Contributed by Jack Saarela, Interim campus pastor, Indiana University-PA

Warm-up Question

In your daily life, what are the offenses you find hardest to forgive?  Why?

Rage, Debts, and Forgiveness

This Sunday marks the tenth anniversary of 9/11 – the morning when four commercial airliners were taken over by members of the terrorist faction Al-Qaeda. Many readers can remember exactly where they were and what they were feeling when two planes brought down the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York

Phyllis Rodriguez certainly can. She was returning from a morning walk along the Bronx River when the porter in her building told her there was a fire at the World Trade Center, where her son Greg worked. When she reached  her apartment, she saw, to her relief, that Greg had left a voice message, saying that there had been a horrible accident at the south tower, but that he was safe in the north tower. When she turned on the TV, she saw to her horror that a plane hit the north tower – and she knew this was no accident. She never heard from Greg again.

Phyllis was devastated. But what made everything worse for her was the strong suspicion that, given the ferocious anger and profound sense of having been violated among the American people, the United States government would use her son’s name, along with that of 3,000 others, to take vengeful military action in Afghanistan.

Two months later, a Moroccan immigrant in France, Aicha el-Wafi, was also devastated to see on a TV news clip that her son, Zacarias Moussaoui, had been  indicted on charges of conspiring to plan the attack that killed Greg Rodriguez and so many others.

In 2002, Aicha came to New York for the trial of her son. Phyllis Rodriguez was invited by the government to attend the trial. She went to the federal courthouse, but not to see Moussaoui convicted.  She went, not to “get revenge” or “reach some closure”, but because she knew that another mother, Aicha, would be there.  Phyllis wanted to reach out to a fellow sufferer who was also losing a dear son.

When Aicha arrived at the courthouse, her eyes fell on Phyllis immediately, almost as if drawn by some emotional magnet. The two women  fell into each other’s arms and wept uncontrollably for a long time. Each felt the other’s heart beating as her own.

“When Greg was killed, I thought, I will never forgive the people who murdered my son.” Phyllis says. “But the day I met Aicha changed my life. I have come to see forgiveness as a difficult process. I haven’t forgiven the act, but I have been learning to forgive Aicha’s son because I love her, and I can’t hate someone she loves.”

 Discussion Questions

• Does it seem unnatural for a mother to forgive the perpetrators of her son’s murder? Wouldn’t it have been more natural for her to want to get some “payback” and “her due” instead?  What do you think helped Phyllis go beyond what might be “natural?”
• If you witnessed the events of 9/11 on TV as they were happening, or since, what emotions were you feeling, and how are you feeling towards the terrorists now?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, September 11, 2011 (Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost)

 
 Genesis 50:15-21 

Romans 14:1-12

Matthew 18:21-35

(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

Peter asks Jesus a question about forgiving someone in the community who wrongs him. Jesus answers Peter’s question with a few pointed words, but then illustrates his answer with a great story.

In the process of settling his accounts, a king writes off a rather large debt owed by one of his servants. But then this particular servant runs into another who is indebted to him for a relatively small amount. But because the latter can’t come up with all the money owed on the spot, the one whose debt had been forgiven by the king proceeds to have the guy put in jail for failure to pay. Not exactly doing unto others as another has done unto you, is it?

The servant owed the king ten thousand “talents” (a form of currency, not something that gets you on a television reality show.) It would take a typical servant of this man’s station fifteen years to earn just one talent. So, do the math: the king in the story is owed about 150,000 years worth of the servant’s income! Has this servant maxed out his credit, or what?

How about the other servant’s debt? He owes 100 denarii. A denarius was roughly the daily wage of a servant. One talent is equal to 5,475 denarii. Again, use the calculator on your phone, and you’ll see that the debt that the king forgave the first servant (5,475 times 10,000) was over 54 million denarii! And he can’t forgive the other servant a debt of a mere 100 denarii? What’s wrong with this picture?

But, you ask, what kind of king would loan a servant a ridiculously exorbitant sum equal to 150,000 years’ wages? The answer, of course, is no king worth his salt would, unless he’s wackier than George III. Jesus is deliberately exaggerating here, just as he does with Peter when he tells him that it isn’t enough to forgive someone who has wronged you seven times, but rather seventy-seven times. The man’s debt is unthinkable, and for him to repay such a debt is utterly impossible. So is forgiving someone even seven times, not to mention seventy-seven.

Phyllis Rodriguez, you remember, had thought it impossible to forgive the terrorists who murdered his son and 3,000 others. There’s at least one hurt in my life that I can think of right now that I find virtually impossible to forgive. I’ve been trying, but whenever I visualize the person who administered the hurt to me, I feel the knot in my stomach, and my thoughts about this person are not generous.

Every now and then, I remember to pray to God for strength to do what I cannot do on my own. Peter must have been utterly disheartened when Jesus put before him the impossible instruction to forgive someone who has hurt him not just once, or seven times, but seventy-seven times (i.e. endlessly). He could not have known at the time that 10,000 talents and plenty more was the size of the human debt God would soon forgive through Jesus’ death on the cross. All the sin, of all people, in all the world, through all of time. Huge!

We gain strength sometimes to extend love and forgiveness even when we ourselves feel unable, because the forgiving king wants to love and forgive through us.

Discussion Questions

• Can you think of other instances in the gospels where Jesus uses hyperbole and exaggeration to get our attention?
•  Is it just me, or do you also get the impression that when we talk about “justice” in our legal system, we really mean revenge? Don’t we assume in our culture that each person has a right to retaliate, “get our due” and enjoy “payback time”?  DOES everyone have that right; why or why not?
•  (This one is for you to contemplate privately.) Is there an unresolved hurt in your life? A wrong inflicted on you by someone that you can’t get past? A person, or a group. who causes your stomach to tie in a knot? Someone you just can’t forgive? Then take a silent moment to name that hurt to God, to name that person or group. Then ask God for healing of the hurt and the strength to move toward forgiving. And remember God’s unbounded forgiveness of you, and trust that healing and strength will come.

Activity Suggestions

• To see and hear Phyllis Rodriguez and Aicha el-Wafi talk about their friendship based on forgiveness, go to: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKQA614BA7o or type “Phyllis Rodriguez” in the in Search box.
• Another excruciating tragedy was the killing of five Amish schoolgirls in Lancaster County, PA on October 2, 2006. But the Amish Christians soon turned it into a story about the power of forgiveness. The movies Amish Grace and The Power of Forgiveness tell the story. For a brief and inspiring snapshot, go to: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUuXbHRHbdU or type “Amish Forgiveness in the Search box.

Closing Prayer

God,  it’s just not natural to forgive those who hurt us deeply.  But I am slowly realizing that holding hate just eats me up from within.  It was not natural for you to love a creation which rejected you–but you did.  Make me less natural and more like you, Jesus my Lord, in whose name I pray.  Amen.

Contributed by John Hougen, Pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church, Melrose Park, PA

Warm-up Question

If your house of worship had a bouncer, and the bouncer was Jesus, would he let you in? Why or why not?

Who’s In and Who’s Out

One of the common issues faced by groups of friends and organizations is deciding who’s in and who’s out. Most groups of friends form without consciously deciding why some are in and some are outside the group: it seems to “just happen.” On the other hand, fraternities and sororities vote to include or exclude each prospective member. Honor societies and professional organizations develop criteria that must be met for membership.

What about Christian congregations and ministries? A few have strict criteria for membership, but most eagerly welcome all comers. When newcomers show up, the delicate process of integrating them begins. It’s an art. It doesn’t “just happen.” Each newcomer changes the dynamics of an existing group. A newcomer with a great sense of humor and keen insights can lift the morale of an existing group. A newcomer who can’t keep a secret can change a group from one in which personal problems are shared and resolved to one in which personal problems are kept private. To bring someone from the outside into a Christian group involves negotiating differences in personalities, perspectives, preferences, beliefs, interests, and “style.”

Discussion Questions

• Discuss Bible stories in which Jesus welcomed a newcomer into his group of followers. How did Jesus practice the art of welcoming?
• Think about the congregation or ministry group to which you belong. Are there formal requirements for membership or participation? What are the unwritten “requirements” a newcomer must follow to fit in?
• Can you remember a time when your congregation or ministry group made adjustments in its usual way of doing things to make newcomers feel welcome?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, May 15, 2011 (Fourth Sunday of Easter)

Acts 2:42–47

Psalm 23

1 Peter 2:19–25

John 10:1–10

(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

Read John 10: 1 – 10 slowly. This is one of those Bible passages that can be very confusing. Commentaries reveal that knowing Greek (the original language of the text) and examining early manuscripts will not make the text more understandable. In verse one, we might think Jesus is the gate. That is confirmed in both verses seven and nine where Jesus is quoted as saying “I am the gate.” But, in verse two, we might conclude Jesus is the shepherd. And, sure enough, in verse eleven of John 10, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd.” However, if Jesus is the gate and / or the shepherd, then who is the gatekeeper? And, what about those thieves and bandits? Who are they? Also, it is not clear whether the point of this passage is that Christians should follow Jesus out into the world or if those who enter the Kingdom must rely on Jesus to get in. In verses three through five, the sheep are being led out of the sheepfold. Verse 9 refers to sheep which “come in and go out.”

Is Jesus the gate, the gatekeeper, the shepherd, or all three? Are the sheep going out or in or both? Whew! A lot of questions come up in this short passage. It is reassuring to read that we are not the only ones to wonder what this means. Verse 6 says, “Jesus used this figure of speech…, but (his hearers) did not understand what he was saying to them.”

Let’s find our place in the text and go from there. You and I are among the sheep. That’s clear. It also is clear that the sheep will be safe with their shepherd but not with thieves and bandits. The Good Shepherd is Jesus (or perhaps a faithful follower of Jesus in a leadership position). Thieves and bandits are those who lead the sheep away from Jesus. This text and other Bible passages point to these conclusions: e.g. John 10: 11ff, Jeremiah 23: 1-4, 1 Peter 2:19–25, and the  Psalm 23.

Among the “thieves and bandits” who might lead us astray are those who try to convince us that we’re not good enough to be part of Jesus’ flock. Sometimes such “thieves and bandits” are self-righteous people of faith who look down on us because we don’t meet their standards for “true believers.” Sometimes authority figures, such as parents and teachers, crush our sense of self-worth. And, some of us have done really bad things. No matter how often we hear that God forgives us, we can’t forgive ourselves and, in effect, decide that God’s love for sinners does not apply in our specific case.

But, in this passage, Jesus says it is not the quality of the sheep but rather the inclusiveness of the Shepherd / gatekeeper that decides who is in the flock. Verse 9: “I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” Later in the chapter, Jesus’ inclusiveness is underscored when he says, (verse 16) “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” Even if we feel we don’t belong to Jesus, Jesus reaches out to us and promises inclusion.

Discussion Questions

• If Jesus includes you and me, who is excluded?
• Do you know anyone who feels they are not good enough to be one of Jesus’ followers? How could you demonstrate or explain to such a person that Jesus wants to include them?
• Do you think people from faith traditions that are not Christian are among those who will become “one flock” (John 10: 16)? If so, should we try to convince them to become Christians? Should we trust that Jesus loves and accepts them as they are? Should we believe that, eventually, Jesus will, in His own way, bring them to Himself?

Activity Suggestions

• With others in your congregation or ministry group, recall times when you were newcomers. Ask: what obstacles were experienced as you tried to become part of a group? And, what made you feel most welcome? Develop a strategy for welcoming newcomers that incorporates insights from your discussion.
• Bring together representatives from several religious traditions and compare how new members are integrated into your respective communities.

Closing Prayer

Good Shepherd, help us to trust that you include us in your flock. Call us in to safety and out for nourishment and service. Give us generous hearts, open minds, and holy wisdom so that we might integrate into our communities all whom you send our way. Amen.

Contributed by Sylvia Alloway, Granada Hills, CA

Warm-up Question

If you found out about a terrible injustice done to a friend or family member what would you do? If the injustice was done to a stranger, what would you do?

Demonstrations Rock Cairo

Protests continue in Cairo, Egypt, where thousands of demonstrators have assembled in Tahir square to call to account the oppressive government of Hosni Mubarak, the country’s sole leader for 30 years. Shouting and waving signs, protestors call for democracy and demand that the leader step down.

Mubarak has appointed a Vice President, fired his cabinet, said that he will not run for re-election, and agreed to talk with representatives of the opposition, but the unrest has not died down. Tents have appeared in the square, giving the impression that the rebels are in for the long haul.

The government has cut off Internet and phone services, but pictures and descriptions of the violence between the police and the opposition have leaked out. The United Nations estimates that 300 have died and a thousand more have been wounded.

The arrival of government troops is not bad news. The army is seen as neutral and even sympathetic towards the protestors’ cause, unlike the police, who represent the Mubarak leadership exclusively.

Older members of the resistance suggest that a slow transition might be best for the country as a whole. But the young people who began the protest want Mubarak to leave immediately. There seems to be no doubt that Mubarak will leave office. The only question is when.

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think so many of the protestors are young people? If you were a young Egyptian would you join the demonstrators? Why or why not?
• How might a democratically elected leader (rather than a leader for life) change the country for the better?
• Read over today’s Gospel lesson again. Could a Christian join in a demonstration like the one going on in Egypt without violating the principles Jesus outlines here?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, February 20, 2011 (Seventh Sunday after Epiphany)

Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18

1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23

Matthew 5:38-48

(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

“Do not resist an evildoer.” What, never? “Give to everyone who begs from you.” Surely not everyone. “Love your enemy.” What enemy? Just who is Jesus talking about here? In the historical context he is talking about representatives of the Roman Empire: governors, officials and soldiers.

Any Jew of that time would have understood this. The Romans were keeping them from the Great Kingdom God had promised them, a peaceful, prosperous Israel ruled by a descendant of King David. If it weren’t for those lousy Romans, the Jews would be fulfilling their destiny in the Promised Land. This was the attitude to which Jesus was speaking.

Imagine how shocked his Jewish listeners were when he told them, not how great and deserving they were, but how humble and giving they should be. His uncompromising words (“Be perfect… as your heavenly Father is perfect”) were meant to wake up God’s chosen ones to what they were actually chosen to do – set an example of humility, generosity and love to the world.

As Christians of today, we don’t like to hear this any more than the people of Jesus’ day did. The world rejects the virtues our Lord describes. Which, of course, is all the more reason to practice them.

In a world full of selfishness, unrest and injustice His words still apply – “Do not resist…Give to everyone… Love your enemy.”

Discussion Questions

• As a class, discuss the absolute quality of Jesus’ words:   do this, period. Is this a just a way of speaking, or are we literally to do these things all the time?
• Give examples of the way the world (TV, advertising, education, games) encourages us to think of ourselves as great and deserving. How can we combat these influences and practice Christ-like humility instead?
• What would the Egyptian conflict look like if the rebels practiced “love your enemy”?
• What would your life look like if you practiced the words of Jesus in the Gospel lesson?

Activity Suggestions

• Take an example from history in which Christians engaged in peaceful protest (for example the Civil Rights Movement). Discuss what the result of this participation was.

• Invent a modern scenario in which a Christian could/should participate in peaceful protest. Discuss what the result might be.

Suggested songs: Onward, Christian Soldiers, Take My Life and Let It Be

Closing Prayer

Lord, we give thanks and praise that you are the God of justice and peace, of courage and humility. You call us to action against evil, yet bid us to practice gentleness and love. When we question how these things can be, remind us to be imitators of Christ in all things. Only through Him and His words to us can we fulfill His commands. In the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen

Contributed by Scott Mims, Virginia Beach, VA

Warm-up Questions

Have you ever heard the little rhyme, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?”  Do you believe it’s true?  Why or why not? What is the most encouraging thing that you can remember someone saying to you?  How did it make you feel?

Sticks and Stones

The suicide of Phoebe Prince, on January 14, 2010, brought international attention to the problem of bullying in U.S. schools.  Prince, a 15 year old freshman, had moved from Ireland to South Hadley, Massachusetts, where she suffered months of bullying from school classmates, both physically and over the internet.  On March 29, 2010, nine teenagers were indicted on charges which included statutory rape, violation of civil rights with bodily injury, criminal harassment, and stalking.  Their trials are set to begin later this year.

Despite an increased awareness of its extent (especially as practiced through such means as text messaging and social media), bullying  is proving to be an extremely difficult problem to contain.  In one recent study, 77 per cent of those asked reported being bullied at some point.  And though their deaths were not  as widely publicized as the suicide of Phoebe Prince, other teens haven taken their own lives as a result of bullying.

For two other examples see:  http://ksax.com/article/stories/s1928689.shtml and  http://www.wpxi.com/news/26520571/detail.html

Discussion Questions

• Do you believe bullying or cyber-bullying is a problem in your school or setting?  If so, do you think the problem is getting worse?
• Have you or a friend ever been the victim of rumors, gossip, or bullying?  What was the experience like?  How did it affect you?  Did anyone stand up for you or your friend, and if so, what was that like?
• Have you ever used rumors, gossip, or other acts to get back at someone?  In the end, what was the result? 

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, February 13, 2011 (Sixth Sunday after Epiphany)

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Matthew 5:21-37

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 week’s gospel lesson continues Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, a section of teaching that is directed primarily to his followers and disciples.  What is especially notable about these verses is the pattern which Jesus uses.  “You have heard that it was said…But I say to you….”  It is a pattern that points both backward and forward.  It points backward to the Torah (the Law) and to the oral tradition surrounding Torah’s interpretation; it points forward to Jesus’ true identity as the One sent from God who has the authority to interpret Torah rightly.   As we heard in last week’s gospel lesson, Jesus did not come to abolish either the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them (Matt. 5:17-18).  As it is, Jesus’ teaching in this passage gets to the root of things, demonstrating that the commands of the Law have at their heart a blueprint for what it means to be fully, genuinely, and gloriously human within a covenantal relationship with God.

As such, the commands that Jesus gives here are not moral admonitions – a set of do’s and don’t’s – by which persons might attempt to make themselves “good enough” for God, but rather a picture of life in the renewed and renewing community that God brings into being through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  God is serious that God’s people know life, and so murder is attacked at its very root: smoldering anger and words which only serve to tear down or abuse.  God is serious about life-giving relationships grounded in mutuality, love, and respect, and so lust and lies–attitudes and actions that disrupt even the most fundamental relationships of marriage and family–are also attacked.

Yes, God is serious that we know life.  So serious, in fact, that Jesus drives home the point with another feature of this passage, wildly exaggerated images which  tickle the imagination.  Verses 29 – 30 contain obvious examples.  Plucking out eyes and cutting off hands are not to be taken literally, but we get the point.  In your discussion, you may also want to point out the rather comical picture in verses 23 – 24 of traveling all the way to the Temple in Jerusalem (at least a three day journey by foot for many of Jesus’ hearers), buying an appropriate sacrificial animal, suddenly remembering a relationship gone wrong, and then leaving your “gift” to hang out on its own in the Temple while you spend a week on a round trip just so you can make things right.  It just wouldn’t happen.  And yet here again the point is clear.  We are called to live out day by day the forgiveness we ourselves have received from God, so that when we come to worship there is no anger between us and our neighbors, especially when these neighbors are our sisters and brothers in Christ.

This is a passage pregnant with possibilities for study and discussion.   And while the following questions focus on the power of our words, especially as we strive to be for one another a radical community of love and grace, you might also talk together about such counter-cultural themes as forgiveness (Matt. 5:23-26), sexual purity (Matt. 5:27-30), what makes for true and faithful relationships (Matt. 5:31-32) and personal integrity (Matt. 5:33-37).

Discussion Questions

• As you read this passage, what are the verses that jump out at you?  Why?
• Do you believe that it is possible to follow Jesus’ commands in this portion of the Sermon on the Mount?  If you say “Yes,” what do you make of verses 22-23 and 28-30?  If you say, “No,” then why do you think Jesus would give us commands and instructions that he knew we cannot keep?
• Knowing that Jesus is talking primarily to his followers and disciples, what do his teachings here say about our relationship with God?  Do you believe they are prescriptive – something we have to do in order to have a relationship with God, or descriptive – a picture of the life God would have us to know and enjoy?
• By addressing dealing with anger and our use of insults and language intended to hurt or tear down another person, how does Jesus get at the root of murder?  Is it possible to “kill” another person without harming them physically?
• What do Jesus’ words say to us about our relationships with one another as Christian brothers and sisters?  How would our group look if we were as quick to forgive and lovingly careful with our words, thoughts, and actions as Jesus calls us to be? What specific things might we do to encourage one another more?

Activity Suggestions

• Catechism Connection Read together Martin Luther’s explanation of the Eighth Commandment in the Small Catechism.  Discuss together the following:

According the Luther, in what ways do we “murder” or “destroy” people with our words?

Looking at the positive actions in the Small Catechism, what are some of the ways in which Martin Luther says that we can live out our faith when it comes to using our words?  Can you think of specific examples of how this might look in your everyday lives?  Make a list and covenant together to try out some of what you come up with.

If there is anyone that you know who you believe is currently the focus of rumors, gossip, or bullying, consider the things that you might do to be for that person an alternative community of love, support, and grace.

• Wounded Healers Give participants a few minutes to think of a time when they have been hurt.  It can be a physical hurt like a broken arm, or another type of “hurt,” such as a broken heart or a damaging comment.  Have them come up with a motion that in some way symbolizes their hurt.  Bring the group back together and have each person demonstrate their motion without talking.  Choose about a third of those who are participating to be “wounded.”  The rest are “healthy”.  Again without talking, it is the job of the healthy ones to come alongside those who are wounded and to help them by taking on their motion.  Those who are wounded should not give up their “hurt” until those helping them truly understand (that is, have copied their motion exactly).  Once they have given up their hurt, they become healthy and can help others.  Continue as long as the group remains interested.

Debrief:

What was it like to have someone try to really understand your wound?

What was it like to try to truly understand someone else?  What did it take?

What do you think the main point of this activity is?

How is this activity a picture of what it means to be an intentional Christian community?

Note:  You might also read “The Ragman” by Walter Wangerin, Jr.

Closing Prayer

Gracious and loving God, in the waters of baptism you name us and claim us and make us your own.  Thank you for the gift of new life and for the invitation to experience that life in the community of your church.  Fill us with your Spirit.  Guide our thoughts, our words, and our actions, that we may build one another up and not tear each other down.  Make us quick to forgive and eager to be your hands and voice in a world so hungry to experience good news.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

Contributed by Jose Valenzuela, Phoenix, AZ

Warm-up Question

When you  say you are sorry about something, is it generally because you are truly sorry or because you got caught?

Repentant–or Just Caught

Charles Rangel is an 80 year old Representative from the state of New York.  During a recent ethics investigation he was found by a group of his peers to have acted inappropriately related to the raising of funds for a public policy center that is being named after him. In a report that was sent out on his website for his reelection, he announced that there is “no excuse for his acts of omission” and that he apologized for the embarrassment he brought to his constituents.

At the same time, Representative Rangel said that he has done nothing wrong and he maintains his innocence. In this time of heightened political fervor, politicians have the difficult task of  admitting wrongdoing while, at the same time, maintaining that they have done nothing wrong.  In the constant battle to remain in office, the dance of accepting responsibility yet admitting nothing seems to be an appropriate strategy.

Discussion Questions

• What does it mean to apologize?
• When a person apologizes are they repenting?
• The word repent means to “turn around”.  If we accept responsibility for something we did wrong, how should our actions change?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, December 5, 2010 (Second Sunday of Advent)

Isaiah 11:1-10

Romans 15:4-13

Matthew 3:1-12

(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

632.  That is the number of rules that the Jewish community of Jesus had to live by in order to be considered “good” by standards of the law.  In the times of Jesus it was the job of the Pharisees and the Sadducees to enforce the laws and ensure that everyone followed the rules.

During the early part of his ministry John the Baptist was out preaching and teaching and inviting people to come and be baptized.  As a part of their baptism, people were asked to repent for the wrongs that they had done in their lives.  It is interesting that some of the people who were repenting and asking to be baptized were the same people who held the community responsible for breaking the laws.

Isn’t it ironic that the same people who punished others for knowingly or unknowingly breaking a rule were asking for forgiveness?  John’s reaction to this was to lift up the double standard by which people were living in at the time.  How could persons seek forgiveness when they were not able to forgive others in the midst of the current laws?  The kingdom that John the Baptist was talking about was one that allowed the people who broke the laws to live in relationship with God in spite of the laws.

The heart of Jesus’ ministry was proclaiming that purely human laws were no longer applicable and forgiveness was at hand.  The key to forgiveness is to repent for wrong you have committed and have faith that God will forgive you.  For many the trick is to truly repent.  God knows what is in our hearts.  When we are truly sorry for thinking of ourselves and putting God second, forgiveness is at hand.  No one is denied.  Repentance and faith are all that is needed to remain in relationship with God.

Discussion Questions

• Is there any sin that God cannot forgive?
• If God is able to forgive you, how difficult is it to forgive ourselves?
• By accepting God’s forgiveness can we forgive others?

Activity Suggestion

Share a time when you were forgiven for something and how in turn you were able to forgive others.

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, you know what is in our hearts.  Some of it isn’t good, but we offer this all to you.  Take us and use us to your glory.  Open our hearts and minds to see and feel you at work in our lives.  Amen.