This past Sunday we approached the parable Jesus told in Luke 16:19-31, about the rich man and Lazarus, as a play in 3 Acts. Discover the drama for yourself here.
During our Childrens Time we thought about Paul’s word to his young friend Timothy that ‘’the love of money was the root of all kinds of evil”. It may well pay dividends to reflect further on the wealth issue! We can note the following things:-
Wealth is transitory. The rich man’s wealth is gone in Hades (16:23). Last Sunday we looked at a crooked manager who suddenly faced bleak prospects (16:3). Elsewhere in Luke Jesus tells us of a farmer whose retirement savings goes to others on the night he dies (12:20). The point is clear. Money, possessions, and the good life that they bring with them are temporary in character and in the end completely untrustworthy.
Wealth obscures moral vision. The rich man knows Lazarus by name, but he looks past him day after day. As long as he is wealthy and self-sufficient, he has eyes only for himself and cares nothing for the welfare of others. Our comfortable situations can blind us to those less fortunate.
Wealth creates chasms between people. Wealth can be an impassable barrier that separates people one from another and prohibits meaningful interaction. The rich man’s moral blindness toward Lazarus during his lifetime isolates him from human contact and comfort in his own time of need.
The problem is not in wealth itself, but in the power of money to become an idol that completely controls our lives. Whenever we allow our money… or even our lack of it… to determine our joy, then we are allowing the values of this world, rather than God’s Kingdom, to determine how we live our lives.
Prayer: Lord, help us to be satisfied with what we have and use all that we are to help others discover the joy of Your Kingdom. In this way our lives will truly be rich. Amen.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Tony Malonely
‘Tony Malonley’ is an imaginary character I created this past Sunday to illustrate the parable of the dishonest manager in Luke 16:1-13. You can enjoy the sermon for yourself here.
To set our meditations in a slightly different direction, commentators note that Luke has a number of parables in which people of status are brought low and need help from those in a less fortunate position.
A traveler on the road who is set upon by thieves receives help, not from his Jewish contemporaries, but from a Samaritan. (Luke 10:25-37). A son who squanders his inheritance begs to become as one of the hired hands. (Luke 15:11-32). In our parable a manager of dubious character seeks help from his debtors.
Elsewhere scriptures teach us to be modest in our self-apraisal and to ‘Humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord”. Jesus suggests that it is better to be engaged in taking the plank out of our own eye, than seeking to take the speck out of the eye of another.
Greg Carey, Professor of New Testament at Lancaster Theological Seminary
comments “Perhaps this is why the Lord praises the corrupt manager. The manager's sagacity lies in his ability to discern his own situation. He may be "ashamed to beg" (16:3), but he is prudent enough to recognize when his status has evaporated”
Our traditional denominations no longer occupy the lofty role they once played in society. As we seek to discern our own situations, there is a lesson here for us. The old ways of doing and being just don’t work in todays world. As individuals the same can also apply. It’s not so much about who we were. It is who we are seeking to be in the current moment that will define our future.
Prayer: Lord, we confess our tendency to cling to our status and hold onto that which we know best. Changing days call for changing ways. Help us have humble hearts eager to be directed by Your Holy Spirit. Amen.
To set our meditations in a slightly different direction, commentators note that Luke has a number of parables in which people of status are brought low and need help from those in a less fortunate position.
A traveler on the road who is set upon by thieves receives help, not from his Jewish contemporaries, but from a Samaritan. (Luke 10:25-37). A son who squanders his inheritance begs to become as one of the hired hands. (Luke 15:11-32). In our parable a manager of dubious character seeks help from his debtors.
Elsewhere scriptures teach us to be modest in our self-apraisal and to ‘Humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord”. Jesus suggests that it is better to be engaged in taking the plank out of our own eye, than seeking to take the speck out of the eye of another.
Greg Carey, Professor of New Testament at Lancaster Theological Seminary
comments “Perhaps this is why the Lord praises the corrupt manager. The manager's sagacity lies in his ability to discern his own situation. He may be "ashamed to beg" (16:3), but he is prudent enough to recognize when his status has evaporated”
Our traditional denominations no longer occupy the lofty role they once played in society. As we seek to discern our own situations, there is a lesson here for us. The old ways of doing and being just don’t work in todays world. As individuals the same can also apply. It’s not so much about who we were. It is who we are seeking to be in the current moment that will define our future.
Prayer: Lord, we confess our tendency to cling to our status and hold onto that which we know best. Changing days call for changing ways. Help us have humble hearts eager to be directed by Your Holy Spirit. Amen.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Lost without Knowing it
I was traveling down the road, so busy talking to the person sitting in the passenger seat that I failed to notice that there was an intersection. The road I wanted went one way, the way I went was the other way. It was only when we came upon a shopping mall and a set of traffic lights that I realized our error. I had become so preoccupied that I had become ‘lost without knowing it.’
As we reflected on Luke 15: 1-10 and the parables of the lost sheep and lost coin this past Sunday we thought about the dangers involved in being lost! That sermon can be found here.
What are some strategies we can turn to when we feel lost?
Look at a map.
The Scriptures can be a great guide to help us through our problems. As we read of how different bible characters dealt with the issues of their day, we can often find guidance for ourselves. Some of the greatest sayings of Scripture can give a framework in which to find the way. ‘Treat others in the way you would like them to treat you’ ‘Pray for your enemies’, ‘Be Patient’… these little nuggets can help us navigate many moral dilemmas.
Ask Directions.
I know what they say…. real men never ask for directions! Yet Christian doctrine has always insisted that Jesus was a ‘real man’. And He found it very necessary to carve out a place in His life for prayer. So have His disciples across the centuries. When we are feeling lost, we seek God for direction.
Help others.
Becoming involved in a cause outside of ourselves can often bring answers to questions we didn’t even realize we were asking. Seeing things from another persons perspective. Maybe walking a while in their shoes. Such experiences can provide the sort of purpose and meaning that we may be missing in our day to day routines!
Prayer: Lord, when we are feeling lost help us to find our way through Your Holy Spirit being our guide. Guide us as we listen. Guide us as we serve. Guide us as we pray. Guide us through the Scriptures. This we ask in Jesus name. Amen.
As we reflected on Luke 15: 1-10 and the parables of the lost sheep and lost coin this past Sunday we thought about the dangers involved in being lost! That sermon can be found here.
What are some strategies we can turn to when we feel lost?
Look at a map.
The Scriptures can be a great guide to help us through our problems. As we read of how different bible characters dealt with the issues of their day, we can often find guidance for ourselves. Some of the greatest sayings of Scripture can give a framework in which to find the way. ‘Treat others in the way you would like them to treat you’ ‘Pray for your enemies’, ‘Be Patient’… these little nuggets can help us navigate many moral dilemmas.
Ask Directions.
I know what they say…. real men never ask for directions! Yet Christian doctrine has always insisted that Jesus was a ‘real man’. And He found it very necessary to carve out a place in His life for prayer. So have His disciples across the centuries. When we are feeling lost, we seek God for direction.
Help others.
Becoming involved in a cause outside of ourselves can often bring answers to questions we didn’t even realize we were asking. Seeing things from another persons perspective. Maybe walking a while in their shoes. Such experiences can provide the sort of purpose and meaning that we may be missing in our day to day routines!
Prayer: Lord, when we are feeling lost help us to find our way through Your Holy Spirit being our guide. Guide us as we listen. Guide us as we serve. Guide us as we pray. Guide us through the Scriptures. This we ask in Jesus name. Amen.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
The Call and the Cross
As we met around the communion Table this past Sunday we considered the topic of our calling of Jesus to take up our own Cross and follow Him. The text of the sermon can be found here.
In a world were we like to take things easy… why on earth would we willingly take on the kind of commitment that Jesus asks of us?
All is not well with our world. Whilst we enjoy the benefits of freedom, health and bountiful resources, we are the fortunate ones. The same cannot be said for many with whom we share our planet. It seems not simply a religious principle, but a humanitarian one, that we who have much should not rest easy whilst many have so little.
History teaches that progress rarely happens without struggle. The great freedoms we enjoy are not accidental. Laying behind our privileges are the historical acts of those who selflessly pursued higher goals… often to the point of surrendering their own lives. Struggles against slavery, for equal rights for women, for just labor practices… the list goes on and on.
We seek a higher goal. If we dare take the name ‘Christian’ then we intimate that we are taking on the mantle of Christ-like living. We state our belief that His way of doing things is the ‘WAY’, that His life represents what ‘LIFE’ should be, that His truth is the ‘TRUTH’ regarding what really counts for something.
Prayer: Lord, we hear Your call to take up a Cross and follow. We may not want to hear it… but You keep calling. Help us to recognize that You call us to bring positive change to this world we share with so many others less fortunate than ourselves. Amen.
In a world were we like to take things easy… why on earth would we willingly take on the kind of commitment that Jesus asks of us?
All is not well with our world. Whilst we enjoy the benefits of freedom, health and bountiful resources, we are the fortunate ones. The same cannot be said for many with whom we share our planet. It seems not simply a religious principle, but a humanitarian one, that we who have much should not rest easy whilst many have so little.
History teaches that progress rarely happens without struggle. The great freedoms we enjoy are not accidental. Laying behind our privileges are the historical acts of those who selflessly pursued higher goals… often to the point of surrendering their own lives. Struggles against slavery, for equal rights for women, for just labor practices… the list goes on and on.
We seek a higher goal. If we dare take the name ‘Christian’ then we intimate that we are taking on the mantle of Christ-like living. We state our belief that His way of doing things is the ‘WAY’, that His life represents what ‘LIFE’ should be, that His truth is the ‘TRUTH’ regarding what really counts for something.
Prayer: Lord, we hear Your call to take up a Cross and follow. We may not want to hear it… but You keep calling. Help us to recognize that You call us to bring positive change to this world we share with so many others less fortunate than ourselves. Amen.
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