Today’s Reading: Matthew 13:10-17 [also see Mark 4:1012] New RSV

Then the disciples asked him, “Why do you speak in parables?”

I am confident that as children all of us were told the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the tale of Little Red Riding Hood and countless other “fairy tales”.  And we probably also saw some of them as cartoons.  They were delightful entertainment, and we celebrated with the Three Little Pigs as they thwarted the Big Bad Wolf.  The Good guys won again.

But as Adults we came to understand that these seemingly innocent stories often contained serious lessons about life.  We need to be prepared when the wolves appear in our lives and not be easily taken in.  We need to avoid assuming we can simply enter someone’s life like Goldilocks and not expect consequences.  There is a much deeper meaning to these stories, and they were created to convey truths we need to understand.

In today’s passage we are told that the disciples wondered about Jesus’ use of parables as a teaching tool and he explains that while the general crowds will hear them having one set of meanings, the disciples have been granted the capacity to see their deeper meaning.  The parables are not just nice analogies or simple examples for moral guidance.  Instead, they are windows into the nature of God’s Kingdom, a Kingdom that is present in this world now, “at hand”, to those who have the ears to hear and the eyes to see.

This Lenten Season I want to focus on the deeper meanings to be found in some of the parables of Jesus as he illumines our present world as the place of God’s Kingdom.  We only need to have the eyes and ears of faith.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 2:1-12 NRSV

“For we observed his star in the east …”  Matthew 2:2b

For this Advent Season I have focused on the issues of light and darkness that we find in our scriptures.  These are images that speak to our contemporary experience and describe both the challenges we face today and the hope we are given in Christ that these will be overcome by the presence of God in the lives of faithful people.

It is interesting to note that the only reference to light in the several stories of Jesus’ birth is found in Matthew in his mentioning the Star of Bethlehem; a star that guided “wise” men to find the Messiah, the Christchild.  This story has always interested me for the simple reason that this “star” was plainly visible to all humankind at this time.  Since it appears to have been rather dramatic and stood out among others in the heavens, many may have noted its appearance.  Yet only a small number of people [3 according to Matthew based on the three gifts that are mentioned since Matthew doesn’t give us an actual number] took the time to ponder its meaning and then use it for guidance.

I believe that God is still active in our world through the lives of people seeking to live the kind of life that Jesus called his followers to live.  Further I believe that God continues to offer us signs to guide us in seeking to live such a life.  But only those who pause to ponder the meanings of Jesus’ teachings, and seek to grow spiritually, will see those signs and follow them to full authentic living in what Jesus described as God’s Kingdom.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 5:14-16

“You are the light of the world…[So] let your light shine…”

The scriptures are filled with dramatic statements, and this surely must be one of the more amazing ones.  It is not hard to believe that Jesus is the light, revealing the nature of what it means to embody the love of God but then he turns to his followers and declares that they are called to do the same thing.  In addition, they are to do it openly that people may “give glory to [God] for the gift of embodying God’s love in the world in which they live.

I don’t know about you, but this is challenging to say the least.  What does it mean that I am to be a vessel conveying God’s love to humanity?  What does that look like?  How do I prepare myself for this “calling”?

On my spiritual journey I have come to understand that embodying the love of God takes many forms, all of which involve action.  The love that is God’s love is a verb, not an emotion.  It is about “doing” and “being”, not about warm fuzzy feelings.  This “light is not passive; it is active in every sense of the term.  And it takes both simple and complex ways of “shining”.  Taking the time to really listen to someone, showing support while someone faces a difficult moment, sending cards to people experiencing the various significant events in life, e.g. birth, anniversaries, deaths, promotions, etc.  The list of actions we can take to incarnate the fullness of God’s love in the life of those we encounter is endless.

But being a “light” also means a willingness to stand firm in the face of evil.  It means to stand up and declare when things are happening that are against the very love we share.  It means to witness and work for change when we see racism, sexism, antisemitism, and all the other forms by which some declare themselves to be superior to others and so abuse people.  This is also letting our light shine as we seek to transform the world into what God wants humanity to be,

As we enter the third week of Advent this year, let each of us take time to pause and reflect on what we are doing and what we might do to embody God’s love in our own environment.

Today’s Reading: John 1:4 NRSV

“…in him was life, and the life was the light of all people,”

Several years ago, my family took a tour of Mammoth Cave in Kentucky led by a park ranger as our guide.  After going some distance down into this magnificent cavern, the ranger had us pause and, after warning us, shut off the lights.  It was the first time I had ever experienced total darkness.  It is absolutely disorienting.  There is no longer any sense of location in space.  There is no sense of direction: up or down, forward or behind, left or right.  All sense of where you are disappears and you are left with a total feeling of helplessness.  Thus, light gives us a sense of where we are and how to live in our environment.  Light allows us to move in a direction that is purposeful and meaningful.  Light enables us to see reality as it is and to make life choices accordingly. 

It appears that many people today live in a state of total darkness and its result of a feeling of helplessness.  They are unsure of the meaning of their lives.  They have no sense of direction.  They tell themselves that their 50 Facebook acquaintances are their “true friends”.  They have lost any sense of financial or emotional security.  They seem to find it difficult to determine what is True versus what is propaganda and lies.  They have lost sight of the reality of what it means to live in a community; instead focusing solely on their individualistic approach to life.  They live in isolation in what is true darkness.

The scripture speaks of Jesus as “the light of life for all people”.  What Jesus embodied and called all of us to become was what God intended human life to be.  He called people to see the Kingdom of God as a present reality when they lived with compassion and caring for others, even those who persecuted them.  He taught people to love one another as he embodied the love of God.  He revealed where true security and meaning are to be found in our relationship to God and our fellow human community.  He revealed what each of our lives is intended to be.  And when we seek to follow him, the light shines in our own darkness and overcomes it.

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 9:2 and John 1:1-5 NRSV

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness – on them light has shined.” Isaiah 9:2

To many of us we are living in a time of “darkness”.  Our society has moved away from the classic moral values that guided us for decades.  Where once we were taught by both the church and school to be honest, truthful, and to treat all people with respect, even those who believed different from ourselves; where once we were taught that violence is never a solution to settling differences, and to be fair in our dealings with others and never demean anyone, today these values seem to have been replaced by their very opposite. 

In the recent campaign we witnessed crowds of people accept lying as a perfectly acceptable act.  We witnessed people cheering when an opponent was called all manner of derogatory names.  And our society seems to think that if you can get away with it, cheating is perfectly acceptable.  We are, indeed, living in “a time of darkness”.

Yet at this very moment we enter that special season called Advent, during which we celebrate the coming of the Christ child into the world.  And as the gospel writer reminds us “…in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.”  John 1:4-5  Never has it been more important to remember this declaration of God’s true action in a world of darkness.  While darkness can seem overpowering at times, the light God gives to humanity ultimately overcomes it.  In that reality is our hope during this time.  Let us come to this season with its special meanings with faith in that  light which will always ultimately overcome the darkness.

Reading for Today: Mark 15:42-46 RSV updated edition.

“Then Joseph [of Arimathea] bought a linen cloth and, taking down the body,

wrapped it in the linen cloth and laid it in a tomb . . .” Mark 15:46a

As we contemplate the greater meaning of Easter for our lives, there is an important part of the story that is often overlooked, the time Jesus spent in the tomb.  The resurrection did not occur immediately.  There was a gap of time between the ending of his life on the cross and the resurrection to his new life.  In that fact I think there is another important message for us as we encounter God’s resurrection of our own lives time and time again.  There is a need for “tomb time” between the endings we experience and the beginning of the new period of our life that follows.

People who research how change takes place in both individual and organizational lives between an old way of doing something and the new way make note of an interim period that is a very important stage in the process.  People must be allowed to grieve for the losses even as they prepare for the coming of the new.  This grief can involve sadness, anger, resistance; all before acceptance can take place.  We don’t know what Jesus encountered during his time in the tomb, but we do know a transformational process was taking place.  But I don’t believe it is sacrilege to consider that his human nature had to go through some of the stages each of us goes through in making our transformation to a resurrected life.  What we do know is that human beings need time to pause between the old and the new for quiet reflection, and to allow the grieving process to occur as we confront the major deaths we experience in life.  Only then can the stone be rolled away, and we can move on.  Each of us, as we face our deaths and resurrections, needs some tomb time.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the willingness to take the time to grieve so that we may move forward to the resurrections you give as a gift to us.  Amen

Reading for Today: Luke 19:28-39 RSV updated

“…the whole multitude of disciples began to praise God with a loud voice …saying

Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord” Luke 19:37-38

Some years ago, I read a biography of President Warren Wilson.  Following the end of WW I, a huge victory parade was held in New York City.  In that parade Wilson and his daughter rode in an open car.  As they proceeded, the crowds erupted in cheers of appreciation for his actions during the war.  His daughter turned to him and said “Daddy, how the crowds love you” to which he replied, “It only matters how they feel after the cheering stops.”

As we approach the last week of Lent let us recall that they very crowds of disciples [not to be confused with the 12 Apostles of his inner circle] cheered his entrance into Jerusalem.  Five days later they are shouting to Pilate “Crucify him”.   Faith during the good times of life is easy to live out.  But faith when we are facing the hard challenges of living in the real world requires a deeper level of commitment.   We live in very troubled times in our own world today where some supposed leaders are calling for violence in support of their thinking and Putin threatens the world with nuclear warfare.  So, it behooves us to use this final week of the Lenten season to look deep inside ourselves to our commitment to be true disciples of the Christ and consider what we must do to witness to that commitment.    

Reading for Today: Mark 11:15-19 RSV updated

“Then they came to Jerusalem.  And he entered the temple and began to drive

Out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple…” Mark 11: 15

This passage from the gospel makes for a dramatic scene in Biblical movies, especially since it appears to be out of character with the image of Jesus as “meek and mild”, an active critic of violent action.  But we are left feeling that his behavior is justified because he was “cleansing” the temple.  He was demanding that the corruption which was taking place be cast out and the true, ultimate purpose of the Temple be restored as a “house of prayer for all nations”.  He was asking people to remember who they were and what they were “called” to do in place of what they were doing.

We need to remember that these moneychangers and sellers of animals were originally there to sell items to be offered up in sacrifice.  They served the highest purpose of the Temple, one focused on the acts of prayer and worship.  This was what they were “called” to be; people who enabled others to reach out to the presence of the Divine through the ritual sacrifices that were acts of worship in their day.  But through time they had simply become businessmen, focused only on their profit motive rather than their “higher calling”.  Jesus, in a dramatic gesture, reminds them it is time to put things back into proper perspective.

That is really one of the major purposes of LENT.  It is a time for each of us to consider our actions and put them into their proper perspective as people of faith.  Like the money changers, it is easy to get caught up in our day-to-day activities to a degree that we forget the meaning and purpose of our lives as followers of the Christ.  We forget our “calling” to live as Jesus called his disciples to live, i.e. to “Love one another as I have loved you”.   As his followers, we are called to be the ongoing incarnation of that “Love” through our actions. 

Certainly, while this can involve major things like giving to charity or serving as a volunteer at a service organization, there are also many small ways to make God’s love a reality to others.  My wife does this by simply calling people by their name at the grocery store or bank [look at those name tags they wear], a reminder to them that they are not simply a “function” but a “person of worth” to be appreciated for their help to us.  I have a friend who tells people “thanks for your smile” when they serve him in a restaurant [and they actually smile], a reminder that their service makes an important impact on those they serve.  Each day we interact with people at home, at work or school and have the power to play a role in helping them experience that Love that was first embodied in Christ.

Reading for Today: Mark 8:22-26 RSV Updated edition.

“ … and he looked intently, and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly”

Mark 8: 25

The healing of the blind man at Bethsada is unique to the gospel of Mark and is characterized by several puzzleing elements.  First, it is the only healing Jesus does that isn’t accomplished on the first try.  Jesus has to touch the man twice.  Second, this blind man obviouisly had sight at one time for he compares what he sees the first time to “people but they look like trees”.  So what does this story offer us?

In a workshop on the function of memory the audience was exposed to a series of ten words related to sleeping, e.g. drowsy, tired, napping, etc. which we were asked to memorize in one minute.  Then the screen was blanked and we were asked to write down all the words we recalled.  Everyone in the audience got several of the words and everyone put down sleepy as one of the words we remembered.  But when the list was revealed back to us the word “sleepy” was not on the list.  We thought sure we had seen it but oviously we hadn’t.

How often are we sure we are seeing something clearly, understanding it completely, only to discover after a second look that the issue or idea or person was completely different?  The truth of our experience in life is that often we need to look at something several times before we see it clearly just as did the man whose sight Jesus was healing.  So the story reminds us that even when we think we understand God’s action in our lives, we may need to pause and look again in order to truly see the presence of the divine at work.  As Paul reminds us, “now we see in a mirror dimly” 1 Corn 13:12 

We live in a time when many voices are telling us that they alone have the truth.  From the internet to conspiracy theorists to politicians we are bombarded with points of view that we are to “see” and “accept” as the TRUTH.  This story reminds us to look at everything “intently” a second time [or more] to make sure we are “seeing clearly”.  Additionaly it is a call for us to walk humbly as we proclaim what we believe.

Reading for today: Luke 15:11-32 RSV

“Listen! For all these years I have been working for you…and I never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate . . .:” Luke 15: 29

There is a well-researched model of leadership known as “The Leadership Challenge” which identifies five key behavioral practices of the best leaders in an organization.  One of these is called “encouraging the heart” and identifies those activities which leaders do to acknowledge and celebrate the various achievements of employees, even something as simple as always being on time, being a good team member, or perfect attendance. 

Ironically research has found that this is the least often practiced activity by leaders.  And when it is introduced in a leadership class, students often say “why should we recognize people for doing their job when they are paid preceisely to do this?”   But as the creators of this research point out, we cheer for our teams when they score and they are paid to score.  Celebrating the ordinary ongoing achievements of people has been demonstrated to improve their performance.

When I read the story of the Prodigal Son, I share the joy of the father who celibrates the child who has lost his way but then awoke to what he had lost and finds  his way back to life again.  But I also identify with the son who is angered by the celebration precisely because he has stayed home and done exactly what he was called upon to do.  It makes me wonder how often we, like the father, overlook the ordinay, every day, blessings in our lives.  How often do we fail to celebrate the wonders that are a part of our lives simply because we have gotten use to them; our health or family members carrying out their responsibilities without complaint, children making good grades, or the fact that our kids are essentially good? 

The challenge of this passage today is to ask us – where are the blessings in our lives that we take for granted and how might we celebrate them, encouraging our heart as well as the hearts of those around us?