Black's Blog

March 25, 2010
Luke 17:26-36

There will be a time of reckoning as there was for everyone else but Noah and his family on the day of the flood. That is the clear message of the comparison “parable” today. It is not for us to like or not like. But… on the one hand, I like it because it is good to know that those who are so faithless and prosper will get their just recompense. On the other hand, what does this judgment say for me because can I be certain of my faithfulness?

Like it or not, the vein of judgment runs deep and consistently through Scripture. The later point that is made is that” whoever loses one’s life (in Christ) will preserve it. It is obvious that if we want to raise our chances of being found on the blessed side of judgment we will try to follow the path of faithfulness, emptying our selves of “self” and pouring ourselves into our relationship to Christ.

Interestingly for me this comparison story parallels the text for last night’s midweek service in Matthew 25:31-46. In this parable we will be judged on seeing Christ in our neighbor. We will be judged faithful by how we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and help the homeless.” Jesus says “whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me.” It leads me to want to reach out and help our neighbor. It leads me to think that perhaps the health care plan just passed is in keeping with Matthew 25. Do we sometimes put too much of our “self” into our opinions on public policy? Does it really matter whether or not something is good for us if it is good for our neighbor? Certainly something to think about on these two texts. But in the end time, and the judgment of God, will reign supreme.

March 24, 2010
Matthew 25:1-13

One of my favorite songs by the St. Olaf Choir is “Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning.” That seems to be the main point of the parable of the ten virgins. We need to live each day intentionally because you never know when the bridegroom will be coming. And if you are not properly prepared you will not be let into the wedding banquet. Consequently, you will be left out of the kingdom of God.

What does it mean today to “keep our lamps trimmed and burning?” I think we would be talking about lifestyle. I’ve never really liked the four questions of Campus Crusade which begin with “If you died tonight, where would you go, heaven or hell?” Still I think any self-examination of our lives as to whether or not we are living as Christ would have us live is good. It should not, however, be something that makes us overly anxious (unless we are totally out of synch with the Ten Commandments and Jesus’ rephrasing of it in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Rather, it should be recalling back to the basics just like each New Year’s Eve is for many people. The difference is that our resolutions should be commitments to “love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, and mind” and to “love our neighbors as ourselves.”

What needs to be trimmed in your life? Where is the light of Christ fading in your life? Only you would know. But this parable tells us to all to get in shape so that we may illuminate Christ to the world…so that we can be heralds for the king as He ushers in His kingdom.

March 23, 2010
Luke 12:16-21

            The parable of the “rich fool” is a great example of how much better a story can drive home a point than just a saying. Jesus has just said “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Certainly He is being straightforward and clear. But now the story tells of how a rich farmer is so good at what he does that he builds bigger and bigger storehouses for what He has grown. He is looking forward to a long and prosperous life enjoying the fruits of his labor. But then just as he is settling in God says to him “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And what will happen to all you have gathered?” Zowie!” Jesus certainly pulls no punches. Riches will not get you into the kingdom of heaven. They may get in the way of following Him.

To me as a farmer’s son, this seems to be a parable fit for the family farmer today. Many who grew up on farms will tell you what a nice way of life it is. As long as the goods were sellable at good prices, as well as seed and fertilizer and energy costs were low, it was a wonderful way of making a living. But when there was a glut of produce, whether it be corn or soybeans or oats, and especially the other costs went sky high, the bubble was burst. Their ways were like Wrong Way Corrigan running to his own end zone and scoring a touchdown for the opposition.

The positive point made here is that we ought to be wise enough to invest into that which is not perishable. We are to “be rich toward God” by growing in our relationship to God daily. So as Lent nears its end in less than two weeks, how have you grown closer to God during this time? What plans do you have to grow closer to God in the future? How about studying a book of the Bible or doing daily Bible reading beyond Lent? How about reading daily devotions or adding a quiet time to your daily life? And if you are thinking you will do it tomorrow, consider this rich fool. Don’t put off to tomorrow what you should be doing today!

March 22, 2010
Luke 21:29-33

            Apparently Luke remembered everything Jesus did with fig trees. During Lent (March 6^th blog) we’ve heard Him tell a parable about a fig tree which had produced no fruit to date. The point of the parable there was to repent now so that you may bear fruit and be spared from judgment. Here the figgy “parable” is that as a growing living organism when you see it sprouting, along with all of the trees, you know that summer is already near. That is how near the kingdom of God is.”

I have always taken this to reflect Jesus’ full humanity at this point. After all, didn’t He prove to be wrong? His generation did pass away before the end to time. Overall though I would take it reflective of basic organic thinking. One thing follows another, grows out of another. It is not so much a matter of time because as 1 Peter says to God “a thousand years are like one day and one day like a thousand years.” The days are surely coming…when Christ will return and bring all things to Himself.

The last verse is encouraging to me: “heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” This is a promise that words such as “If I live, you will live also” are true and will come to pass. Taken in this context—sayings about the end of time—it is the assurance that Christ is King and will reign forever. When I look around at the world today, with all of its wars and polarizations, it is reassuring to me that this will not be how it will be forever. God will have the last word!

March 20, 2010
Matthew 18:23-35

            Forgiveness seems to be a requirement in this parable, and I am always uncomfortable with requirements. Yet doesn’t it seem natural to forgive another person who owes far less to you after you have forgiven a humongous debt by another person? The parable draws us in to think that that would be least you could do. So when the punch line is given by Jesus “So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you (torture you), if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart” we tend to not be as offended because the forgiven one just simply has not gotten it and forgiven others.

            This parable calls to mind the petition in the Lord’s Prayer about forgiveness. That petition comes to us in two versions in Scripture. In Matthew’s version from the Sermon on the Mount we read “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” In Luke’s version from chapter 11 we read “forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.” The first seems like it is a choice, but the second says that it is a consequence. I like the second, but I must admit that the first coming from Matthew’s gospel (the same source of the parable) seems to be more consistent. It is something we need to do in order to “do the will of our heavenly Father.” Even though our being forgiven is a great incentive to forgive not everyone will do it.

            In practical Christianity I take this parable to be a strong encouragement to forgiveness. We may take God’s grace (undeserving love) as our incentive and motivation and therefore have really no choice but to forgive, but when it comes down to it human nature holds on the grudges, declines to reconcile, and generally is more about
an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” As someone once said, that will leave us blind and toothless. But guided by God’s grace we can indeed forgive. As we do it over and over again, even to those who make it difficult to forgive, we will indeed make our gracious God happy. “To err is human; to forgive is divine.”

March 18
Luke 15:25-32

            What would it feel like to be the older brother in the parable? You have been a faithful servant and every day you are proud of that faithfulness. You have bought into the system, so to speak, and there is no reward for buying in? Your brother who has not played by any of the rules has been measured to be on the same level as you. Since he is your brother, you should be happy he is home but how do you deal with the offense? Multiplied to this offense of your sensibilities of what is right and what is wrong, is that your father is throwing a party for your younger brother who seems to be rewarded for his unfaithfulness? Life just isn’t fair! So you are angry and refuse to be a part of the celebration. You really have no choice because everything you have done until this point has not been valued by your own flesh and blood, your father and brother. Even perhaps what your father says to you in explanation “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours” is not enough to salve your hurt.

Thinking about it on this level leads us to understand that grace is not fair in a sense. At least if you look at it that some people are worse sinners than others it doesn’t seem fair that they are all treated alike. But this is the key point of the parable. Like the loving father, our gracious God is entitled to be gracious to all. We are encouraged not to make comparisons, but to realize that without God’s grace we, though perhaps not as notorious of sinners as some, would be lost as well.

What an amazing parable! It is so difficult not to just allegorize it and say every part of the parable on the earthly level is equal to something else on the heavenly level. But we must resist for the sake of the gospel. The point is that our God is so gracious that God wants us all under God’s roof. There is nothing that we can do that will make us unredeemable. No matter what we have done in the “far country” of our past our gracious God welcomes us home. No matter how “good” we feel about being close to God along the way we still need God’s grace for our salvation.

The most famous parable, certainly! The best parable, I think so. Have you had experiences like either the younger or older brother in your life? How did it feel to be like the younger brother? How did it feel to be like the older brother? How would it feel to be the loving parent with open arms, wanting to surround both children with your love?

March 17, 2010

Luke 15:11-24

            I’ve already checked in twice on this parable during Lent at All Saints. In our readings of the parable it is divided into two parts. Both parts are connected through the father.  It is all about the loving father. Certainly Jesus is saying that the reason that He hangs around with sinners is that God is like that. God likes saving sinners. That is Grace with a capital G.

            I believe that all of us would be helpless without God’s grace. The parable may be about someone who sinned badly, who squandered his legacy of grace, or who did the ultimate for a Jewish boy—becoming unclean through cleaning up the pig sty. But can we really say we haven’t been there? Can we really say that we haven’t sinned badly along the way, stepped on the most important marks of grace, or even gone beyond the boundaries of our faith? I think not. Even in spite of ourselves, though, God will come after us. God, you see, is God. Just like the father in the parable God seeks us out and hopes for our response of coming home. And when we do come home, God welcomes us like the father hugging the son and not letting him go and throwing a party for his homecoming.

            When have you gone away from home like the younger son? When have you “come to your senses?” When have you experienced grace like he did? How did it make you feel? How did it change you? How are you permanently changed because of that grace?

Tuesday, March 16
Luke7:36-40

            Where would Jesus be if He was in our world today? Probably the best guess is that that Jesus would be around those who were considered most ungodly in our culture and society today. In fact that was so much the case during Jesus’ ministry as told in the gospel of Luke that right before this text that Jesus says: “The Son of man has come eating and drinking; and you say, ‘Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” This becomes even a reason for putting Jesus to death.

            Going on, when Jesus lets the “sinful woman” anoint Him with her tears, the Pharisee who invited Him to his house says that Jesus should not let her do it. Jesus then says to him that this woman’s sins are many so she is very grateful for being forgiven. Then He tells this parable about the fact that if a debtor is forgiven the most by the one whom he/she owes that same debtor will love the creditor even more. This is said to express why the “sinful woman” shows such love and repentance toward Jesus.

            I am still amazed to think that we have such a God who would not think twice about sending His Son into the world to transform our world. Yet are we among those who need to be transformed? Are we often found on the creditor side, and not on the side of the debtors? Don’t we often want things to be fair and to receive our fair due? I think more than most parables this one can be spoken directly to us. No matter how great or little our sins may appear, we are sinful human beings. We have had our great sin forgiven. Consequently we should be eternally grateful for God’s undeserved love and mercy.

Monday, March 15
Luke 18:9-14

            This parable is one of those that hits the listeners right between the eyes. I compare it to the story the prophet Nathan told to David about a shepherd who had many sheep and stole the poor man’s only sheep which ended with the punch line, “you are that man!” You stole Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba.

            The scribes and Pharisees are criticizing Jesus for hanging around with tax collectors and other notorious sinners and here Jesus tells them they are too proud and that what the tax collectors and sinners have going for them is humility. What the tax collector has going for him in the story is repentance. His prayer “God, be merciful to me, a sinner,” is one of great humility and repentance.

            Could it be that we are at the very best point we can be when we are totally dependent upon God’s grace? Could it be that the very best prayer is “God, be merciful to me, a sinner?” On the one hand, that is encouraging because it doesn’t seem to demand a whole lot. On the other hand, it demands everything from us… an emptying of self in order to find ourselves.

             I have to admit I am sometimes the Pharisee and sometimes the tax collector. I feel very righteous sometime only to turn around and fall flat on the ground and discover that my only hope is in God’s forgiveness. Today’s parable may be a good opportunity for all of us to do some introspection and to reflect on the times we have been turned around and set in the right direction.