Ordinary 27C; Proper 22 World Communion Sunday Lamentations 1:1-6; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10 We constantly want more. Yet, Jesus tells us time and time again that we have all we need and then some. Remember: This brief exchange in Luke follows Jesus’ discussion of forgiveness. Forgive seven times a day. Forgive the same person seven times a day if necessary. No wonder those listening –  disciples and apostles, those closest to Jesus and those close but not yet all in – ask for an increase in faith. How else does one forgive and forgive and forgive? Surely only through faith. Jesus’ listeners know enough about themselves to know that what he requires will not be fulfilled without divine intervention and ongoing holy assistance. So they ask, perhaps plead, maybe demand: Increase our faith. And Jesus tells them: If you had even a modicum of faith, an inkling of faith, a mustard-seed-sized amount of faith you could change the world, defy nature, upend human nature and … [Read more...]

Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; Luke 16:19-31 Ordinary 26C; Proper 21 Is there any hope for the rich person? In 1 Timothy? In Luke’s story of Lazarus and the rich man? What about for Jeremiah, locked up, guarded, foolishly buying land he himself will never likely occupy? What hope for release does he have? Desperation appears to be the name of the game this week. Jeremiah’s lot and that of the rich man are fixed. Jeremiah cannot escape the confines of prison or the painful consequences of being chosen to be a prophet and coming under criticism from his people and the king. That rich man who shunned a hungry, suffering Lazarus at his doorstep is doomed to languish in eternal torment. Lazarus only gets relief from the desperation of poverty and pain on the other side of this earthly life. Even the epistle lesson proclaims the inevitability that love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. What do we do, as people of faith, with desperate, apparently hopeless, … [Read more...]

Jeremiah 8:18-9:1; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13 Ordinary 25C; Proper 20 God calls to account those who abuse their power and use their authority for personal gain and at the expense of others. Luke’s Gospel gives us two managers, administrators, stewards to help us understand the nature of discipleship — this shrewd one in chapter 16 and a hypothetical one in chapter 12. In Luke 12:43, Jesus asks his disciples: “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent manager that the master will put in charge?” His answer: “The one who is awake and at work when the owner returns at an unexpected hour.” Alternatively, which manager will be punished? The one who abuses the others and uses the owner’s resources for self-indulgence. The one who wastes the owner’s possessions, like the one we encounter this week. Jesus continues his lesson about faithful stewardship and Christian leadership with this week’s parable, but what an odd story it is. The manager gets caught in incompetence at best … [Read more...]

Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-10 Ordinary 24C; Proper 19 Oh Jeremiah, you are in touch with God’s anger like seemingly no other! This week we get the word that we are stupid children, skilled at doing evil. As a result, God will rightfully bring desolation to the whole land, no relenting, no turning back. Is this a word we are willing to share? The only bit of relief comes with this short sentence, “Yet, I will not make a full end.” A glimpse of hope remains. God destroys in order to build up, but what of those living through the present-day wrath? I spent a lot of pastoral breath assuring people that God does not give us what we deserve, but rather extends a grace and mercy that belies reason and human imagination. Hence, this text from Jeremiah causes me pause. Does God sometimes drop the hammer on our misdeeds and let us suffer the painful consequences of our actions? I think of this more in terms of our corporate harm to creation and others, … [Read more...]

Jeremiah 18:1-11; Philemon 1-21; Luke 14:25-33 Ordinary 23C; Proper 18 Can any of us, really, live up to Jesus’ expectations in the gospel reading this week? Are we truly to hate life itself on account of our discipleship? Is this an example of Messianic hyperbole, or are we literally to hate those with whom we have the tenderest, closest ties? The trajectory of Jesus’ admonitions seems off, too. Hate mother and father, carry the cross, calculate the cost as if evaluating the viability of a massive building project, take stock of all the resources needed in order to wage a war. Also this: If you cannot give up your possessions you cannot be my disciples. Is Jesus setting us up to respond: “Oh, you mean all we must do is give up all our stuff, I’m into the Marie Kondo method already, I’m all set!” In that litany of disciple requirements, giving up our possessions sounds lightweight compared to the other instructions. And yet we rarely do even that. Perhaps the root of the … [Read more...]

Jeremiah 2:4-13; Hebrews13:1-8, 15-16; Luke 14:1, 7-14 Ordinary 22C Proper 17 DIY discipleship never turns out well. When left to our own instincts, ideas and attitudes, we inevitably make choices that hurt ourselves and others; that create lives and worlds far less joyful, abundant and beautiful than God intends. As Jeremiah puts it, we trade fountains of living water for shoddy, humanmade cisterns that don’t hold water. As Luke tells it, we think more highly of ourselves than we should, and end up embarrassed and ashamed when our cover is blown and our real lives don’t match our Instagram ones. What Hebrews admonishes against doing, we do liberally – neglecting to show hospitality to strangers, forgetting those in prison, dishonoring relationships, loving money and hoarding resources. Sometimes do it yourself leads to disaster. And yet, over and over again we think we know better than God. Each of the texts this week shines a spotlight on our hubris. Note that Jeremiah … [Read more...]