Daily Lesson for October 20, 2020

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from John chapter 8 verses 1 through 11:

1 while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

I think it was John Claypool who said that if we wonder what Jesus was writing in the sand it was: "Where is the man?"

That's a good guess. And it is mighty suspicious that no man to stand charged with this woman. But then again, this whole thing is mighty suspicious.

The whole thing was designed to entrap -- not the woman -- but Jesus. The woman was a pawn, a useful tool, a case test, a body to be judged and then harmed, all for the sake of political theatre. Adultery was not the issue. Sex was not even the issue. The issue wasn't the issue at all. Power was the issue. Getting Jesus was the issue. And nobody cared if this nameless woman got hurt along the way. She was expendable. But where was the man?

I guess the man was Jesus.

Jesus didn't excuse the adultery. He didn't even argue that it ought not to be a punishable crime. But he did suggest a shrewd way to carry out the sentence, basically making it impossible to enforce without also indicting oneself of blaspheme -- calling what is unholy holier-than-thou.

I think we should remember this text the next time we see somebody being accused of something publicly for the sake of political points. We need to ask ourselves, "Where is the man?"

Or, in other words, "What's this really all about?"

NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible this year. Tomorrow's Lesson comes from John 9 and 10.

Daily Lesson for October 19, 2020

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Matthew chapter 18 verses 1 through 5:

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a child, whom he put among them, 3 and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

We turn now into that section of Scripture when Jesus begins to speak of the cross, and of the self-sacrificing giving away of life, and of humility.

To be great, Jesus said, one must have the humility to change and become like a child.

Children know their place. They understand they are dependent on others. They do not lord over others. They may wish at times, but they cannot will to power. They allow themselves to love and be loved without the fear of vulnerability.

The disciples do not understand all of this. They are consumed with ideas and persons of "greatness". It must have been very frustrating to Jesus to hear them talking in this way, even as he was talking about going to the cross.

And yet, this is why he said, people must "change".

Our hearts must change. Our ideas of what and who is great must change. For it is the last who are first and the humble who are greatest in the kingdom of heaven; and it is the children who teach us how to finally act like adults.

NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Tomorrow's Lesson will come from John chapters 7 & 8.

Daily Lesson for October 16, 2020

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Mark chapter 7 verses 24 through 30:

24 From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, 25 but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” 30 So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Today's Daily Lesson is the keyhole through which the Gospel door is unlocked and the door opened to all the world.

Before this moment the ministry of Jesus was only for the Jews, and there was the first feeding of the multitudes on the Jewish side of the lake. Afterward, however, there is the feeding of the Gentiles also.

Before this encounter, Jesus was certain that his mission was first and foremost for his own people. In fact, he even equates the Gentile people to "dogs" in his aphorism -- revealing his own prejudice.

But this foreign woman will not take no for an answer. If the woman must be a dog for the sake of her child then so be it. And seeing the woman's compassion and love, Jesus' heart breaks. He is changed. He understands now he is not only to be messiah of the Jews, but savior of the world.

I have no problem with the idea that Jesus had to overcome the parochial prejudice of his own time, and place, and culture. We all do. And the Scripture even says it itself --"He grew in wisdom and stature."

And, think about it, who wants a savior who couldn't grow? Who needs a savior who hasn't had to overcome prejudice?

None of this would have happened had Jesus not been on the border. I don't know what he was doing there -- vacationing? Who knows.

But it's a good reminder, experiences with the Other can change us -- especially encounters with the suffering of Others. For in the end, we humans are all the same. And what mother would not be willing to become a dog if it meant life or death for her child?

In this case it meant life for her biological daughter, and all the rest of her spiritual children, who were not born Jews but have been blessed and saved by the Jew Jesus anyhow.

"Salvation is from the Jews," Jesus said. But thanks to this bold foreign woman we can thank God Jesus came to see it wasn't for the Jews only, but also for the rest of us also.

NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Tomorrow's Lesson comes from Matthew 16 and Mark 8.

Daily Lesson for October 15, 2020

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from John chapter 6 verses 1 through 14:

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5 When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”

St. Augustine once said, "There is always enough of that which is meant to be shared."

Our problem is not one of scarcity. There is plenty to go round. Our problem is distribution. It's excessive accumulation. We have a problem with sharing.

So no wonder it was a child who made the miracle in the Biblical story. For it's children who are told day by day to share with their siblings and friends and they believe it's what they're supposed to do. They still believe there's enough if we share.

No wonder we adults won't let them run for president. For they'd probably make us do as we've said, and not as we've done.

NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Tomorrow's Lesson comes from Matthew 15 and Mark 7.

Daily Lesson for October 14, 2020

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Mark chapter 6 verses 17 through 24:

17 For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. 18 For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. 21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. 22 When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.” 23 And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” 24 She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.”

"He liked to listen him."

That is about one of the most telling statements in all the Bible.

A person can come and listen to the preacher and enjoy his or her sermons; but when the preacher goes "from preachin' to meddlin'" then watch out.

That's why so many people like to visit churches and synagogues but hardly join them. It weighs too much on the conscience.

John talked about money. He talked about abuse of power. He talked about the poor and the dispossessed. He talked about adultery. And for Herod and his mistress Herodias it was all too much to bear.

They say a preacher's job is to comfort the the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. What John did was conflict the terrible.

And as we all know, they were terribly conflicted.

NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Tomorrow's Lesson will come from John chapter 6.

Daily Lesson for October 13, 2020

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Mark chapter 5 verses 24 through 34:

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” 29 Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 He looked all around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

Decent and accessible healthcare is central to the Gospel. We cannot -- or should not -- "believe" in Jesus without also believing in and working for a healthcare system which works. It is a basic human right and it ought to be basic to the agenda for all Christian voters.

The woman in today's Lesson had a pre-existing condition. She had done all she could to get the care that was available to her. It left her destitute; and she was still no better. Jesus healed her -- and sent her away in peace. For finally, she could get back to living again.

Jesus called the woman "daughter". I think that's interesting. We look at healthcare as an "issue" which is up for debate -- one we will no doubt hear debated in today's Supreme Court nominee hearing. But we don't debate the lives of our daughters, or sisters, or brothers, or sons like this. They aren't "issues". They are family.

Healthcare is a basic human right; and everyone ought to have affordable and in many cases free access to it. And the followers of Jesus need to do what our Lord did, stop arguing about healthcare in the abstract, and start talking about likes its a matter of life, and death, and absolute economic survival for our family -- because, to Jesus, it is.

NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Tomorrow we will be reading Matthew chapter 14; Mark chapter 6; and Luke chapter 9.

Daily Lesson for October 12, 2020

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Matthew chapter 13 verses 31 through 33:

31 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.

Both of these images Jesus uses today to describe the kingdom of God are subversive. The mustard plant was an invasive species no farmer in ancient Israel wanted near his fields. Find a little mustard plant and before too long it would take right over. It was like kudzu in the South. And yeast was never a good thing in the Bible. It was something to be cleaned out and strictly guarded against. For just a little yeast could ruin a whole loaf of bread -- especially the ritually required unleavened kind.

So what strange and absolutely fantastic images these are for the kingdom of God!

And to take it one step further, I was doing a Bible study with college students one year and talking about the image of the woman putting just a tiny bit of yeast in the flour and one of them said, "Let me get this right, Jesus said, 'The kingdom of God is like a passive aggressive woman who purposely ruined the religious bread.'"

Maybe that idea bothers us. If it does, then maybe we're beginning to hear these parables as they're intended.

For the reign of God is subversive and hidden in tiny pockets of resistance on this planet; but one day its hope and peace with justice shall cover the whole earth.

And there is nothing that the powers of evil can do to stop it.

NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Tomorrow we will read Mark chapters 4 and 5 and Matthew 10.