Crime and Punishment

 

I think Alfred Hitchcock must have liked Luke. Likewise, I’m sure Luke would have been a big fan of Hitchcock’s films, many of which had twisted endings in which crime and punishment were somehow turned upside down and left us wondering what just happened. And so it is with Luke 16:1-13. We’re convinced that the dishonest manager is finished, but is he?  

Most of us have jobs that conform to specific job descriptions that are beholden to specific performance standards to which we are accountable. If our performance exceeds expectations, we are rewarded; likewise, if our performance falls short of expectations, we can be subject to remediation, probation and dismissal. Now the “dishonest manager,” as Jesus has already named him, is an “employee at will” and fired without so much as an opportunity to speak, much less redeem himself. The rich man was completely in his right to fire him for squandering his property.  

So, here’s Luke’s surprise ending: instead of being punished and used as a model for bad behavior, the manager is given credit for being shrewd because he feathered his own nest by ingratiating himself to his employer’s debtors by discounting what is owed without any authorization. Instead of being thrown in jail, he was acknowledged for using his resources to provide for his future as he was forced to leave his job. I don’t think we would regard the manager as a model citizen but he was able to secure his future by establishing new friendships of those who were at one time in his debt. The dishonest manager was not respectable because he defied the law. Couldn’t the same be said for Jesus? He broke all the laws and was executed.  

Jesus refused to yield to the love of power and lived the power of love by defying the hypocrisy of those who sit in judgment. He reached out with compassion to the “crooks” and “sinners” in us all, who might otherwise never feel worthy of meeting the expectations of a “harsh judge.”   

Are there those we dismiss or overlook as though they have no value? How about those whose lifestyle is different from ours…do we dismiss them as having nothing worth contributing? Are they too young, too old, and too impaired to add anything to our lives and to our Church? Looking for the good in people is impossible if we treat them as having no redemptive value.   

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” (Mother Theresa)

Lost and Found

We all know what it’s like to lose something or someone. Perhaps we can remember a time when we felt lost. We all know those associated feelings that border on fear, if not terror. Reading Luke 15: 1-32 helps us to remember how we felt when we experienced loss and the joy we felt when we were “reunited” or “found.”

One of my most memorable experiences with loss goes back to my early childhood and is indelibly ingrained in my memory. I was not more than five; my mother, little sister and I were at a beach in Coney Island. I suppose I got a little bored sitting on the blanket alone with my mother and sleeping baby sister and remember pestering my mother about wanting to get some water for my pail to bring back to the blanket where we were sitting and make some mud pies. Mom resisted my going to the shore alone and did not want to leave my sister sleeping and unattended. I finally convinced her that I would not get lost and would be always aware of where she was. She yielded and so I made my way with my metal pail and shovel in tow, carefully drawing a “tether” line in the sand with my foot. I played at the surfside for a bit, filled my pail and turned to make my way back to the blanket. Of course, the line was obliterated. I immediately panicked because I couldn’t find the line in the sand leading back, and above all could not see my mother. I remember being overcome with fear and began to cry. A woman standing nearby came to my aid, and assured me that we would find my mother, who within seconds, I’m sure, appeared. Although it must have seemed like an eternity to a child. I can still remember what I felt when my mother immediately gathered me up in her arms and held me close, assuring me that I was not lost and that I was always in her sight. I suppose the reason I can still remember this event so vividly is because of the “palpable” effect it had and continues to have even as I write today.   

I relate this childhood experience with the stories Jesus uses in our gospel to describe what it means to lose and be lost and to find and be found. It became apparent  that the more memorable of the two emotions, lost and found, was the joy of being found. In both instances Luke depicts the joy in finding what was lost and being found. There was no recrimination just joy. 

Sometimes when you lose something, it’s a good strategy to retrace your steps and find the spot where you lost it. Retrace your steps.  

Where did I mislay my time with God in favor of a crammed social or business calendar? Where did we temporarily misplace my compassion for the poor in favor of self-serving initiatives? And where did we leave our joy in proclaiming God’s Word. 

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

 

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Any literal interpretation of Jesus’ words in Luke’s gospel (Luke 14:25-33) would likely challenge the credibility and sensibility of today’s contemporary reader. I can’t even imagine what the people of Luke’s time thought when they heard the words "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.”

After all these weeks we finally understand that Luke has a reason for speaking so directly to his audience, who while relatively affluent, was living in difficult times. Luke’s world was not a peaceful one; the Jews and early Christians faced a domination system that threatened their existence. In helping us understand Luke, David Steindl-Rast tells us that metaphor speaks to our intellect through our poetic sensibility. He suggests that reading the Bible or Gospel requires that we tune into the language of metaphor which asks that we take it seriously but not take it literally and that we read these lines as we might read poetry. Literal translations deny our ability to feel the words that take our individual meanings beyond mere intellect. Is this not another way of understanding what we mean when we say and the Word was made flesh? The meaning not the words become part of our being; we don’t just understand what we are reading, we know down deep inside us.

We have all been involved in the planning of a party either as hosts or as guests. We have all experienced the initial excitement in discussing plans. But how many times do we renege or receive polite apologies when it comes time to commit? Are you or we coming to the party? Isn’t this a little how we feel in reading Luke’s gospel? How do we politely decline Jesus’ invitation to the banquet; it sounded so good in the planning stage but isn’t this a lot to ask of us right now; would you mind if I take a rain check? I’d really like to but I’m not sure I have what it takes to get involved right now. I know God will understand.

Now as for Jesus’ invitation. I suppose we can ask for a rain check but in the long… and short run, we are hurting ourselves. By saying “no” to Jesus’ invitation- “maybe later” - we are denying ourselves the opportunity to experience the Kingdom of God not just later, but right now, here in the present. Living for others out of our love for God, is the only way to find joy, peace, and a repaired relationship with God and each other in this world and in the hereafter. This is at the heart of Luke’s gospel and at the heart of Christianity.

By now we’ve learned that following Jesus is more than just sitting back and listening to a beloved teacher. Jesus’ words are meant to get us to move and to give up those things that get in the way and to surrender to His will. In essence this is what it means to be transformed in His likeness and what it means to be part of the “Body of Christ.” We don’t want to miss this party!

Guess who's coming to dinner?

I'm sure we all played the familiar game: who are the three people you would like to invite to dinner and why. How about Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, Ronald Reagan, Mary, St. Paul, and my parents. Needless to say,  Jesus was always at the top of our list. The proposed dinner guests would invariably change depending on where we were at given points in our lives. Jesus was a constant.

However, after reading Luke these many weeks I wonder if we might rethink inviting Jesus to dinner. His last outings in Luke have made me a little uncomfortable. Chances are he’s likely make a scene and create a disturbance. Could it be possible that we could find ourselves siding with the Pharisees as we raise our eyebrows at his disheveled group of “party goers?” They tended to eat and drink to excess. And what about the woman who in the middle of having a “meltdown,” crashes a dinner party of the elite and cries all over Jesus’ feet? What about Jesus meddling in family business and taking poor Martha to task for complaining about her sister Mary, who instead of helping with the dinner, is hanging around with all the men in the dining room. And this week (Luke 14:1, 7-14) he is not only telling us who to invite to our party, but where they should sit when they do arrive. Frankly, Jesus can be a risky guest and makes us a little uncomfortable.

And that’s precisely the point in Luke’s gospels. He warns us about becoming too comfortable with protocol for protocol sake. Self-imposed cultural niceties can easily become devices to exclude “others” who are different from us. Of course it’s easier for us to associate with those who are just like us and keep us in our comfort zone. But maybe we should ask why do they make us uncomfortable? Do we see in them, something about ourselves that make us uncomfortable? Associating with the “disenfranchised” cannot help us socially, economically, or emotionally…but what about spiritually??

Strive to Enter By the Narrow Door

Once again we are reminded that Jesus is wasting no time in making his way to Jerusalem: “He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching on His way to Jerusalem.” (Luke 13:22-30) Because we know the end of the story, the very mention of Jerusalem strikes an ominous chord since it meant rejection by his followers and the horror of the cross. Along the way some unnamed person in the crowd asks Jesus, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” Whatever his motives, the enquirer may have been aware of the increasing opposition from some religious leaders and he might have sensed that the crowds, despite superficial interest in Jesus’ message, tended to side with their leaders. But he asked a follow-up question, “Are there just a few who are being saved?” Jesus did not answer the question directly but in typical fashion answered his question with a question and asked, “Will the saved be you?”

Jesus was speaking to a crowd made up mostly of religious Jews. Almost without exception, they believed in the one true God. They were not agnostics; they were faithful to the Hebrew Scriptures and lived in basic accordance with them. In giving his answer, Jesus was not addressing a Godless audience. He was talking to a “church” crowd, most of whom assumed that they would go to heaven because they were good Jews. He gives us and them church folks some important and practical lessons on the subject of his Kingdom which he says requires our earnest effort, our urgent attention, and our careful self-examination. It requires our earnest effort because the entrance door is narrow. It requires our urgent attention because the door is soon to be closed. It requires our careful self-examination because once it is closed, the door will be eternally-closed.

Our Lord did not say, “Good question sir! Now, let’s divide up into groups and come up with a consensus as to what each of you thinks about what I said and report back.” Jesus was in a hurry; he’s moving quickly, his time is limited and he wasn’t interested in speculation about theology. He was concerned about the personal salvation of his listeners. So, rather than opening it up for discussion, Jesus gave a command that applied the question to his hearers’ hearts: “Strive to enter by the narrow door.”

Strive implies a great deal of effort. When I think about the word strive, I think about dedicated athletes or patients in rehab. Their motivation and dedication is to do what needs to be done because it’s doable and something they value. Gold medals are not won by being passive. Did you ever hear an athlete receiving a gold medal, say, “I had never worked out before or run in a race until a few weeks ago. I thought it would be fun, so here I am.” Every athlete or patient who wins strives to win. They know they must invest a great deal of time and effort to accomplish their goal. Wining is not by accident. It is the result of deliberate and sustained effort and commitment.

The fact that the door is narrow implies that it takes some deliberate thought and effort to go through it. There aren’t many doors into the “place,” so that you can’t take your pick. There is one and only one door, which is Jesus Christ. He alone is the way, the truth, and the light. “No one comes to the Father except by Him” says John. There isn’t one great big door that’s easy to find and stroll through without thinking about it. There is one narrow door. You might not like the fact that it is narrow. You may think that it’s too exclusive. You may say, “I believe that God is loving and that He will accept everyone who tries to do his best. I believe that all sincere people will get through the door.” But, according to Jesus it is narrow, not wide. He made it narrow without checking with us for our ideas about how wide it should be. Jesus is asking, “Are you striving to enter the narrow door? Are you making your faith a matter of deliberate and sustained effort? Are you sure that you’re entering the narrow door as defined by Jesus and not a broad door of your own choosing?” You say, “Whoa! I thought that my salvation is a free gift, received simply by grace through faith, not a matter of our effort. How does this harmonize with striving for it?”

Jesus isn’t talking about being united with God by works or human effort. He is talking about our attitude toward it. He has been telling us all along that nothing takes precedence over our relationship with God. Nothing on earth should get in the way and that our relationship with Him and our quest be not just good for an occasional stimulating theological discussion but living in the love of Jesus’ teachings. Our journey is not easy and we, like the determined rehab patient and athletes, must dedicate our lives to the goal and strive to enter by the narrow door every day of our lives.

 

 

I came to Bring Fire to the earth

Gospel (Luke 12:49-53) appears to be a departure from his preceding accounts. In earlier writings he reminds us not to be “foolish” and to be at the ready but He also tells us that the God’s Kingdom is ours. So this stern message is a departure from what preceded: I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!

History by its very definition is an account of the past which while a recording of what has transpired, cannot be separated from the time and events of the day in which it is written. Nor for that matter, can it be read in a vacuum. Likewise, history’s account is influenced by the author’s own perspective. And so it is with Luke, who while conditioned by traditions that he has inherited, is focused on his goals for relating the story of Jesus to his community.

While as stated, history is by definition retrospective, what we learn from history is projected forward and applied to our own personal experience. As interesting as the historical context of Luke’s day may be, we ask what we can learn from this account and what does it say about us and our lives today. Jesus’ words set in the time of Luke were written for an audience that lived almost a century after Jesus died. This period reflects the turmoil of Luke’s day: there was wealth; poverty; political domination; dissension among the ranks of the new Christian communities, and a growing impatience created by the delay of Jesus’ anticipated return.

No doubt that Luke is providing insight for what is in store for Jesus as he makes his way to Jerusalem. Here, we get a glimpse of Jesus’ humanity when he says what stress I am under until it is completed! Jesus proclaims that the Kingdom of God is a “new world order” that is centered on the power of love not the love of power. As with the “rich fool” those governed by wealth, status and power will live in a “house divided" on so many different levels.

Families, nations and communities will live in turmoil. There is no other way to peace but through love, forgiveness and humility. So,how does this gospel speak to us today in August, 2019 as we look at our world beset by senseless mass shootings, and we experience the ravages of a drug pandemic that spares no one, as it destroys its victims and their families and friends?  

Be Prepared...The Son of Man is Coming

Last week’s Gospel reminded us to keep our “eye on the prize” and not be distracted from anything that gets in the way of our relationship with God. As in Mark’s Gospels, Luke’s narration (Luke 13:30-42) of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem does not linger and is focused. The message is clear in its words and its cadence. There’s no time to waste on earthly distractions and useless baggage that only serve to get in the way. These gospels teach us that the essence of discipleship is living the Word of Jesus that in time defines who we are as it becomes an integral part of our human behavior. The Word has become “flesh” in us.

In last week’s reading the foolish farmer learned that for all his self-directed future plans for additional wealth and surplus, he would not have time to “eat, drink and be merry.” This was to be his last day on earth. This week’s reading is more assuring as Jesus tells us: 

Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom…
Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven
that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.

In these readings we are assured that there’s nothing we can do to earn God’s unconditional love; it’s God’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom for no other reason than it simply pleases Him. It’s not because of what we’ve done or really, who we are but simply because it pleases God to do so. One of the messages here is to trust in God’s love and we will be free of all anxiety, guilt and unworthiness.

It is beautiful to be loved for ourselves isn’t it? However, Jesus’ message as Luke continues to narrate Jesus journey to Jerusalem is not to start living recklessly but to be prepared…the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.

So, we are asked to travel light; to free ourselves of those things that get in the way of our being God centered and not us-centered. Living fully human does not mean living unto ourselves as did the rich farmer who had to have more of those things that were as finite as his fragile life. 

Suppose we ask, what if we too started giving things away just for the pleasure of it as God does for us?