But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me. – Luke 19:27

Today’s Scripture Reading (November 7, 2017): Luke 19

Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” The words define the civil rights movement that continues today. Sometimes things are not politically expedient; they are just right. After all of the speeches, after all of the comments and commands, sometimes our politics cannot define what is right.

There are also circumstances where politics does not possess the answer. Again, if the history of the civil rights movement in the United States is the norm, politics cannot fix the problem. We can write all of the laws and even try to force racial integration, but it doesn’t fix our racial problem because the problem resides in our hearts. And we are notoriously hard to convince of what is right through political arguments alone.

Jesus parable of “The Ten Minas” is similar to his parable of the talents except that it seems to have a decidedly political application. Instead of increasing the money of the ones who have wisely invested for their king, the successful investors are given control over cities. And then Jesus adds an ending that is decidedly violent as the enemies of the king are executed in his presence.

But the intention of the violent parable is possibly more about the political reality that existed in Judea than about anything else. The religious leaders were searching for a political answer to their problems. Some, like the Herodians and Sadducees, were playing a political game with the political powers that were at work in the nation. Maybe they believed that they were making inroads. But the reality that they missed was that there was no political solution to their problem. This was not about taking control of the country; it was about submitting their hearts to the will of God.

The meaning of the parable changes with its violent conclusion. Looking at Jesus words from our vantage point in history, we see an uncanny resemblance between the violent ending of the parable and the fall of Jerusalem at the hands of Rome. In spite of all their efforts, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as they pursued a political answer to the problem, remained the enemies of the King. And until they dealt with the problem of their hearts, they could only stay enemies of the King – and maybe more importantly, they remained enemies of God. It was not that if they took care of their hearts they would cease to be dangerous, but rather the danger would be different. Once their hearts had been set straight, the threat would stop being about who was in control and begin to be about this idea that we are all equal. And it would result in the decidedly non-political notion that love was truly the answer that we needed because only love can be truly right.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: John 12

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. – Mark 11:25

Today’s Scripture Reading (November 6, 2017): Mark 11

Mahatma Gandhi in “All Men are Brothers” argued that “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” The quote goes against the commonly held belief that forgiveness somehow allows the violator to get off without penalty. Yet, Gandhi is right. It takes incredible strength to forgive and let go of the offense that has been committed against us. So it makes sense that if forgiveness is going to happen in our world, it will have to come from the strong.

Gandhi’s words also give us a bit of encouragement to forgive. I am not sure that any of us wants to be seen as weak. We want to be considered among the strong. If we are always in pain, we want to believe that the pain is somehow making us stronger. If we are grieving, that process of grief is making us stronger. If we are going through trials and tribulations, if people have taken advantage of us, somehow that makes us even more ready to take on the world. As the saying goes, “What does not kill you, makes you stronger.” The saying may not be totally true, sort of like “if you’re not bleeding, you’re not hurt,” but deep down I think we want it to be true. However, it is important to note that Gandhi does not say that forgiving others makes us strong, but rather that it reveals a strength that already dwells inside of us.

So maybe it is not surprising that an all-powerful God is a God of forgiveness. God goes first; he forgives us out of his strength. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong and so forgiveness is freely available from an all-powerful God. But if that is true, then why is it that Jesus seems to hold an opinion that we can only be forgiven if we are willing to forgive? Why is it that Jesus commands us to forgive so that God will forgive us?

I believe that the answer is found in the fact that forgiveness is a two-step process. First, forgiveness has to be offered. So the words of Jesus from the cross were “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Forgiveness had been freely offered. But that is only half of the forgiveness process. The second step is that forgiveness has to be received. The second part of Jesus comment from the cross indicates this lack. They do not know, at this moment they are not ready to accept the forgiveness that has been offered, but if they do realize that wrong has been committed, Jesus wanted forgiveness to be already there waiting for them.

The truth is that we only learn to receive forgiveness by offering it. We only understand the importance of forgiveness by being forgiving. And while offering forgiveness is an attribute of the strong, it is just the strong that can learn to receive it. It is a weak person that always makes excuses for their behavior, rather than admitting wrong and accepting forgiveness. Strength is needed for both steps in the forgiveness process. And if we do not possess that kind of strength, well, God offers to give us some of his so that we can be the strong, forgiving people that he always imagined us to be.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Luke 19

They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet. – Matthew 21:46

Today’s Scripture Reading (November 5, 2017): Matthew 21

In the 1970’s, it seemed that the Metric System was poised to take over the world. Most of the world had already at least started the change from the various local systems of measurement to a universal Metric System. The argument was that a comprehensive form of measurement would aid in trade and cross-border economics. By the 1970’s, the idea was already centuries old. In North America, Mexico had begun the process in 1852. The United States had followed suit in 1866 but made no move toward the acceptance of the new system of measurement. Canada, a nation of the British Commonwealth, waited until after the United Kingdom began their shift from British Imperial form of measurement to the Metric System in 1965. So Canada started her journey toward change in 1973. President Gerald Ford finally signed the “Metric Conversion Act of 1975” into law on December 23, 1975, indicating that the process of changing to the Metric System was to begin in the United States. In 1982, the Act was abolished by President Ronald Reagan having made very little impact on the people of the country.

So what happened? The simple answer is fear. There is evidence that as the world becomes more of a global community, a reliance on one system of measurement makes sense. The reality is that the anti-metric community of nations is small. It consists of the United States, Myanmar (who is making strides toward changing to the Metric System), and Liberia. The United States reliance on the imperial system of measurement caused the loss of the Mars Climate Orbiter in 1998. While the specs for the Orbiter were ordered in the Metric units, Lockheed Martin provided their data according to the Imperial system of measurement. The result was the unintended crash of the Orbiter on the Martian surface. But, traditionally, fear has reigned creating failure in any discussions toward a change from Imperial System to the Metric System in the United States.

Dean Krakel, director of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma, argued that the “Metric is definitely Communist. One monetary system, one language, one weight and measurement system, one world — all Communist.” Bob Greene, a syndicated columnist, followed Krakel’s evaluation of the Metric System by founding WAM! (We Ain’t Metric) agreeing that it was all an Arab plot “with some Frenchies and Limeys thrown in.” In politics, fear often seems to rule the day.

So it probably shouldn’t be surprising that the first emotion experienced by those plotting against Jesus was one of fear. They knew the negative response of the people to the execution of John the Baptist, and were not looking forward to the reaction of the people should they arrest and execute Jesus. Before the arrest, they knew that they needed to build an argument against Jesus that would sway the people. They needed to find an inside man who would help them out with their plan. Fear meant that they needed to arrest and try Jesus during the night when no one was around. And then, in the final stages, create fear in the people so that their plan could take place. The driving force of this Passover movement had to be fear – because nothing shapes our politics more than the act of being afraid.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Mark 11

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” – Luke 18:14

Today’s Scripture Reading (November 4, 2017): Luke 18

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” The words, spoken by Ernest Hemmingway, speak of a reality that I am afraid that we often miss. We want to prove ourselves worthy of worth. We want to be important. And so we dress ourselves up and proclaim the good things that we have done. And we all do it. From the average people that I am in contact with to the President of the United States bragging about his Ivy League education and how smart he is (after all, he has a very high IQ, at least, in his mind, and an IQ that is much higher than anyone else around him). Our words scream that we are noble, that our position in life is well-earned and we are worthy of having people pay attention to our words.

The problem is that even if that were true, and it usually is not, the attitude that we are better than others drives other people away. No one wants to listen to someone who always brags about how good they are. And there is a feeling that maybe those who proclaim their superiority protest too much. That they are trying to sell themselves on the idea that they are worthy. And in the process, they begin to believe that they have no growth yet to be done. Their humility, when it is acted on, is false.

So Jesus tells the story of two men. One, a Pharisee, believes that he is worthy and noble and begins his conversation with God by outlining all of the good that he has accomplished and all of the reasons why he is better than everyone else. The second man has no illusions of nobility. He wants to honor God, but there is nothing inside of him that is worthy of that kind of honor. He doesn’t approach God, and his prayer, rather than focusing on all the good that he has accomplished in life, focuses on all of the way that he does not measure up.

And God’s response? It is the tax-collector who measures up in the eyes of God. The story would have caused a ripple among Jesus’s listeners. After all, the Pharisees were the ones who they were taught to look up to and to try to emulate. The tax-collectors were the ones who were universally despised. How could this reversal that Jesus was speaking of be true? But the reality is that it was only the tax-collector who had a chance to be truly noble. In bragging about our lifestyle and wisdom, we come to the realization that there is very little that we need to change. And so there is no way that we will become a better person tomorrow – there is no way that we will be able to live up to Hemmingway’s definition of nobility. It is only when we recognize our weaknesses, mistakes and sin, that we give ourselves the chance to become a better person tomorrow.

I want to emulate the tax-collector. There are many ways that I want to change and become a better person. None of us have arrived at the point of perfection, and so we all have the potential of becoming a noble person by being a better person tomorrow than we were today – and becoming superior to our former selves. But to accomplish that we have to forgo the foolish act of comparing ourselves to others and begin to just compare our self with the me that was written into history yesterday.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Matthew 21

Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” – Mark 10:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (November 3, 2017): Mark 10

Philosopher Immanuel Kant said that “Morality is not the doctrine of how we may make ourselves happy, but how we may make ourselves worthy of happiness.” Morality speaks to something deep inside of us. It does not speak to us as individuals, but to us as integral members of our communities. Morality upholds the idea of we rather than the idea of me. And as we act in the direction of the idea of we, we make ourselves worthy of happiness.

Morality is not a reflection of the law. In some ways, the idea of morality is the opposite of the idea of the law. Both are necessary for community to exist, but morality is the high water mark, it is the target toward which we try to aim, while the law is the low water mark, it is the minimum that must be acted upon in order for community to exist. And the difference between the religious establishment in Jesus day and Jesus was reflected in the difference between what is moral and what is the law.

So some Pharisees come to Jesus and ask this question – “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” When we hear the question, we should understand that the Pharisees are asking about the low water mark, what is the minimum that we are required to do. And the answer to this minimum question is that it is permissible as long as the divorce is acted on publically and the woman is given a certificate of divorce, which essentially officially freed the woman to live her life as best as she could. In ancient society, the existence of a divorced woman was a troubled one, but at least she could make the best of her unfortunate situation.

But Jesus response is more this; why are you aiming at what is permissible under the law? As the religious and moral leaders of Israel, why do you not lift up your eyes from the minimum to the moral target at which we should be aiming? The truth is that what is legal does not lift us up to the response that God expects of us. This difference is also reflected in the gap between law and grace. Grace always goes beyond the law and too often we seem to believe the reverse. Grace is part of a morality that stretches us toward something more, not something less. And the truth is that I want to live in a moral society, not a legal one; I want to live in a community that is dominated by grace. I want to be challenged toward the most that we can do, and not the least that is available to us, allowing us to survive. I don’t want to be just happy, but I want to be worthy of that happiness.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Luke 18

Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. – Matthew 20:34

Today’s Scripture Reading (November 2, 2017): Matthew 20

Mother Teresa said that “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” We struggle with understanding her words. The truth is that I know some very generous people. But those in need often want more, because in this world there seems to be no end to the “need.” Often we can do something, but we can’t do everything.

On top of this, we have all heard the story of panhandlers hiding their BMW’s away from the place where they practice their struggle, asking passing motorists for money. A while back a man came into my office asking for money for gas and food, and after talking with him for a while, I watched him drive away in his brand new Ford Truck. There was just something incongruous about the situation. I have long since stopped carrying cash with me, and a lot of the problem is not a reticence to help, but instead understanding when help is really needed. I am convinced that if we understood the level of need in our world, the generous souls exist that can take care of that need. Our problem is that the drain on generous souls by those who are not in need have worn out the potential for help. I think many do understand that we belong to each other, that there is a burden placed on those with material wealth to care for those who lack. But our struggle is often the task of reaching beyond the false and seeing the need.

I have no idea what was happening in Jesus midst on this day. Maybe Jesus’s disciples had forgotten that we belong to each other. But I think, perhaps, that the struggle of the disciples was similar to the one that we face on a daily basis. The need seemed to be overwhelming, and part of the problem was that charlatans existed all over the place who only wanted to take advantage of the generosity of those who would pass by. So as the two blind men cry for Jesus, they quickly try to protect their rabbi from the demands of the men.

But the story changes because Jesus saw them. He understood their need – and realized that the need was real. Because Jesus saw them, he had compassion for them. And he restored their sight. It was all that they wanted from him. Jesus understood that he and the two men belonged to each other, and because of that, Jesus was willing to do something.

I need the same miracle. I need to see the world through the eyes of Jesus. I need to look beyond the deception to the real problems of this world. I know that we belong to each other, but sometimes I struggle with what that means as I face the need of my community. I need Jesus’s eyes, and the willingness to see and react with compassion. And I don’t think I am alone. We all need Jesus to touch our eyes so that we can see the need, and understand that we do belong to each other.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Mark 10

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26

Today’s Scripture Reading (November 1, 2017): Matthew 19

Charles Watson Wentworth's "The Needle's Eye"

Charles Watson Wentworth (1730-1782), the second Marquis of Rockingham, allegedly made a bet that he could drive a coach and horses through the eye of a needle. The reference seemed to be in response to Jesus’s statement regarding the difficulty of a rich man gaining access to heaven being on par with the possibility of driving a camel through the eye of a needle. Wentworth went a step farther. Not only could he drive a camel through the eye of a needle, but he could also drive a coach with a team of horses through the eye of a needle. Apparently, someone took Wentworth's bet and the Wentforth constructed “The Needle’s Eye” on his property. The structure is wide enough just to allow a coach and horses to pass through the opening, lending some credence to the story of the origin of the structure. Wentworth apparently won his bet, even if it took a little creativity.

Traditionally we have spent a lot of effort trying to give some understanding to Jesus words about a camel passing through the eye of a needle. Many arguments have been presented attempting to provide some explanation of exactly what it was that Jesus was trying to say. Some have argued that there was a dangerous mountain pass that was barely wide enough to allow a camel to pass called “The Eye of the Needle” that Jesus had in mind when we spoke his warning. The problem is that the explanation is pure supposition – we do not know of any mountain pass today that fits that explanation. Others have argued that the phrase is essentially a problem of translation. The argument is that the word translated here as a camel (kamēlos) extends from the root word “gamla” which could be translated as either camel, beam, or large rope, and that Jesus mention of a needle should be a cue that rope is the intended translation here and not a camel. While this is a compelling argument, it does not lead to much of a solution to the problem presented by Jesus. It does not matter how much larger the item is than the eye of a needle; it is still impossible for either a large rope, a camel or a contemporary freighter to pass through the eye.

But our infatuation with a camel passing through the eye of the needle also seems to hide the actual issue with which Jesus appeared to be trying to deal. It is not the impossibility of the camel passing through the eye of the needle that is, in the end, important. It is that everything is possible with God. And in this, God is essentially in agreement with Charles Watson Wentworth. The bet that Jesus is making is that what is impossible with us is possible when God gets involved in the mix. Because, for God, passing a camel through the eye of a needle is not an impossibility. When God is part of the equation, everything is possible.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Matthew 20