October 27, 2024
23rd Sunday after Pentecost – Ted Hackett
Lessons 10: 6-27
Job and Evil
The last four Sunday’s Hebrew Bible readings have been from the Book of Job.
In those four readings we have pretty well covered the Book …
Hebrew Scriptures…our Old Testament…
Have four parts…
The Law…the first 5 books, the Prophets, and then pretty much everything else … called the “Wisdom Literature”…
Wisdom contains a lot of good sage advice about how to live….plus some stuff that doesn’t fit any particular category.
The Book of Job goes here.
You all know poor Job…and the saying : “The patience of Job”…and of course we have read selections from it over the past four weeks.
So basically…you know the story…
but let’s review…
It’s a very theological story!
Job is a good and righteous man…
He is generous…supporting widows and poor people…making civic gifts..
He is so well respected that when he goes to sit among the men of the community where they gather by the front gate of the city…that the other men do not speak…out of respect.
And Job was very prosperous…
Property, crops, livestock, Sons and Daughters
And in his time and place…
According to orthodox theology…
Such success was proof of his righteousness…
A leader,
October 20, 2024
22nd Sunday After Pentecost – Byron Tindall
They just didn’t get it, again for the umpteenth time.
Zebedee’s sons, James and John, indicate what kind of kingdom they are expecting when Jesus takes over the leadership of that kingdom. “…and they said to him, ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.’”
The place of honor at a ruler’s court at that time was just to the right and left of where the ruler sat. It seems like James and John were expecting Jesus to come back as some type of political ruler or a leader who would be recognized as such by the way his court was organized.
“But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’”
The brothers agreed that they were capable of following Jesus down that road and told him so.
About this time, the other 10 disciples got wind of the conversation that was going on between Jesus, James and John. They got a little miffed.
Jesus called the 12 to come to a meeting where he tried to explain to them that his kingdom was unlike any other kingdom ever seen on earth. They just didn’t get it.
Matthew and Luke report similar incidents in their Gospels.
October 13, 2024
21st Sunday after Pentecost – Ted Hackett
Today’s Gospel reading from Mark sounds pretty…
Well…pretty tough. Let’s look at it with some care.
As often happens…Jesus is about to hit the road…
He seems to have pretty much lived on the road with his disciples… stopping at villages along the way to preach and get food and sleep.
So today he and his gang are setting out…
And first thing…a devout young man appears, falls down on his knees in front of Jesus and beseeches him…
“Good Rabbi… “What do I have to do to have eternal life”…
Jesus scolds him:
“Don’t call me good…only God is good!”
Oops! Not a good start!
But then Jesus speaks to him in a kindly way…
“you know the ten commandments…”
And he recites three of them…
Interestingly…the three relate to how we treat each other and don’t mention God.
I’ve never known what to make of that…
But then, Jesus often baffles me…
But anyway…the young man says: “Rabbi…I have kept the Commandments all my life…”
I doubt that anyone of us could make that claim…to have kept all ten commandments all our lives! How about never coveting a possession of a friend?
Even as a kid?
Boy! Did I ever covet Billy White’s new sled!
October 6, 2024
20th Sunday after Pentecost Proper 22, Year B – Bill Harkins
The Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30 Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
In the Name of the God of Creation who loves us all, Amen. Good morning, and welcome to each of you on this Feast of St. Francis a day on which we hear a surprisingly challenging Gospel text. And, we prepare for the blessing of the animals today we also give thanks in this season for All the Saints whose lives are intertwined with ours, often in ways we cannot see.
In today’s Gospel from Matthew we are reminded that some forms of wisdom cannot be obtained by working harder and harder for them. Knowledge of God, it seems,