:12-19.  What details does each gospel writer bring out?
• Invite your group to imagine what this event would look like in our own day and setting, say if it were made into a movie or short video and the place of entry was our own city or town.  How would Hollywood portray this story?  What elements (like the donkey or the palm branches) would have to be translated into modern equivalents and what would they become in our modern version?
• This is the beginning of what we call “Holy Week.”  What opportunities for extra worship, study, or devotion are available in your congregation or your community?  How do students plan to observe this week?  What will be different about it from an ordinary week?  Are there things we can do as a group to help each other take this week seriously and let it enhance our faith and understanding of being Christ’s followers?

Closing Prayer

Gracious Father, as your Son Jesus prayed to you at all times, but with special urgency during the last week of his life, we ask you to draw us into diligent and attentive prayer this week.  Let this Holy Week become for us a deep root from which a strong tree may grow and flourish.  We pray for all of God’s people in every place, that even if we find ourselves sometimes full of disappointment and hurt, you would turn our voices to Christ in praise and adoration, for he is our king, and we offer our worship, with you and the Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Dave Dodson, Fort Walton Beach, FL

Warm-up Question

How is punishment decided in your household?  Does the punishment fit the crime?

The Weakness of God

After the 2018 Olympics ended with the Closing Ceremony, one country was given a reason to celebrate.  On February 28^th, the International Olympic Committee ( IOC), reinstated Russia as a country permitted to compete in Olympic competition.  In the 2018 Winter Games, Russia had been prohibited from competition due to a doping scandal uncovered after the last Olympic Games.  It came to light that widespread doping was promoted by coaches and officials in the Russian Olympic organization.  As a result, no athletes were permitted to represent Russia or show the Russian flag or colors during the 2018 Winter Olympics.

On the day that Russia was reinstated, the Russian Olympic Committee breathed a sigh of relief.  ROC president Alexander Zhukov called the period of the ban one of the “most challenging ones in Russian sports history” and congratulated Russian athletes and fans for Russia’s return as a “full-fledged member of the Olympic family.”

The 2018 Olympics were not without some drama from Russian athletes, however.  Two Russian athletes (competing independently from Russia) tested positive for banned substances.  One of the two was even forced to return a bronze medal due to the doping.  The IOC, however, ruled that these two doping incidents were done by the individuals on their own.  The Russian Olympic Committee was considered innocent.

Not everyone was happy with this decision.  US lawyer Jim Walden complained that the IOC was “[treating] Russia and its glaring acts of aggression with cowardice and appeasement.”  Furthermore, Walden predicted that the IOC’s reinstatement of Russia would cause Russia to resort to doping again.  As Walden claimed, “Weakness in the face of evil results in no good outcomes.”

Discussion Questions

• Do you think that Walden is correct in his claim about weakness?
• Consider the example of world leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Ghandi, and Nelson Mandela. These men practiced nonviolent techniques that many considered weak.  Why did they result in such positive outcomes?

Fifth Sunday in Lent

(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 B at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

Today’s Gospel reading sets us up for Good Friday.  We know that as Lent progresses we grow closer and closer to the day on which we remember Jesus’ death.  In today’s reading, Jesus foreshadows his death on the cross.  Jesus knows that the time ahead will be hard.  He alludes to his death in verse 24, and then admits his own inner turmoil in verse 27.  “My soul is troubled,” Jesus says, before he resolves to stand strong, for “it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.”

It is passages like these in the gospels that lead  some theologians to write about an astonishing interpretation of Scripture called “the weakness of God”.  As theologian and profession John Caputo notes, in The Weakness of God: A Theology of the Event, it is in passages like these that Jesus, God on earth, chooses to act in weakness.

How could God be weak?  The answer comes when we consider all of the power that God (and Jesus) has.  Jesus was not intrinsically powerless to prevent his arrest and crucifixion.  As we know well from Jesus’ many miracles, he had power from God that he surely could have used to escape this fate.  However, Jesus actively chose to be powerless in the situation.  He allowed himself to be taken and killed.  Jesus submitted, and chose to be weak.

It cannot be true, then, that “weakness in the face of evil results in no good outcomes”.  Jesus embraced weakness as the method by which he defeated evil once and for all.  Weakness isn’t worthlessness; it is the way in which you and I are saved!

Caputo pointed this out in his theological works.  “The powerless power of the kingdom prevails whenever the one is preferred to the ninety-nine,” Caputo passionately writes, “whenever one loves one’s enemies and hates one’s father and mother while the world, which believes in power, counsels us to fend off our enemies and keep the circle of kin and kind, of family and friends, fortified and tightly drawn.”

Notice that Caputo’s words put us at odds with what popular society considers admirable.  The world tells us to be strong; Jesus tells us to make ourselves weak.  The world says we should gather and use power; Jesus tells us that power comes from powerlessness.  The world tells us to surround ourselves by those who can make us stronger; Jesus teaches us to value to the weak.

In the coming weeks, as we see Jesus’ inexorable march to the cross and his death on Good Friday, we do well to remember that Christians celebrate weakness – and that, indeed, we are saved by it.

Discussion Questions

• What attributes do we generally consider to be “weak”? Are there any of those that Christians should actually show?
• How does embracing weakness change how Christians act in society and politics?

Activity Suggestions

Create a poster advertisement for a gym.  Instead of promoting physical strength, however, try to promote the sort of weakness that we have discussed today.  What sort of “activities” would go on in a facility that promoted this sort of weakness?

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, as we proceed through this Lenten season, we continue to humble ourselves as we strive to follow the footsteps of Jesus.  Teach us, God, to be weak, so that we may stand with those who are marginalized in our world.  Help us to learn every day to value the real strength that comes from walking with Jesus.  In His name we pray, Amen.

Sylvia Alloway, Granada Hills, CA

Warm-up Question

If you were asked to give a message that would be heard around world, what would you say? Why would you say that?

The Message That Made a Man

If you were asked to give a message that would be heard around world, what would you say? Why would you say that?

Billy Graham, the Man with the Message

Christians argue over a lot of issues which they consider important. How much water should be used in baptism? What kind of music is truly worshipful? Would Jesus approve of current political causes?

For Billy Graham there was only one important issue: Jesus Christ. He loves you. He died for you. He forgives you. His single-minded focus on Christ’s saving work and his simple, intense presentation of the Gospel were so impressive his audiences numbered in the hundreds of millions world-wide. Known as “America’s pastor,” he was arguably the most famous Christian of the 20^th century. On February 21^st William Franklin Graham passed into the presence of his Lord at the age of ninety-nine.

So what was so special about this guy? How did he manage to make the “Ten Most Admired Men” list 61 times? When other evangelists were brought down by scandal, how did Billy stay on top? Was he superhuman or something?

(The teacher may play this clip https://billygraham.org/video/happiness-lexington-4-28-71/ as an example of Billy Graham at his height.)

No, he was not superhuman. He was super-faithful. His focus was on faithfulness to his message – the truth of salvation through Christ. Fame didn’t tempt him to put his public image ahead of his message. Money did not distract him from his message. For social and political missteps (and he made a few) he almost always admitted his fault, apologized, and continued to preach his message. As his audience increased, he grew in humility, not pride. Giving people God’s truth was a responsibility he took seriously.

“I have been asked, ‘What is the secret?’” Graham once said. “Is it showmanship, organization or what? The secret of my work is God. I would be nothing without him.”

In summing up his attitude towards death he revised a quote from D.L. Moody, an earlier evangelist whom he admired:

Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God.

Discussion Questions

• Has the class heard of Billy Graham? What have they heard about him?
• Name some people you admire and tell why. What qualities do you admire most? Why?
• Go back to your answers for the warm-up question. Are there any of these messages worth focusing your whole life on? If not what kind of message would be worth it?

Fourth Sunday in Lent

Numbers 21:4-9

Ephesians 2:1-10

John 3:14-21

(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 B at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

Today’s Gospel lesson contains one of the most famous verses in scripture – a favorite of Billy Graham and many other Christians. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” It is said that this verse states the entire message of the Gospel. So what about all those other verses?

Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus, a Pharisee who sincerely wants to know more about who Jesus is. He has come to visit Jesus at night so that no one will know he has been talking to the man his fellow Pharisees oppose.

Nicodemus gets the message simply and directly. Jesus is God’s Son sent by his loving Father to offer eternal life to the world. Moses lifted up a bronze serpent so that the Israelites could look at it and be healed of snakebite (Number 9:8-9). When we look to Jesus on the cross, we will be healed of sin. No more condemnation, no more darkness – just believe.

It sounds simple – but there’s a problem. People don’t want to step into God’s light and be healed. They’d rather hide in the darkness clutching their sins to their hearts, thinking no one will see them. By refusing God’s salvation and hiding from his light, they have already condemned themselves.

Only in the light of Christ can we see the truth. Only by seeing his truth can we do what is true for all to see. This was the message to which Billy Graham devoted his life, the message that lit up his sermons and gave him the power to do what is true.

Eventually Nicodemus understood the message and openly declared himself a follower of Christ (John 19:38-42). Do we understand the message? Do we live it in our lives

Discussion Questions

• Look carefully at John 3:16 one phrase at a time. What part of the Gospel does each phrase describe? How do all the phrases work together to declare the Gospel message?
• Verse 21 talks about doing what is true. What does that mean? What are some examples of true actions in real life?
• That are some examples of spiritual darkness you see around you? What are some examples of spiritual light?
• What can you personally do to get the message of Christ’s light across to those around you?

Activity Suggestions

In groups or as a class have students work out a scenario in which a person can get the message of Christ’s light across to another person through words and actions. Have them act out the scenario for the class.

Closing Prayer

Loving Father in Heaven, thank you for sending your Son to save us and bring us into your marvelous light. May we spread this good news about Jesus in our words and actions that bring light to the people in our world.

Ginger Litman-Koon, Isle of Palms, SC

Warm-up Question

If you were to qualify for the Winter Olympics, what event would you want to compete in?

Be Nice…Always?

In February, the 23rd Winter Olympic Games were held in PyeongChang, South Korea. Although tickets to the 2018 Games did not sell out, like they have in some years, nearly 1 million visitors, athletes, and support teams traveled to South Korea to participate. Visitors included guests from the 92 nations competing in the games, as well as spectators from non-competing countries. South Korea spent years preparing to host these Winter Games, including participating in high-stakes international talks with delegates from the hostile regime of North Korea, which resulted in the participation of ten athletes and 220 cheerleaders from the North. (Read more about the cheerleaders here http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42616982)

While South Korea was preparing to receive its horde of international visitors, travelers were preparing as well for the particularities of Korean customs. While the South Korean hosts are a gracious and welcoming people, attention to local etiquette goes a long way to help tourist-host relations. When planning a visit to South Korea, here are some things you might want to know:

Last names first. Traditional Korean names list family name first. So if you meet
someone named “Kim” or “Lee,” you should use a Mr. or Ms. in front of it.

Hands to yourself. Unless you have been invited to do so, do not touch your South
Korean hosts. Personal space is highly valued.

Please be seated. In some Korean restaurants, it is not uncommon to be seated on the
floor. But don’t worry – the floor may be heated!

No tipping, please. If you see a “No tipping” sign, don’t tip. Doing so could be
considered offensive.

Four no more. Similar to American unease about the number 13, it is considered unlucky
to mention the number four. Some Korean elevators skip the fourth floor.

Make a joyful noise! Often, after a traditional Korean meal, guests are invited to sing
Karaoke. Refusing to do so may be considered rude.

In addition to learning some traditional South Korean customs, some Olympic Games staff members received training on how not to offend delegates from North Korea. First and foremost, do not mention their leader, Kim Jong Un. And second, don’t bring up nukes! The presence of delegates from the North, including Leader Kim’s sister, Yo Jong, is such a highly sensitive topic, extreme precautions were taken on both sides to avoid adding fuel to the fire of nuclear-armed tensions.

Discussion Questions

• Did any of these Korean customs surprise you? Are there any you think you’d like to adopt here at home?
• Have you ever traveled somewhere with different customs? What were they?
• How important do you think being “polite” is? Why or why not?

Third Sunday in Lent

(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 B at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

A preacher once said in a sermon, “The Good News is not about being ‘nice’.” In a culture, where we teach children to get along, have good manners, be polite, and “be nice,” this may be a challenge. Certainly, putting the needs of others before our own is a Christian virtue, and adopting a servant-heart can very well result in being a “nice” person, there is much more to it than that. Being an active participant in God’s kingdom-work calls us to respond passionately to the needs and the injustices in the world, and sometimes being passionate does not equate to being polite.

In today’s gospel reading from the Gospel of John, Jesus does not exhibit good manners. Today we encounter an angry Jesus. Jesus comes to the holy city of Jerusalem, to the Temple of God on Mount Zion, and there he meets injustice face to face. Instead of serving the poor pilgrims of Israel who have come to celebrate the Passover, the religious authorities are exploiting them by selling high-priced animals to the pilgrims for their Temple sacrifices. And Jesus gets angry. He gets so angry that he weaves cords together to make a whip and drives the livestock out of the Temple court. He then upends the tables and pours out all the money that had been collected by the vendors and those charging a markup to exchange local currency. Jesus is so passionate for the sanctity of God’s house, seeing it turned into a money-making marketplace makes him seething mad.

We often hear about the “wrath of God,” or God’s “righteous anger.” And here, in this story, we see it in Jesus. Other times in the gospel story, he confronts the religious authorities with strong or harsh language, calling them a “brood of vipers,” “hypocrites,” etc.  It can be difficult for us to think of God’s anger, because anger in humans often originates from sin and also leads to sin. For humans, anger often stems from pride or jealousy, and it often leads to grudges, gossip, or a desire for revenge. But in Jesus’ case, his anger did not stem from sin, instead it is directed towards sin. Because Jesus cares so much about God’s children he cannot stand to see sin hurt them. God’s anger is often called righteous, because it stems solely from the seat of righteousness, not from petty or misdirected desires.

Even though it can be difficult for us to accept, Jesus’ anger can bring us comfort. It’s reassuring to know that our Lord cares enough about us to get angry when we are harmed, abused, or taken advantage of. Given the rampant sin in the world today, it’s probably safe to assume that God does get angry – at school shootings, at child and domestic abuse, at war, at world hunger. It’s ok if we feel angry too, as long as that anger comes from the righteousness of God, and as long as it directs us to positive action, not revenge. Today, it may feel hard to stay nice and quiet and polite. Instead, our passion for justice may call us to stand up, to speak out, and dig in our heels for God’s kingdom-work.

Discussion Questions

• What do you think it was like to be there when Jesus “cleansed” the Temple?
• Is it hard for you to think about Jesus getting angry? Why or why not?
• Do you ever feel “righteous anger” about things going on in your life? in the news?
• Can you think of positive ways to direct your passion? How can you turn anger into kingdom-work?

Activity Suggestions

Take a look at the illustrated emotions chart. Find the illustration that describes how you feel right now. Find an illustration that may have described how Jesus felt at the Temple. Which one illustrates how the money-changers felt? Pick one that shows how you feel when you read the news. How about when you finish a service project? Keep the chart to help you identify your emotions.

Closing Prayer

God of justice, ignite our hearts to burn with passion for the work of your kingdom. When we feel angry at others or at the world, ease our minds and hearts, and turn us again to you. When we feel angry at the hurt experienced by your beloved children, direct our energy toward serving, healing, and making a difference in our world for your glory. Amen.