trial and truth

Good afternoon friends,

Our reading for today picks up after Jesus' arrest. Peter and John follow Jesus to the High Priest's palace and Jesus is tried there. Each of the Gospel accounts tells the story a little differently. I really like the interaction between Pilate and Jesus in John's version here.

God bless,
Sam

John 18:17-40

¹⁷The woman said to Peter, “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” ¹⁸Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing around it and warming themselves. Peter also was standing with them and warming himself.

¹⁹Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. ²⁰Jesus answered, “I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. ²¹Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said.” ²²When he had said this, one of the police standing nearby struck Jesus on the face, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” ²³Jesus answered, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” ²⁴Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. 

²⁵Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, “You are not also one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” ²⁶One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” ²⁷Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed.

²⁸Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. ²⁹So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” ³⁰They answered, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” ³¹Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.” The Jews replied, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death.” ³²(This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.)

³³Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” ³⁴Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” ³⁵Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” ³⁶Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” 

³⁷Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” ³⁸Pilate asked him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no case against him. ³⁹But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” ⁴⁰They shouted in reply, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a bandit.

Blasphemy?

Good morning sisters and brothers,

If you're looking for some great weekend activities, I've got two for you. On Friday beginning at 6:30 pm Laurelton is hosting a free movie night at the church. It will be really relaxed with a double feature and some snacks. Saturday from 5-7pm Calvary St. Andrews is hosting a Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser. Pasta, bread, salad and dessert will be $7 for adults with a special kids price for kids 11 and under. There's take out available, but you need to reserve that ahead. Both events should be lots of fun.

Today's reading we see religious leaders asking Jesus to be clear about who he is and then trying to stone Jesus when he answers that he comes from God. Their concern is blasphemy. We'll see how Jesus responds to the charge.

God bless,
Sam

John 10:22-42

²²At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. ²⁴So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” ²⁵Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; ²⁶but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. ²⁷My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰The Father and I are one.”

³¹The Jews took up stones again to stone him. ³²Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” ³³The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.” ³⁴Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? ³⁵If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ —and the scripture cannot be annulled— ³⁶can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? ³⁷If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. ³⁸But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

³⁹Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands.⁴⁰He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. ⁴¹Many came to him, and they were saying, “John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” ⁴²And many believed in him there.

blocked healing

Good evening friends,

In yesterday's reading Jesus healed a man who had been unable to walk for years. In today's reading the religious leaders scold the man for carrying his mat on the Sabbath. In our time this feels like a really silly concern, but for Jewish leaders under Roman occupation every decision about following the commandments (including the Sabbath commandment to rest) must have felt like a possibility to support or turn away from God's rules that kept the community together. 

Instead of thinking badly about the leaders, I invite us to consider where we have been inflexible with others. Where have you resisted, rejected or thought unkindly about someone because "you can't do/say/dress like that in church?" Where have you let appearances or manners keep you from seeing a miracle God might be trying to do in your community? Where have you let your own self criticism block a miracle God might want to work in your life?

May we all find God's healing,
Sam

John 5:9b-18

Now that day was a sabbath. ¹⁰So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” ¹¹But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’” ¹²They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk’?” ¹³Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there.¹⁴Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.”¹⁵The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 

¹⁶Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the sabbath. ¹⁷But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, and I also am working.” ¹⁸For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God. 

telling the story

Good evening friends,
As we read yesterday, Stephen's faith got him into trouble with the religious leaders. They accused him of blaspheming against God and of speaking badly about the traditions of his religion. In response, Stephen starts his story with the root of that religions, which is the call of Abraham. Everything Stephen says shows how well he understands scripture and the story of his faith. The better our own understanding of our faith is, the better we are able to see the world and our faith together.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 7:1-16

Then the high priest asked him, “Are these things so?” ²And Stephen replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, ³and said to him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you.’ ⁴Then he left the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran.

After his father died, God had him move from there to this country in which you are now living. ⁵He did not give him any of it as a heritage, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as his possession and to his descendants after him, even though he had no child. ⁶And God spoke in these terms, that his descendants would be resident aliens in a country belonging to others, who would enslave them and mistreat them during four hundred years. ⁷‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ ⁸Then he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

⁹“The patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him, ¹⁰and rescued him from all his afflictions, and enabled him to win favor and to show wisdom when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. ¹¹Now there came a famine throughout Egypt and Canaan, and great suffering, and our ancestors could find no food. ¹²But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there on their first visit. ¹³On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. ¹⁴Then Joseph sent and invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five in all; ¹⁵so Jacob went down to Egypt. He himself died there as well as our ancestors, ¹⁶and their bodies were brought back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

who's boss?

Good evening friends,
Remember that at 7:30 tonight there's a great worship opportunity at St. Ambrose to hear the story of Jesus arrest and execution. It's a great way to get into the story of Jesus' last week. We'll have another great opportunity to enter the story as we celebrate a potluck supper on Thursday at 6 and continue with worship remembering Jesus' last night with his disciples. 


We see the conflict brewing between Jesus and the religious leaders in our passage tonight. The leaders want to trip Jesus up so they can arrest him. Jesus is honest and clever, as we see.

God bless,
Sam

Luke 20:20-26

²⁰So they watched him and sent spies who pretended to be honest, in order to trap him by what he said, so as to hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the governor. ²¹So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you are right in what you say and teach, and you show deference to no one, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. ²²Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” ²³But he perceived their craftiness and said to them, ²⁴“Show me a denarius. Whose head and whose title does it bear?” They said, “The emperor’s.” ²⁵He said to them, “Then give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” ²⁶And they were not able in the presence of the people to trap him by what he said; and being amazed by his answer, they became silent.

healing on the Sabbath

Good morning sisters and brothers,
One of the ways women often appear in the New Testament is as people Jesus heals. In this story, Jesus takes the initiative, by noticing the need for healing and performing the miracle. The religious leaders get upset because Jesus heals on the Sabbath, but Jesus explains that the Sabbath is a day for untying burdens so all can rest. The passage asks us when we have used tradition or religious teaching to limit people or ourselves in unhealthy ways. Faithfulness isn't about blindly following rules, but about looking for God's intention and following that. It's not as simple as following a checklist, but it is the better way Christ calls us to. Most of all, the rule of love for God and love for others leads us in the right direction. At the same time, notice that Jesus doesn't say we shouldn't follow the Sabbath commandment, only that we need to understand it more fully.

God bless,
Sam

Luke 13:10-17

¹⁰Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. ¹¹And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. ¹²When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” ¹³When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.

¹⁴But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.” 

¹⁵But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? ¹⁶And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” ¹⁷When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

crucified

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,

Our passage for today is Mark’s version of Jesus’ condemnation by Pilate, led on by the religious leaders and the crowd. Notice how people make fun of Jesus using symbols of power. Watching Jesus on the cross, the idea that he was a savior or king seemed ridiculous. In reality, God simply sees power differently than we do. God could make us do what God wants, but God makes power perfect in weakness through Christ. And Jesus can guide us to a new way to see power in our lives today.

God bless,
Sam

Mark 15:6-20

⁶Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. ⁷Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. ⁸So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. ⁹Then he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” ¹⁰For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over.

¹¹But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. ¹²Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” ¹³They shouted back, “Crucify him!” ¹⁴Pilate asked them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!” ¹⁵So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

¹⁶Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. ¹⁷And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. ¹⁸And they began saluting him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ¹⁹They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. ²⁰After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

faith and justice

Hi Friends,
I'm sorry I didn't send out the reading yesterday; I'll add it to today's reading and talk briefly about both. The Prophet Amos is one of the clearest voices against injustice in Israel and Judah. In his day the two kingdoms were separate: Israel was the Northern Kingdom with its capital at Samaria and Judah was the Southern Kingdom with Jerusalem as its capital. For Judah things were going pretty well in a lot of ways and the people thought of themselves as the faithful half of God's people. They apparently prided themselves on their worship life.

Amos addresses the rich and powerful in both kingdoms and accuses them of taking advantage of the poor. He talks about living in luxury while others go hungry. He also talks about commercial injustice: getting rich by selling poor quality grain and by using dishonest weights and measures. Amos warns them not to put so much confidence in their religious connection to God: they are chosen but they throw away God's favor by allowing and supporting injustice. What word does Amos have for us today?

God bless,
Sam

Amos 6:1-9

Alas for those who are at ease in Zion, and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria, the notables of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel resorts! ²Cross over to Calneh, and see; from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is your territory greater than their territory,

³O you that put far away the evil day, and bring near a reign of violence? ⁴Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the stall; ⁵who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and like David improvise on instruments of music; ⁶who drink wine from bowls, and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! ⁷Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile, and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away. ⁸The Lord God has sworn by himself (says the Lord, the God of hosts): I abhor the pride of Jacob and hate his strongholds; and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.

Amos 8:4-10

⁴Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land, ⁵saying, “When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; and the sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale? We will make the ephah small and the shekel great, and practice deceit with false balances, ⁶buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, and selling the sweepings of the wheat.” ⁷The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.

⁸Shall not the land tremble on this account, and everyone mourn who lives in it, and all of it rise like the Nile, and be tossed about and sink again, like the Nile of Egypt? ⁹On that day, says the Lord God, I will make the sun go down at noon, and darken the earth in broad daylight. ¹⁰I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on all loins, and baldness on every head; I will make it like the mourning for an only son, and the end of it like a bitter day.

woe to you, Pharisees

Good morning friends,
Happy Halloween, please be safe tonight. Our reading this morning picks up on Jesus criticizing the scribes and Pharisees for hypocrisy. You can almost picture Jesus moving from calm argument to angry denunciation. He goes after the religious leaders for getting in the way of people coming to God and for imposing traditions that don't have anything to do with faithfulness. I wonder if Jesus has been holding back this kind of fierce talk and finally comes to a point where he doesn't want to hold it in anymore. We can see the conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders becoming more intense as Jesus moves closer to the cross.

Blessings,
Sam

Matthew 23:13-22

¹³“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in, you stop them. ¹⁵Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

¹⁶“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the sanctuary is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by the oath.’ ¹⁷You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that has made the gold sacred? ¹⁸And you say, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gift that is on the altar is bound by the oath.’ ¹⁹How blind you are! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰So whoever swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it; ²¹and whoever swears by the sanctuary, swears by it and by the one who dwells in it; ²²and whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by the one who is seated upon it.

leadership

Good morning friends,

Paul writes that suffering is part of following Jesus. He also openly shares his love for the Thessalonian church and says they are the reason for his confidence about Christ's coming. In other words, their faith testifies to his faithful ministry. Jesus also talks about leadership, but very differently. He criticizes the Jewish religious leaders for paying too much attention to appearances and status. True leadership in faith is about following God together humbly.

God bless,

Sam

1 Thessalonians 2:14-20

¹⁴For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you suffered the same things from your own compatriots as they did from the Jews, ¹⁵who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out; they displease God and oppose everyone ¹⁶by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they have constantly been filling up the measure of their sins; but God’s wrath has overtaken them at last.

¹⁷As for us, brothers and sisters, when, for a short time, we were made orphans by being separated from you—in person, not in heart—we longed with great eagerness to see you face to face. ¹⁸For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, wanted to again and again—but Satan blocked our way. ¹⁹For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? ²⁰Yes, you are our glory and joy!

*Sunday

Matthew 23:1-12

¹Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ²“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; ³therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. ⁴They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. ⁵They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. ⁶They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, ⁷and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi.

⁸But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. ⁹And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father — the one in heaven. ¹⁰Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah.¹¹The greatest among you will be your servant. ¹²All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

God's will

Good morning brothers and sisters,
I just heard yesterday evening from our neighbors at the Fire Department that they are hosting an open house beginning at noon on Sunday. It sounds like a lot of fun, and it would be great for people to go. It also means that if you can, it would be best for you to park at the dentist's office across Helendale Rd from the church to free up the parking lot as much as possible. We'll also be meeting after worship to talk about youth ministry. We're also looking forward to the choir's return to worship led by Dr. Soo Yeon Kim. It's quite a full and exciting weekend.

It shouldn't surprise us that Jesus' tearing up the temple caused some anger and confusion among the religious leaders. They ask him what gives him the right to act the way he does. Rather than answering the question, he asks one of his own. He follows that up with a simple, but challenging question about what it means to do God's will. That's always a good question for us to reflect on: what does God want from us and how are we responding?

Blessings,
Sam

Matthew 21:23-32

23When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” 27So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.


28“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. 30The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. 31Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.”

temple tax

Good morning friends,
First, I'd like to remind you that there are still several tickets left for Saturday's Redwing's baseball game. The tickets are free thanks to Robyn Fitzgerald and her great knack of knowing how to ask for things. The game starts at 7:05 and will be followed by fireworks.

Today's reading is an odd one. Many of us are familiar with Jesus' response to the religious leader's question about paying taxes to Rome. In this case the question is whether or not he pays the tax to support the temple. Jesus enigmatically muses with Peter about whether it's appropriate for children of the temple faith to pay taxes. I'm not sure quite what Jesus is getting at here, but it sounds like a critique of the temple leadership. That conflict with the religious leaders is only going to get more intense as our story continues.

God bless,
Sam

Matthew 17:24-27
24When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?” 25He said, “Yes, he does.” And when he came home, Jesus spoke of it first, asking, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their children or from others?” 26When Peter said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the children are free. 27However, so that we do not give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook; take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a coin; take that and give it to them for you and me.”

Sabbath and gentleness

Good morning (barely) friends,
Having just made a point about being Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus goes on to drive the point home. This time he makes a different argument about the Sabbath. He points to common sense (which agrees with the Law of Moses) which tells us that even on the Sabbath, when we aren't supposed to work, we still make exceptions for emergencies. Jewish tradition discusses this idea as an example of saving life, an acceptable reason to violate the Sabbath.

The second paragraph talks about Jesus' desire to remain hidden in some ways in terms of prophesy (Isaiah in this case). Jesus comes gently, not destroying even the vulnerable things that cling to vitality. Even though he is powerful (to heal, to challenge those in power) he is gentle and meek. No matter where we are in life Jesus welcomes us.

God bless,
Sam

Matthew 12:9-21

9He left that place and entered their synagogue; 10a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?” so that they might accuse him. 11He said to them, “Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.” 13Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other.

14But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. 15When Jesus became aware of this, he departed.



Many crowds followed him, and he cured all of them, 16and he ordered them not to make him known. 17This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 18“Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. 20He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick until he brings justice to victory. 21And in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

waiting on the Sabbath

Good morning brothers and sisters,
As a quick reminder, tomorrow morning we'll begin our celebration of the Lord's resurrection with a sunrise service at the east end of Durand Eastman Park (parking area B) at 6 am. We'll continue worship with our joy at our 10 am service at Laurelton with great music. If you have a chance, it would be great to bring a cut flower or two to decorate our cross out front.

Today we hear that of all Jesus' disciples three women and a man named Joseph were the only ones who stayed to see him buried. While the religious leaders scheme to guard the tomb, the disciples, including us, wait. May your waiting today be blessed.

God bless,
Sam

Matthew 37:55-66

55Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him.56Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.



57When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. 58He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth 60and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.


62The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63and said, “Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception would be worse than the first.” 65Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.” 66So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

condemened

Good morning brothers and sisters,
A quick reminder that tonight at 6:15 we have a potluck supper and worship to remember Jesus' last supper with his disciples. If you have a chance, please bring a plastic basin and towel. I'm looking forward to the evening and getting into this powerful piece of Jesus' story.

In our reading for today we're a little further ahead of the story. Pilate tries to have Jesus released for the Passover, but the religious leaders convince the crowd to have him crucified instead. As we let this story sink into us we realize how deep God's love for us is.

God bless,
Sam

Matthew 27:15-31

15Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted.16At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas. 17So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. 19While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.” 20Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. 21The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” All of them said, “Let him be crucified!” 23Then he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”


24So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” 25Then the people as a whole answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.


27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

blood money

Good morning brothers and sisters,
First, tonight we are not having Supper and Scripture, but we are meeting at the Boulevard at 8 to continue our ongoing discussion of The Shack. For this week we are discussing up through chapter 15. Tomorrow night we are having a potluck supper at 6:15 with worship to follow to remember Jesus' last supper with his disciples. I hope to see you there.

Earlier in Holy Week Jesus criticized the religious leaders for scrupulously following the details of the law while missing the big picture. In this passage we see a striking example of this behavior. The leaders are careful to avoid putting Judas's returned money in the treasury because it is blood money and would pollute the temple treasury. At the same time, they don't seem at all disturbed at having spent the money to get someone arrested, not do they seem bothered by Judas's remorse and recognition that Jesus is innocent.

Before we condemn the religious leaders, this passage invites us to look at ourselves. How do we shift blame to others? How do we focus on purity in minor details while missing major areas of injustice in our lives? How do we condemn the innocent? I'm so grateful Jesus always welcomes and forgives us.
May this week take you deeper into Christ's love,
Sam

Matthew 27:1-14

When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death. 2They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.


3When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4He said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself. 6But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money.” 7After conferring together, they used them to buy the potter’s field as a place to bury foreigners. 8For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one on whom a price had been set, on whom some of the people of Israel had set a price, 10and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”


11Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You say so.” 12But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. 13Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?” 14But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

trial and a cross

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Sorry for the long readings this morning; I want to have the whole story of Christ's crucifixion in front of us for today's service. We've read in the last couple of days about Jesus' arrest, trial and conviction by the religious leaders. Today they bring him to Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor to be sentenced there, because the religious authorities were apparently not allowed to execute a person.

God bless and see you in a couple hours,
Sam

Luke 23:1-25

Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate. 2They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.” 3Then Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He answered, “You say so.” 4Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for an accusation against this man.” 5But they were insistent and said, “He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place.” 6When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7And when he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.

8When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign. 9He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate. 12That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies.

13Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, 14and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16I will therefore have him flogged and release him.” 18Then they all shouted out together, “Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!” 19(This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.)

20Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again; 21but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.” 23But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. 24So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. 25He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.

*Sunday

Luke 23:26-43

26As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. 28But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For the days are surely coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ 30Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us’; and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

32Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” 36The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

39One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

the widow's mite

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Today is Veterans' Day, so as we turn to God in the morning let's remember our service men and women serving far from home and those who have served in the past. No matter how you feel about the wars we are fighting and have fought before, we owe a debt of gratitude and care for those who have served. As a society we don't always live up to that obligation, so let's hear the day as a call to work for fair treatment for our returning veterans. If you're free this morning there is a Veteran's Day service at Irondequoit Town Hall at 10:45, but wherever you are today you can lift up a prayer of thanksgiving and comfort for our veterans.

Today's reading is familiar to many of us. Widows in Jesus' time were especially vulnerable because women's economic opportunities were very limited and their voice in society was almost absent. At the same time, scripture says over and over that God is especially receptive to the cries of widows, orphans, and other vulnerable people. This story of the widow's contribution comes right after Jesus has accused the religious leaders of "devouring widows' homes." Looking at the two passages together we see that this widow, and many others, have supported the temple (and church) even when they could barely afford to do so, but the religious leaders haven't always cared for these vulnerable members of society enough. May we always hear the voices of those in need.

God bless,
Sam

Luke 21:1-4
He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; 2he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; 4for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

going after the leaders

Good morning friends,
Jesus has faced a lot of criticism from the religious leaders: the scribes, pharisees and teachers of the law, etc. Today the scribes concede that he speaks well, but Jesus goes on the offensive. In particular, he criticizes the scribes for caring about their honor and appearance, but "devouring widows." In other words, they take advantage of the vulnerable for economic gain. It's not exactly clear what Jesus is alleging, though it probably has to do with making money on religious services while not paying attention to the justice for the vulnerable that should be near the heart of faith and religious leadership. We are called to be especially aware of the needs of those who have no one else to speak for them.

God bless,
Sam

Luke 20:39-47

39Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40For they no longer dared to ask him another question. 41Then he said to them, “How can they say that the Messiah is David’s son? 42For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 43until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ 44David thus calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?”

45In the hearing of all the people he said to the disciples, 46“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets. 47They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”