Have you ever been tantalized by something? Once you’ve seen it, you can’t unsee it. Having learned something remarkable, your mind keeps coming back to that new discovery. One of the most tantalizing things I’ve ever found in the Bible comes from Mark’s gospel in chapter 4, verses 33 and 34. It says: “Jesus told parables, and only parables, whenever he was teaching a crowd. Later, in private, he explained everything to his disciples.” I’m very grateful that faithful first-century Christians preserved Jesus’ parables; we get to hear and engage with them for ourselves. But I’d really like to understand why none of the disciples took the time to record the private tutorials Jesus gave that explained each parable.
That puts us today in the same company as Jesus’ original crowds. We’ll listen and do our best to understand the meaning contained within each story. Many parables are open-ended, leaving us wrangling with more questions than answers. Most are provoking - confronting us in areas where we prefer the comfortable status quo. They also often tap into timeless truths and universal experiences. Jesus was a masterful teacher! I want to share one thing that I think can help us when we hear a parable. Listen with your heart, more than with your head! Another thing to keep in mind is that when Jesus taught he never spoon-fed people, like one does with a child. He shared many “hard sayings”; they weren’t puréed down to something bland and easily digestible. Never assume that a parable can be reduced to a platitude that could fit on a small sign like, “Just be nice” or “Love all”. I’d compare Jesus’ parables to enjoying an exquisite adult meal. Think about a time you had a fine dining experience. Was it remarkably memorable for you? Were there some unexpected ingredients or flavors in the meal? And when you took your last bite, did you wish you could start all over again? Each week as we immerse ourselves in Jesus’ parables, I believe they’ll be remarkably memorable. They will have some unexpected ingredients. And, after deeply experiencing the fullness of a parable once, you’ll wish you could start over from the beginning. Today’s parable begins with a common hook: “There was a rich man who...”. Jesus’ original Jewish audience would have nodded, assuming that his wealth was a blessing from God for living a righteous life. They would also have assumed that the beggar was materially poor because he’d sinned against God. Those were the commonly held points of view back then. When the rich and poor men’s situations were reversed after their death, it would have been an unconventional reversal. Lazarus, an impoverished outcast of society, is rewarded. He’s in heaven being embraced by Abraham, one of God’s most respected leaders, the father of all nations. The rich man is outraged by this unorthodox outcome. How could he have ended up in Hades being tormented? Some who originally heard Jesus tell this parable might have thought it was an interesting, well-told story about reversals, socially and spiritually. They could take it at face value and not look deeper. The only application they might consider would be to wish they’d end up rich in heaven because so many lived in poverty back then. I can imagine someone turning to their neighbor with a grin, saying, “Sounds good to me! I’ve had a hard time of it in life - I’d love it if God turned things upside down and little ol’ me ended up on top, finally living the good life.” Do you think Jesus was telling people that in this parable? Or do you think there’s more? I’ll give you a hint: the true message isn’t what you see first, or even see clearly. Remember that. Now, here’s a second example of a common, but simplistic, take on these two main characters. Maybe the first man was rich, but he was also evil, and Lazarus was poor but quite holy. If those things were true, it would explain how each man ended up where he did in the afterlife. Again, do you think that was Jesus’ point? If something seems like an obvious explanation, you’ve likely missed the mark entirely. We’ll explore more of this parable next week. But before we tackle that, I want to take what we covered today and help guide you toward a deeper understanding of it. It may be your instinct to lean in, to get closer up in some way in order to discover God’s hidden word for you in this parable, but we need to do the opposite. We need to step back far enough to see what mattered most to Jesus. How did he spend his time - what did he talk about often? There are five spiritual topics that Jesus concentrated on during his three years of ministry. They are: relationships; prioritizing; managing one’s resources; celebration; and the kingdom of God. There’s more than one of these at play in this parable. They are useful lenses, a bit like when you get an eye exam and the practitioner flips between two lens choices, saying “This one, or that one?” We choose the one that improves our sight. Now we’ll spend just a bit of time with this parable, open to God’s word to us. I invite you to close your eyes. Relax your shoulders. Get comfortable. As you breathe, be aware that you’re in God’s presence. · Should a big difference in income change the way we relate to one another? · Should any other difference, like nationality or religious beliefs, ever change the way we relate to people? · What is God’s desire for how we relate to one another? · Should there be very rich and very poor people in our world? · Am I wealthy? · Does God want me to keep all the resources I now have? · When have I seen or met someone who is very poor? · Have I ever helped someone who is very poor directly, sharing my abundance with them? · When you die, how do you think God will judge your life? · Could you be surprised by God’s judgement? · Should you take stock of your life, honestly, in light of eternity? · What if we went through life with one foot (symbolically) here and the other in Heaven? Would that dual awareness change how we spend our time on earth? You can open your eyes now. Thank you for your openness to these questions. I hope some of them helped you see yourself and other things with a clearer lens. Whenever we come before God in a wide-open way, there are truths we’ll learn about God and there are insights we’ll gain about our own life. I hope you’ll be in worship every Sunday in Eastertide. We’ll hear Jesus’ parables as they once were understood. We’ll then push aside any watered-down conclusions that dilute the parables’ full strength. Then we’ll be still and surrendered, waiting for God to speak into our hearts. Amen! Luke 16:19-31 (NIV) The Rich Man and Lazarus 19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” In the early light of dawn, three women made their way to Jesus’ tomb. Each was alone with her thoughts, memories, and grief. They walked together on a path that led them outside Jerusalem’s wall. They carried jars of oils, fragrant spices, and fresh linens. To properly prepare their Lord’s body for burial was for them an act of love, a way to honor and mourn Jesus.
This Easter morning, we’ll follow Mary Magdalene, so we can “witness” Christ’s resurrection through her first-hand account. Mary grew up in Magdala, a fishing community on the Sea of Galilee. While her childhood may have been fairly normal, her adult years were not. Mary showed troubling behaviors; she’d lash out in anger and have no control over her words or actions. Nothing helped her - not rabbis who prayed for her, nor any physician. Then Jesus saw Mary one day, and He felt great compassion for her. He laid hands on her, healing her of the dark torment that had taken over her life. She was set free, everyone saw the radical change and shared in her newfound joy. Mary could now look at the horizon of her life and see a future with hope. Her choice was to follow Jesus; it was the only thing she wanted. She traveled with the disciples and crowds, witnessing Jesus heal others, restoring their sight, hearing, diseases, and disabilities. The lame walked and the silent ones talked. Children were healed - those in their middle years, even to old age, every man, woman and child was made whole. Can you imagine Mary’s joy each time she saw other people’s lives changed by Jesus’ powerful healing touch? She knew what it felt like to have pain and trauma lifted and feel health and calmness in her body and soul. Every healing was a beautiful miracle, and it was also a sign, a small foretaste of the glorious kingdom of God awaiting us in heaven. Mary Magdalene also got to sit and listen to the Lord teach during his three years of ministry. What amazing stories he told… they were down to earth and relatable, but there was always a surprising “aha” lesson or challenge. Jesus had two core messages. One was an invitation for all people to come and learn about God and say “yes” to His redeeming love for them. Jesus’ second message was for his followers to go out into their communities and serve all who are in need. The hungry must be fed, the poor given clothing. Those without a home must be given shelter. Anyone without a living family member - orphans, widows, others on the fringes - must be found and cared for by the family of God. No one was to be neglected, not those in prisons nor anyone stricken by illness, whether brief or long-term. They were to “watch over one another in love”. Sacrificial love would be the distinctive mark of a disciple of Jesus Christ. Today that same generous, unconditional love for others is still the sign of a true follower of Jesus Christ. Those beautiful days Mary spent with Jesus were treasured memories. Can you imagine what it would’ve been like if you got to journey with Jesus? You would’ve shared meals with him, met his mother Mary, known the sound of his laughter and so much more. But now, on the Sunday morning after Jesus’ arrest, his unjust trial, cruel mocking, and agonizing death, grief overwhelmed Mary. The terrible events of the last week seemed like a bad dream, a nightmare she struggled to understand. Jesus, sent by God, who had cast the darkness out of her, restoring her life, was now dead. She’d remained near the cross for 6 hours, close enough to hear his labored breathing, to see the blood on his pierced hands and feet. She heard the last words Jesus spoke through parched lips and she experienced the utter darkness that descended in the middle of the day for three hours. There was a strange chill in the air; everyone was still and silent. Mary heard Jesus cry out, “It is finished,” and breathe his last. Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, marking the moment Christ died. Mary was also there later when Pilate gave Joseph of Arimathea permission to bury Jesus. He lowered his body to the ground, removed the nails that held him to the cross, and carefully carried him to his own, newly carved tomb. He hastily wrapped him with linen cloths, needing to hurry because it was almost the start of the Sabbath. The large stone was rolled into place, sealing the cold corpse of Jesus in its dark chamber. Nothing could be done. But on the third day Mary Magdalene and some other women were determined to properly wrap and tend to Jesus’ body. They knew that the heavy stone blocking his tomb would need to be rolled away, but they had nowhere near enough strength to roll away the 250-pound stone. They also knew that Roman guards were sent to guard the tomb. As they got closer, the women saw that the stone was rolled away. Rushing forward they saw no soldiers. These weren’t good signs for them; they feared the worst. Perhaps someone’s hatred had driven them to vandalize Jesus’ tomb or take away his body. Mary ran toward the dark opening, likely dropping the burial spices and oils on the dusty road. She and the others stooped down to go inside; what they witnessed greatly shocked them. Two angels of the Lord, dressed in dazzling white robes, stood gazing at them. One spoke, asking why they looked for the living among the dead. They were the first people in the world told, “He is risen, he’s no longer here”. How long did the women stand there in shock, staring? Once the amazing news sank in, those ladies rejoiced. Can you imagine hearing them? Their voices so happy, their laugher exuberant, probably hugging as well. They saw where Jesus’ body had lain. The white burial clothes were still wrapped like a cocoon, but flat. The cloth for his head was neatly folded off to the side. They looked all around the tomb, and it was unmistakably empty. It was a sight they would never forget. The women, filled with excitement, went as quickly as they could to tell the other disciples what they’d witnessed. I wonder if anyone saw them that morning, with their robes flapping behind them, their sandaled feet carrying them to an upper room where the disciples and others were in hiding. Bursting in the women cried out, “Christ is risen! He’s alive! The tomb is empty.” Peter and John ran there to see for themselves - they found it just as the women had said. This Easter morning we’ve heard that Good News ourselves: Christ who died is risen. That means that the principalities and powers of darkness, sin, death, and hell itself have been defeated. That’s why we sing and say “Alleluia” on this day of days. It is not only Christ’s triumph, his great victory- it’s ours as well. LUKE 24:1-11NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSIONJesus Has Risen24 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words. 9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. JOHN 20:3-10NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION 3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 John bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying. |
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September 2023
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