Day 99:Scorched Earth and a New Harvest

Joshua 10, 11, 12, and Luke 10:1-24

These chapters of Joshua continue to describe the scorched earth policy of the Israelites. Luke tells of the mission of the 70 or 72 and their discovery of a rich harvest.

Joshua 10

Having a fair sized city with troops like Gibeon scared the other forces in the area and led them to form a coalition to defeat the Gibeon people. Gibeon calls on Israel to help and they honor the treaty by defending the Gibeon people. While they have them on retreat, God sends a massive hail storm which kills more men than the Israelites had killed by the sword.

Joshua seals five kings in the cave where they have taken refuge until the battle is won. Then he returns and they are dragged out, feet put on necks, humiliated, hung, and buried in the cave in which they hid.

The next fifteen verses tell of seven victories Joshua and the Israelites defeated in the South.

Josh 11

The Scorched Earth policy continues leaving death and devastation everywhere. It is hard to read these verses without putting my own context and culture onto them. I feel such disgust at these action, specifically the humiliations and the murder of children, in the name of God. But perhaps, just perhaps, these victories were interpreted later as God’s favor- after all, history is written by the winners and they tend to gloss over the messy parts.

Joshua 12

This chapter is a summary, probably added by an editor, of the former kingdoms of the area, that is: a list of the victories of both Moses and Joshua.

Luke 10:1-24

Jesus sends of the 70 (or 72 if reading the Septuagint). He tells them the Harvest is plentiful. This harvest is probably not one of judgement, but rather a gathering of the people of God together. They are to go without provisions, but not alone. They are sent ion pairs for safety and accountability. They are to go quickly, with purpose. They are not to hang around and find out which house has a guest house and pool, but instead to go the first place that offers hospitality and stay there while they are in town. These people will be blessed by the words and Spirit of God. The towns and places that will not offer hospitality, they will be cursed. Shake the dust off of your feet and move on. God will deal with them accordingly.

The 70 (or72) return. They do not brag on themselves, instead with joy, they claim that through Jesus’ name all submitted to them. Jesus says – don’t rejoice in the powers- rejoice that you are a part of the kingdom of God.

Next we have an inside look at Jesus’ relationship with God the Father. Luke is really the only place we get a glimpse into this relationship.

Day 98: Holy War and The Way

Joshua 7, 8, 9, and Luke 9:37-62

These three chapters continue in describing the Israelites Holy War against the people of the region. We are given accounts of loss and victory in these chapters. Luke speaks to us about discipleship and what it really means to follow the way of Christ.

Joshua 7

We learn that there is one (at least one) individual who has taken things from the most recent battle in this Holy war and kept them for themselves rather than adding the silver and gold to the treasury. We know this, but Joshua has not yet realized.

Israel goes into battle against a small town with a small number of troops. While the NRSV says 2,000-3,000 there are good arguments that they actually sent 2 to 3 muster units which would have been significantly smaller in number. They fail and in the process lose 36 men. Joshua is beside himself and approaches God about the loss.

God tells Joshua that they failed because at least one of the Israelites has sinned against God and that they will not win another battle with this sin in their midst. Joshua begins a practice of casting lots to determine the guilty party. (This feels very Hunger Games to me)

Achan is chosen as the guilty party and he confesses. The messengers find a mantle from Shinar, 200 shekels of silver and a gold bar under his tent. They then proceed to collect everything he has including his sons, daughters, oxen, donkeys, sheep and tents (no mention of wife) and take them to the Valley of Achor. They stone him to death and then burn everything her has, including all he owns and his children, and then cover them with a pile of stones.

This is extreme and violent and I hate it. No doubt this served as a deterrent from taking things in the future and anyone who had stolen goods in their home was much more likely to get rid of them now.

Joshua 8

After the disappointment of his previous campaign, Joshua wisely consults with God before going out and making holy war. They send out 30,000 (again possible other translation is 30 muster units) and set an ambush to attack Ai. Their ruse works with the loss of approximately 150 people and the death of all in Ai.  After this bloody business, Joshua renews the covenant with God.

Joshua 9

The people of the area decide to team up against this new force of invading Israelites. Gibeon, however tries a different approach. They trick and lie their way into a treaty with Israel. Three days later Joshua learns of the trick, but still agrees to honor the treaty. However he adds that they will be second class people, water bearers and wood hewers. Which is a weird way to interpret Deut 29:11.

Luke 9:37-62

Jesus encounters a boy with a demon. His disciples, it appears, were not able to cast it out. (In another Gospel Jesus says this demon can only be cast out by prayer) Jesus here says “You faithless and perverse generation.” Is this a phrase for the father or is it directed at the disciples who could not offer healing? I tend to think the latter.

Luke then has the briefest discussion of who will be the greatest in the kingdom of God. Jesus, aware of their thoughts, tells them that the least shall be first. I’m sure the disciples were not crazy about that kind of order. I know there are many times I’m not if I’m honest.

Jesus begins to teach and as he does it becomes increasingly clear that the Road to Jerusalem and The Way become almost synonymous with discipleship. While on the way, the disciples are upset by someone casting out demons in Jesus’ name. Jesus says - Don’t worry about what others do- concentrate on what I’ve called you to do. There is a high level of irony here as the disciples were unable to do the very same thing just verses before!

The Samaritans refuse to welcome Jesus because “his face is set toward Jerusalem.” The biggest point of contention between the Samaritans and Jews was where it was appropriate to worship. The Jews said Jerusalem and the Temple mount; the Samaritans claimed Mount Gerissim to be the proper place for worship. The Samaritans were offended that Jesus would be seeking to go to Jerusalem.

Jesus then addresses things that keep us from committing to discipleship. While these do not seem like unreasonable demands to us, they do show how we as humans tend to want to wait for things to be “right” before following God. We still use excuses today. However, the way of discipleship is costly.

Day 97: Walls and Tents

Joshua 4, 5, 6 and Luke 9:18-36

In these chapters the Israelites knock down walls and establish a foothold in the Promised Land. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus continues to reveal himself.

Joshua 4

“What do these stones mean to you?” Joshua has the men, one from each tribe of Israel, carry a heavy stone from the center of the Jordan to its banks. These stones were to be memorial markers, a symbol of the grace and mercy they had received from God. We are told that 40,000 soldiers dressed and armed for battle went across the Jordan along with the whole of the Israelites. An impressive show, no doubt.

Joshua 5

The neighbors hear of this massive force of people crossing into the region in such spectacular fashion, and are terrified. The military pageantry and the miraculous crossing do not bode well for the current inhabitants of the land.

Joshua then orders that the men be circumcised. Apparently circumcision had fallen out of favor with the Israelites. Perhaps it was due to their disappointment of not being allowed to enter the Promised Land earlier?

The people hold the first Passover feast, once they have recovered, in their new land. And with that feast, after 40 years of provision, the Manna stopped falling.

Joshua’s visit from a leader of the heavenly army sets firmly his position as the “new Moses.” With such heavenly preparation and conferral, the military actions can begin.

Joshua 6

“And the walls came tumbling down.” This section of Joshua is beloved in many Sunday Schools. I remember growing up marching around the table in the classroom seven times and then getting to shout at the top of our lungs.

Of course, the complete annihilation of all the inhabitants of the city was glossed over. When I read it now- I cannot help but imagine what the scene would have looked like. Unfortunately with televised pictures of the ruin in Aleppo and other cities, it is far too easy to imagine.

The people do save Rahab as promised, keeping covenant with her. She will later be mentioned in the family tree of Jesus.

There is no credible evidence archaeological or otherwise that the walls literally fell in Jericho. Some say the walking around was psychological warfare, which led the people to give up on the seventh day. Others think the marching was a distraction so that military men could sneak into the city and attack once they heard the trumpet blasts and screams from outside.

I know the point of this story is to show that God is with the Israelites, that no force, even a walled city could stand between them and the Promised Land. However, I struggle with the complete massacre angle.

Luke 9:18-36

Peter’s confession here is seen in contrast to Herod’s fears about Jesus. Jesus calls all of the disciples to faithful obedience, stressing that there will be all kinds of trials and tribulations. Jesus says that some (out of the twelve) standing there will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God. This could be a reference to James, John and Peter who will be witnesses to the Transfiguration.

As Jesus is teaching these three men on a mountainside, his robes turn a dazzling white and two figures appear with him. Moses and Elijah! How they identified them is a mystery to me. Perhaps they were wearing name tags?

The three men hear the conversation about what it to take place in Jerusalem. Peter begins to babble about building tents or tabernacles as places of worship for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. The scripture says he doesn’t know what he is saying. Then a cloud rests on them and they are terrified. Then a voice calls out “This is my son, my chosen; listen to him.” The cloud was one way God was seen in the Old Testament leading the people out of Egypt and through the wilderness.

When the presence of God leaves, they find Jesus alone standing with them. They speak to no one about what they have witnessed.

Day 96: Conquest and Mission

Joshua 1, 2, 3 and Luke 9:1-17

The book of Joshua tells us of the conquest of the Promised Land and its settlement by the tribes of Israel. These opening chapters tell of the preparation the people make for conquest. Luke gives us an account of the mission Jesus sends the twelve on in Judea.

Joshua 1

“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” These words of comfort are given to Joshua as the preparations for the conquest of the Promised Land begin. Joshua tells the people to make ready, they will cross over the Jordan River in three days’ time. Here he instructs the Transjordanian tribes that their women, children and livestock can stay on the land they have been given by Moses, but that their warriors will cross over to help their fellow Israelites secure the land.

Joshua 2

Joshua sends spies into Jericho, and the first place they go is a prostitute’s house. I’m honestly not sure how to deal with that. Perhaps it would have been a place where strange men came and went and so people would think less of their arrival. Perhaps prostitutes were known to give away information.

Rahab proves to be shrewd and protects the men by hiding them on her roof and by giving the town officials false information of their location. By doing this she gets the spies to agree to save her and her whole family from the coming disaster. She ties a crimson cord in her window as a sign of protection for those within her walls.

Joshua 3

The Israelites camped at the Jordan for three days, a liturgical term. Joshua sends officials to tell the people that they are to follow the Ark of the Covenant, at a safe distance, the next day. The priests carried the Ark of the Covenant into the Jordan and where they stepped, the water stopped flowing. All of the people passed by on dry land while the priests stood in the middle.

Luke 9:1-17

Jesus gives the twelve disciples a mission. It reminds me a bit of short term mission work. They go out into the surrounding areas bringing the good news and healing diseases.

Herod gets word of all that Jesus and his disciples are doing. He becomes anxious to see Jesus, because he fears that Jesus might be John the Baptist who he beheaded.

The disciples return eager to tell Jesus about all that they have accomplished. But somehow, word gets out that Jesus is around and the crowds begin to press in and follow them. Jesus speaks to the crowds, words of good news, and heals their illnesses. (The same things the disciples themselves had been doing.)

The crowds get hungry and the disciples beg Jesus to send them away for food. Jesus replies “you feed them.” But Jesus, they whine, we only have 5 fish and two loaves for the 13 of us! How can we feed 5,000 men?

Jesus tells them to gather the people in groups of fifty. Then, in a very liturgical moment, he blesses and breaks the bread and gives it to the disciples who distribute it to the people. When the remnants are collected there are 12 baskets leftover, one for each disciple.

It leads me to wonder, why are we so stingy with our fellow man? Especially considering God’s continued abundance with us?

Day 93: God's Favor and Favoring God

Deuteronomy 28, 29 and Luke 7:31-50

These chapters talk about what is means to find favor with God and to lose favor with God as the people of Israel. Luke also show us what life can look like when we show our favor of, or preference for, God.

Deuteronomy 28:

The first 14 verses of this chapter speak to the promises for Israel if they choose to follow God’s commands. They will be blessed with national security, prosperity, and political power. These things are purported to be what comes naturally from living in covenant with the Lord.

Beginning with verse 15 we get a picture of the curses that await the people if they do not live in covenant faithfully. It is important to remember that these scriptures were most likely collected and edited during the time of exile in Babylon. The view of the editors at the time might very well have been that the people had let God down and therefore were suffering the listed curses because of their lack of fidelity.

Deuteronomy 29

Here Moses rehearses the history of Israel with the people of God. These words are not just for those present, but for future generations. By following the commands, or revealed things of God, they will remain in right relationship with God. Most of our liturgical acts serve a similar function- reminding us of God’s promises and calling us to be faithful to the always faithful God.

Luke 7:31-50

Jesus is still talking here to the Pharisees and disciples about John and about Jesus’ own identity. The people of “this generation” who refuse to repent are compared to children who refuse to play a game with the other kids. They said John has a demon and Jesus ate and drank too much with the wrong people. Wisdom discerns when is the time to weep and to dance as found in Ecclesiastes. Wisdom’s children are those who hear God’s word and follow.

Then we are given the account of the so called sinful woman. What an outrageous outpouring of love and thanksgiving she offers! This is nothing short of an act of worship, worship of a heart who has experienced love and forgiveness. Simon, the Pharisee, and those around cannot see this as worship because they cannot look past their own rules/regulations of pure and unclean. They are blinded to compassion.

While they sit there having uncharitable thoughts, Jesus cements his prophetic status by knowing Simon's thoughts. He takes this opportunity to remind Simon, and all others present, that the past is erased by grace. And that the response to forgiveness is thanksgiving and worship.

Day 92: Creeds and Life Giving Words

Deuteronomy 26, 27 and Luke 7:1-30

These chapters of Deuteronomy turn us toward some of the creeds and liturgy of the Israelites’ worship. Creeds are a way of rehearsing what we believe in our faith communities. They are life affirming words. Likewise in Luke we get Jesus’ words which also bring life to those who hear them.

Deuteronomy 26

The editors begin this section with Moses reciting one of the creeds of the people. This creed, like other creeds, is designed to help people remember the mighty works of God. Hearing these words in worship would have been powerful, and in fact these words should still hold power for us today. That is the beauty of creeds of faith, they do not lose their ability to return you to God’s activity in the world over time.

Moses helps the people remember and ratify the covenant each time they meet. The phrase “This very day” is not only used to speak of the present tense but also as a remembrance that even now, we are committing ourselves to God.

Deuteronomy 27

Moses tells the people to set up memorial stones, again a way to remind them of God’s activity. These could be the stones talked of in Joshua 4.

The crowd of Israel stands here from one mountain to the other, six tribe leaders on each side. All of the people are called to respond to Moses’ words. The curses in verses 15-26 serve as a public code of conduct or the ethos of the People of God. Again these rules are to separate God’s people, to hold them as holy.

Luke 7:1-30

We have here the healing of the centurion’s slave. Jesus would have been unclean if he had gone into a gentile’s home. If the Centurion was really a “friend to the Jews” he would have been aware of this rule. In an act of compassion to Jesus the centurion tells him not to come, because he believes Jesus can heal just by speaking the words of life. Jesus interprets the man’s response as faith- faith he finds lacking in the children of Israel.

In verses 11-17 we have the story of the widow of Nain. Here Jesus shows compassion and is drawn to act. He touches the bier, or coffin, an act which would have made him ritually unclean. He then tells the man to rise and “gives him to his mother.” (The same words used in 1 Kings 17:23 when Elijah returns the widows son to life. Elijah has to do all sorts of bowing, begging, etc. to bring the boy back. Jesus only says Rise.)

The people respond to these acts of Jesus with fear. Fear is often the response to God breaking into our midst.

Verses 18-30 talk about John’s questioning of Jesus. John sends his disciples to ask “Are you the one who is to come?” John needs a reassurance that Jesus is the one he has been waiting for, and Jesus gives him that reassurance. John is here called greatest among men, but even he is lower than the least in heaven. Jesus here places himself above John the Baptist, essentially claiming his Messianic status.

Day 91: Insiders and Fruit bearers

Deuteronomy 23, 24, 25 and Luke 6:27-49

These passages deal who defining insiders and outsiders in the community of Israel. Insiders are those allowed to participate fully in the life of Israel and outsiders are kept out, even to the 10^th generation. Luke gives us a glimpse of what “insiders” look like in Jesus’ kingdom. They are those who show love even to those that oppress them.

Deuteronomy 23:

This chapter describes who is inside the community by making sure everyone knows who is outside. Too often we still feel the need to be defined by what we are NOT. This chapter lists punishments to the outsider. If you are not an Israelite, then your kids up to 10 generations won’t be allowed to participate in the faith. Unless of course you are an Edomite or Egyptian, and those will only be excluded until the third generation.

The author continues to outline rules for keeping things “just so” in the community of faith, including the military camps, temple rites, banking practices, and even eating grapes from a neighbor’s field.

Deuteronomy 24:

This chapter contains some divorce decrees that prohibit the remarriage of a couple after they have been divorced and married other people and find themselves divorced and/or widowed. This, as odd as it sounds, is to protect the women. If they did remarry a previous spouse it would cause her second marriage to be seen as harlotry or wife swapping, both of which were looked down upon.

This chapter also offers rules that keep people focused on the concerns for humane treatment of others. It is sad that today, many of us could still use these rules to remind us to look past ourselves and how to care for others.

Deuteronomy 25

This chapter gives regulations for the settling of disputes. Some of these are different such a physical assault and money loaning to household issues.

Luke 6:27-49

This section of Luke introduces us to the Golden Rule. The entire section talks about loving all, even your enemies. Here lending is given a different context then in Deuteronomy. Here you are to lend, period. It doesn’t matter if you think they can pay you back, you are called to help others. Offer to help others, even when they are down on you.

Then we are given the statement on being hypocritical. Take the log out of your own eye, before you try to correct someone else. Too often we put ourselves as moral authorities over others. Jesus here says, deal with your own mess first! Because you can’t bear good fruit if you are a bad tree!

Fruit bearing is an important thing in Luke. You will know who a person is by what comes from them. In the words of Maya Angelou “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”

Day 90: Warfare against Women and Blessings vs Woes

Deuteronomy 20, 21, 22 and Luke 6:1-26

Trigger Warning: These verses depict violence, violence against women, rape, and other horrific things.

I will honestly tell you that my blood boils reading some of these passages. I may have called out to God that these passages are not only awful for the women of antiquity, but that they perpetuate some of the injustices women of today face.

Deuteronomy 20:

This text reflects the conquest era of the Israelites. The idea that God was with them helped calm the fears of those going into battle. There is an odd course of events laid out for going into battle. The priests speak an oracle declaring God’s favor. Then the officials speak and give every man any reason they can possibly think of to stay home from war. If you have built a house, but not dedicated it, stay home. If you are engaged, but not married yet, stay home. If you have planted a field but not tasted the first fruits, stay home. I guess this leaves only men who feel they have nothing to lose entering battle.

They are told to first offer peace to a city they come to attack. If peace is accepted, the people in that city will become Israel’s slaves. So basically, slavery or warfare. After they are defeated, all men are too be killed, but the women, children and livestock can be kept as spoils of war. Again, the thought of people as property is greatly disturbing to me.

Then we learn that these good terms are only for people in cities far away! The residents of Canaan are not to be given such luxury as lifelong slavery. They are told to kill everything that draws breath so that they cannot be corrupted by their influences.

But here we get this odd note to save the trees, or at least the ones that bear fruit. Ecology in the midst of mass murder. Interesting.

Deuteronomy 21

This chapter begins a list of rules for community and for specifically the male head of household. Rules regarding a rural homicide are discussed in detail. If the murderer cannot be found, the nearest city or town must kill a heifer in a non-sacrificial manner (break the neck instead of killing at the tabernacle) and wash their hands over it to remove blood guilt. Admittedly this blood guilt, blood sacrifice stuff is odd to me, but this just seems super odd.

Now we get to the really fun part of you are a woman. If a man sees a woman of a conquered people and he desires her to be his wife he can take her captive, force her to shave her head and remove all signs of her ethnicity. Then have her mourn for her mother and father one month and after that he can “come into her.” Basically this allows a man to take a woman, strip her of her cultural and personal identity, and make her cover and mourn in the way the Israelites do, and then rape her. If that’s not bad enough, if she doesn’t “please him” he can let her go. Basically discard her into t a world where she has no rights and no family to care for her. This does not seem like justice to me and an argument that it is better than being a slave will not convince me otherwise.

Deuteronomy 22

This chapter gives more rules for interaction within polite society. Don’t take things that are not yours and return lost things to your neighbors. Good rules to live by. There is a prohibition against cross-dressing which seems very odd and out of place here. Some scholars say that this would have been a characteristic of some of the cults of the time and that is why the word abhorrent is used. There was great pressure to keep the cultic practices of Israel pure and unchanged by the society around it.

There is a long section about the accused bride. I can only assume that these words were meant to protect women from being unjustly divorced and set aside, but their words and methodology are abhorrent! If you hated your wife and wanted to set her aside you could claim that she was not a virgin when you wed. If her family can prove that she was a virgin, by producing the wedding night sheet with the required blood stain, then her father is paid twice amount specified for rape and she gets to stay his husband for life. What a joy that would be! (Sarcasm font here). If they cannot prove that she was a virgin then they will take her to the entrance to her father’s house and stone her. Public execution.

Let me just say that men do not seem to have been held to the same virginity expectations as women. Not that any of us should be surprised as that carries over to our own day and age.

Then we get the rules about how to punish someone who is raped. Yes, you read that right. If an engaged woman is raped in the city she shall be stoned because she didn’t cry out loud enough for someone to hear and come to her aid. I can’t even!!!

If she, again an engaged woman, is raped in the open, where no one is living, she will not be stoned because no one was around to hear her cry out. If a single unengaged woman is raped and he is caught in the act, she is to be married to him and he has to pay her “bride price” for violating her. He cannot divorce her ever.

Once again, I cannot begin to imagine such rules and regulations being around to help women. Our own American Society has been effected by these rules, the stigma of blaming the victim is only one of the legacies.

Luke 6:1-26

Jesus and his disciples pluck grain with their hands to eat on the Sabbath, a practice allowed in Deuteronomy 23:25. However, Exodus 34:21 expressly forbids harvesting on the Sabbath. Enter the dispute about what is lawful and what is not. Jesus says life giving things are allowed, food, healing, etc. The leaders disagree.

Jesus then calls the twelve disciples. The number twelve reminds us of the twelve tribes of Israel. Jesus is reclaiming the children of Israel as God’s people.

Jesus gives his sermon on the plain. It has some similarities to Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. Here Jesus lists blessings on those situations we normally find less that good. He then pronounces “woes” or judgement upon things that the world values. Jesus is good at turning tables.

Day 83: There be giants and Messiah is born

Deuteronomy 1, 2 and Luke 2:1-24

These passages give us a look once more at the Law of Moses. The people are facing giants, literally and figuratively in these chapters of Deuteronomy. In Luke we are given the birth story of Jesus, the Messiah.

Deuteronomy 1

Deuteronomy is the translation of the first few words of the book, these are the words. It also is often called the second law. It is the last book of the Pentateuch and it serves as not only a way to remember the past of God’s people, but to anticipate their future.

It begins with Moses telling that God has given instructions for the people, which the people chose to disobey. This disobedience led to a military defeat, but also to the generation of Israelites not being allowed to receive the Promised Land.

Deuteronomy 2

The people are told to pass through the land of Esau, but not to antagonize anyone there, for God gave this land to Esau. They also pass through the lands given to Lot. Here we are told about the strange people, giants of the region. These so called giants held mythic stature in the area. Thought to be the descendants of angels and women, they were fierce warriors.

God tells the people to pas through the land of Sihon, as they did the lands of Esau and Lot, but king Sihon will not let them pass. Thus begins the bloody conquest of the Promised Land.

Luke 2:1-24

The theology of Luke is based in the idea that Jesus’ mission was divinely necessary. There is often harsh language about the Jews and Jewish authorities. It is important to note that almost all of the followers of Jesus in Luke are Jews. These issues were more of a family struggle than pitting a whole religion against another.

In Chapter 2 we get the birth story of Jesus. His parents have traveled to Bethlehem to be registered. The most likely scenario is that they are with Joseph’s family, and therefore not lone travelers, two people against the world, as we often see them characterized.

Shepherds are the first to learn of Jesus’ birth. Shepherds were not the cream of the crop. They were not the kind of witnesses one would expect for any birth, let alone the birth of the Messiah, yet here they are. Mary ponders these things, the sayings and stories of the shepherds when they visit, in her heart. Mixed with the angelic proclamation to Mary and the greeting from Elizabeth, they must have made for very interesting food for thought.

Mary and Joseph are observant Jews. At 8 days of age they take Jesus to be circumcised and bring along the appropriate sacrifice. They bring two doves, not sheep, not bulls, for their first born son. This indicates that they were anything but wealthy. However, they did not let their lack of funds keep them from following the traditions.

The Little Prince

Christ the King Sunday

One of my favorite stories as a child was The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exuprey. If you haven’t read it, I suggest you pick it up. It’s a small book about an aviator whose plane has difficulty in the desert and he is forced to stop to repair. In this strange time, he meets a little boy who is a prince. A prince from outer space.

The book begins with this story:

Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature, about the primeval forest. It was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of swallowing an animal. Here is a copy of the drawing. In the book, it said: "Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole, without chewing it. After that they are not able to move, and they sleep through the six months that they need for digestion."

I pondered deeply, then, over the adventures of the jungle. And after some work with a colored pencil I succeeded in making my first drawing. My Drawing Number One. It looked something like this:

I showed my masterpiece to the grown-ups, and asked them whether the drawing frightened them.

But they answered: "Frighten? Why should any one be frightened by a hat?"

My drawing was not a picture of a hat. It was a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. But since the grown-ups were not able to understand it, I made another drawing: I drew the inside of a boa constrictor, so that the grown-ups could see it clearly. They always need to have things explained. My Drawing Number Two looked like this:

The grown-ups' response, this time, was to advise me to lay aside my drawings of boa constrictors, whether from the inside or the outside, and devote myself instead to geography, history, arithmetic, and grammar. That is why, at the age of six, I gave up what might have been a magnificent career as a painter. I had been disheartened by the failure of my Drawing Number One and my Drawing Number Two. Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.

When I look at the picture painted for us today in Luke’s Gospel there are times when I get that feeling of reading the Little Prince all over again. When I look at it from one perspective it seems like nothing more than the cruel and unusual punishment inflicted upon an innocent man. It looks like failure. It looks like loss. It looks like the end.

I’m sure that is the view the soldiers had that day. They saw a defeated man, whom they could treat mercilessly. I’m not sure that they really saw a man at all. In order to commit such acts of violence against another you must stop seeing them as human, as equal, as real.

When those who placed Jesus upon that cross, whether by their hands or by their voices and commands, viewed the scene they saw the end. The end of people fighting against them. The end of their fear of losing power. The end of uprisings and rabble rousers. If they could put down the seeds of rebellion fast enough, harshly enough, then it would not rear its ugly head again.

When the Pharisees and Sadducees watched the crucifixion, they saw the end. The end of people questioning the status quo. The end of people daring to speak up. The end of someone threatening their power, their place, their prestige.

And while a sign hung above his head that said “This is the King of the Jews”, they did not see him as king.

When the followers of Jesus watched this crucifixion, with tear filled eyes and grief filled hearts. They too thought it was the end. The end of the life they had begun to finally live. The end of their hoped-for rebellion. The end of their dreams.

But a shift in perspective, from the crowd below to the thief next to Jesus tells a different story. This man sees something that the others cannot see. He has a hope that the others dare not dream. He looks at Jesus, dying the same death as Jesus, only his is deserved per his own words, and what does he see?

“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Your kingdom. He sees the King of Glory, Prince of Peace, King of Kings. And with all the strength he can muster, which would not have been much, he asks to be remembered by Jesus.

Jesus, the name means “The Lord Saves” or “He saves.” The crucified thief says Savior, remember me. He sees not the end, but the beginning.

The thief sees this moment as a moment of the ushering in of God’s kingdom. He’s not sure exactly what it will hold, but he knows there will be something, for he asks Jesus to remember him. Jesus tells him something even better than a yes. He says “Today you will be with me in paradise.” This is the beginning, not the end that everyone has seen up to this point. It is the beginning, of new life, and that life abundant!

It is the beginning of a new way, one ushered in through the death of an innocent man.

Today, in Luke’s Gospel is used as the moment when God’s salvation breaks through. In Luke 4:21 Jesus says “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” In Luke 19 Jesus tells Zacchaeus “I am going to your house Today” indicating that he is bringing salvation to Zacchaeus’ house.

Today, the Kingdom of God breaks into our ordinary lives.

Today, Jesus calls to us welcoming us to his kingdom.

Today, Jesus offers us his presence, to be with us always, even to the end of the age.

What so many have seen as the end, is really the beginning

A twist in perspective, a turn of the lens, a change in the way we look at things, looking through new eyes as new creations, we see this unexpected, unequaled King Jesus.

Friends, let us not be content to look at the picture before us and see what the world sees.

When the piolet in The Little Prince shows his work to fellow adults they always say “it is a hat.” Then he knows he cannot talk with them about the things of his imagination. When the little prince first sees it he knows instantly what it is and asks him to draw a sheep. They see things from the same perspective.

When we see the picture painted by this passage in Luke, let us see it not as the end, but as the beginning. We know that this moment ushered in new life. We see, not a defeated man, but a king, the King of Glory.

May we celebrate that fact; may we see salvation where the world sees suffering. May we see hope where the world sees death. May we know that this is not the end, but the beginning of the Reign of Christ the King!

Testify

Luke 21:5-19

“Joy to the world, the election is over, at least for two more years!”  While that might not be the good news you all were expecting to hear this morning, it is the good news I’ve been clinging to since Tuesday night.

This election process has left me feeling worn down, beat up and stressed out. I think it revealed to us that there is a lot of division in the country and that we need to get better at listening to one another instead of talking at one another.

The thing that I’ve struggled with this week is how we as a community of faith can come together and heal through all of this. Some of us are very excited. The candidate of our choice won and we are happy. We want to celebrate. Others of us are disappointed that our candidate lost. We want to mourn, we are afraid, we are anything but celebratory.

My challenge as your pastor is to try to help us all navigate through our experiences and to recognize that God is active in all that is going on today. With the fear, with the division, with the exuberance, with the joy. How do we find hope together?

And then, the lectionary gives us this reading from Luke about stones crumbling on from another and wars and I just want to toss my hands in the air.

But I won’t. I’ll pull myself together and get down to business. This passage in Luke is a fascinating read. It has been read as apocalyptic literature at its best. Descriptions of wars, natural disasters, persecution, imprisonment are peppered throughout. But, and this is a big but, it’s not about the end of the world.

That’s right, this is not a passage about the end of the world, or even the second coming of Christ. This is a passage about the temple and its upcoming destruction.

Luke wrote this passage around the year 90 in the common era. This tells of some of the collected sayings of Jesus, particularly his words about the temple, which had been destroyed in year 70, some twenty years before this Gospel. This is Jesus giving an amazing empowering message to a people who don’t yet know they need it, and to those of us who have already realized that structures and leadership can and will fail us.

Jesus tells those that are admiring the splendor of the temple that one day, soon, this temple will fall. No stone will be left on top of another. This would mean a shift in the way Israel worships. If there was no Temple, then where will they sacrifice? If there is no temple where can they go to be near the Holy of Holies? If there is no temple their entire way of life must change.

Not only does Jesus tell them there will be no temple, but that before that happens there will be war. There will be earthquakes. There will be famine. There will be signs in the heavens. Things will be more unstable then you’ve seen them before.

And wait, Jesus says, that’s not all!

You will face persecution. You will be hunted down for your faith by the religious leaders and civic leaders. You will be put in chains.

None of this sounds like good gospel news, does it? The world as you know it will fall apart, you will lose your freedoms. Not what any of us would sign up for.

Then we get to verse 13. This will give you an opportunity to testify.

All of this will happen, so that you can tell the good news of Jesus Christ, not when you’ve been pulled through your suffering, but right smack dab in the middle of that suffering.

You will be betrayed, hated by family and friends, but Jesus will be with you, giving you the testimony you need to bear witness to God.

Wow. This is intense. Luke is paving the way for an introduction to the Acts of the Apostles, a chronicle of what the apostles did after Jesus’ death and resurrection. How they were indeed persecuted, chained up, and yet given the chance to speak the word of God in the midst of those trials and sufferings.

Too often when I think of testimony or testifying in a spiritual context I think of it as sharing that good things that have happened. Sharing about a healing. Sharing about a bad thing turned good, and I think those are important things to share. But I think the kind of testifying Jesus is referring to here is that midst of the storm no end in sight testimony. Those words that acknowledge God is God no matter what the world may look like.

These testimonies come from the mouth of a woman who has just lost a child, grieving, but saying that God knows what it is like to lose a son.

They come from the lips of the dying who offer hope to those keeping vigil.

They come from the mouths of children who offer comfort by sharing their meals with the homeless man or woman on the side walk.

They come from people like you and like me, who are living through pain right now and still seeking God’s face.

In a moment, I’m going to ask you all to do something uncomfortable. I’m going to ask you to testify. I want you to be open and honest about what’s going on in your life I want you to share where you see God or where you struggle to see God. I want us to share our testimony with one another so that it will be easier to share it with those on the outside of these walls.

I’ll start. (share)

I now invite you to share in groups or with everyone your own testimony.

(allow time to share)

I’d like to close with one last testimony. The church musician Thomas Dorsey was born in 1889 in Georgia. He became a musician and spent time in the world of church music and in the clubs of the time. He eventually chose to focus on sacred music exclusively.

“In August of 1932, Dorsey left his pregnant wife in Chicago and traveled to a large revival meeting in St. Louis. After the first night of the revival Dorsey was handed a telegram which said “Your wife just died.” Dorsey raced home and learned that his wife had given birth to a son before dying in childbirth. The next day his son died as well. Dorsey buried them in the same casket and withdrew in sorrow and agony from his family and friends.  

While still in the midst of despair, Dorsey said that as he sat in front of a piano, a feeling of peace washed over him. He heard a melody in his head that he had never heard before and began to play it on the piano. That night Dorsey recorded this testimony while in the midst of suffering[i]”

Let us together join in his testimony singing, Precious Lord, take my hand.

---

[i] Story retold by Nancy Lynne Westfield in Feasting on the Word Year C volume 4

One Bride for Seven Brothers

Luke 20:27-40

The first time I went to Steve’s grandmother’s house I was amazed. There was furniture everywhere. Three dressers in the dining room to hold various linens, curio cabinets filled with choochkies, tables of various sizes and uses. The house was pulled together beautifully, but there was a lot of stuff. It was a lot to take in.

The next time I went I looked a little bit more closely at the items around. And I noticed that there were stickers or labels on almost everything. They said Jim, Donny, Kelly, Heather, Steve, Gladys, Shela, and Cheryl. She caught me looking at them quizzically and explained quite quickly. “Those are the names of who gets what. If your name is on it, when I die, it’s yours.” She didn’t want her children arguing over her things, so she decided in advance who got what, and she expected her wishes to be fulfilled.

The first visit I made to Steve’s parents’ house after we were married was filled with very similar conversations. They told me where the important papers were, just in case. They showed me what furniture was Kelly’s and which was Steve’s. They even took me to the storage building to see which tools would go to which child. And every time we visited after that some version of that conversation would occur.

Some of you may be very familiar with these kinds of conversations. I didn’t grow up with them. I haven’t figured out if that’s because my extended family never really had much to argue over property wise, or if it’s because my Dad and his Dad had the same attitude “You aren’t going to get much of an inheritance,” he says, “It is my intention to watch you enjoy the blessings I can share while I’m still alive.”

Perhaps on All Saints Celebration Sunday it seems a bit odd to talk about inheritances. Isn’t it callous to think of the dead in terms of what they have left for us? And what does that have to do with the one bride for seven brothers scripture anyway?

The answer to the first question is, no. It’s not callus to think of the dead in terms of what they have left us, as long as we are not just talking about material things.

The answer to the second question is, it goes along perfectly with the scripture for today.

In our lesson from Luke Jesus has made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. You remember that entry of course, riding an unridden colt, people laying down their cloaks and waving palm branches? After this he goes into the city teaching and listening all the while heading to the cross.

In walk the Sadducees. We have not heard any other conversation between Jesus and the Sadducees in Luke. This is the first time they have spoken. Why might this be? Because the Sadducees believed that the place to worship God was at the temple, and only at the temple. Therefore, Sadducees were found where the temple was.

They have no doubt heard from other religious leaders the tales of this Rabbi. They have heard of his teaching, of his ability to draw a crowd, of his miraculous acts. A group decides to get close enough to test the mantle of this vagabond preacher so they ask a question.

““Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man^[b] shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. ²⁹ Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; ³⁰ then the second ³¹ and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless.³² Finally the woman also died. ³³ In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”

What an interesting question! It takes a lot of mental gymnastics to unravel, some knowledge of the Old Testament idea of levirate marriage. But Jesus can work this one out in his sleep, right?

Only the Sadducees don’t want an answer to that question, whose wife will she be. They are trying to catch Jesus in an unwinnable argument. How do we know that? Luke tells us right up front, the Sadducees who don’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. These men don’t even believe in the resurrection. They believe that this life is all you get, so follow the rules, worship in the right place, live well and your eternity will be what you leave behind, what inheritance you can offer as a legacy.

Sometimes we can get so caught up in what our legacy is, what we are leaving behind, that we forget to live now. Sometimes we can be so focused on getting to heaven that we forget to live as resurrection people now.

Jesus knew that the Sadducees had no real belief in the resurrection, he saw their question for what it was, an attempt to put Jesus into a box, to pin him down so that they could openly reject him, so they might have just cause to end his ministry.

But Jesus doesn’t play by their rules. He doesn’t get caught up in their question. Instead he makes perhaps one of the most liberating, most amazing, most radical statement that we never hear.

To understand let’s get a bit of a background on marriage in biblical times. Marriage was a contract entered into by a man and another man. Yes, you heard me right. Marriage was a contract between two men. The bride’s father, and the groom. The bride had no legal say in the matter. Very often she was not consulted on her willingness to be married at all let alone to the person she is sold to.

Yes, I said sold. There was a bride’s price paid by the groom’s family for a bride. This was an economic transaction. You paid for the bride a certain price based on age, social status, virginity and these prices fluctuated with the market.

This question the Sadducees asked was whose wife will she be, and at its heart this is a question not of relationship, but of ownership. Who will be her husband? Who will be the one responsible for her in the afterlife?

Jesus’ response is amazing. Marriage will not be an issue in the resurrection of the dead. People will not enter into such contracts with one another. People will no longer marry or be given in marriage. People will no longer be sold. The contractual nature of marriage as was known in the 1^st century will not be needed in the afterlife. Resurrection people will know how to care for each other without looking to profit from that. Resurrection people will understand relationships and mutuality.

Think about that for a moment. Resurrection people will not sell one another. There primary identity will be that of a child of God, not husband or wife, father or mother, but a child of God. The relationship with God will be the primary relationship, all other relationships will stem from that one.

Wow! Can you imagine what that will be like? The first thing you will think when you see someone else will be, family, another child of God. Not, I don’t like his hair, or her teeth, or his politics, or her voice. They are a child of the Living God.

Some scribes reply to Jesus saying “You have answered well.” Note that these scribes are not Sadducees, but rather other teachers of the law. Jesus has not played the Sadducees game and has if fact said that their worry about inheritance is unnecessary.

So, what does this mean for us today in Huntsville, AL? What does this say to us two days from an election that has caused a lot of division and aggravation the past 18 months?

I believe, with all my heart, that we are called to be resurrection people, citizens of the kingdom of God, children of the Almighty, in the present and not yet kingdom. As resurrection people, we should live in the way Jesus describes- not selling people, aware of their inherent value as fellow children of God, fellow image bearers of God.

The legacy we have inherited from those who have gone before us has lead us to this place. We have benefitted from their faith. We have been blessed by their belief. We have been lifted by their prayers. But to remember their legacy is not enough. For God is a God of the living!

I ask, when we think of those matriarchs and patriarchs that have gone before, when we say things like “Those are big shoes to fill” or “We need more people like her or him” what are we saying? Are we standing there looking at the footprints hoping that someone else might step up? Are we looking around expecting another person to become the one that helps?

Let me be frank, if those of us here today are unwilling to step into those shoes, then there will not a be a Christ Church to leave as a legacy to Wyatt and Everett, to Madeline, Genevieve and Aylee.

If we live as resurrection people, acknowledging God’s love for all, then we will reach out to share that love with all. We will give joyfully to our sisters and brothers in need. We will respond with all that we are to God’s call because God is our primary relationship.

In the big things and in the small things, we have the chance to be the people of God. When you vote, if you haven’t already, take time to remember that everyone there, even the people who disagree with you, are God’s image bearers, and treat them as such. Remember that everyone running, yes, even Him, even her, are the image bearers of Christ. Pray for them both accordingly.

When you take these boxes home tonight, remember the children who you will be helping. The boys and girls in Haiti who will receive food and education through these funds, the boys and girls whose hair will grow back once their nutrition issues are addressed. Think of the families that will be reached with God’s love because one of the least of these was shown love.

May we, as resurrection people, carry the legacy of our Father in heaven with us willingly. May we step up and show love in action. Let us not wait to see what people do with what we leave behind. Let us help them enjoy the love of God in the here and now. Amen.