Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Luke 14: 1-6

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.
Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking,
“Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?”
But they kept silent; so he took the man and,
after he had healed him, dismissed him.
Then he said to them
“Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern,
would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?”
But they were unable to answer his question.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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I studied Russian in college. One of my professors grew up behind the Iron Curtain. She often told stories about the dreariness of Communism, the long lines for bread, the rationing of food, the relentless propaganda, and indoctrination of children.

But one thing she brought with her when she emigrated to the United States was the idea of rest. “Here,” she said, “I have to work 24/7. If an email is sent on a Saturday and I don’t respond to that person immediately, then they wonder why!”

This was 20 years ago.

“Work,” she said, “happens during the week. On weekends, we should be free.”

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Jews held a similar idea of the Sabbath. It was a day of rest, honoring the seventh day of creation, when God rested from his labors. No work was permitted; not even charity.

Yet, in today’s Gospel, Jesus heals someone for the third time on the Sabbath, asking, “Is it lawful to cure or not?” The heart of the issue is not about a rule, but the rule breaker. 

Jesus’ interpretation of Jewish laws differed from the scribes and Pharisees. To them, he represented a potential mass movement away from their school of thought, compromising their authority.

Jesus believed that certain things like charity are not simply permitted on the Sabbath, but required.

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What might this mean for us today? As Christians, should we honor the Sabbath? Do we need it?

Absolutely. But not just for religious reasons; many also need to rediscover the idea of genuine rest.

For example, when was the last time we spent a day – or even a few hours – without our phones? How long does it take before we start scrolling through social media? 

When was the last time we took a stroll through a park, paused to watch an eagle soar, called a friend just to talk, or read a book without interruption?

I need the Sabbath. Perhaps we all do. These days, what should be considered “unlawful” should be all of the stressful – even if good – tasks that take up our time during the rest of the week. We’re not machines; we’re human.

Find a few hours – even a day – for authentic rest this week. Doing so will not only honor the Lord, but also our often overexerted selves.

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Image credits: (1) Community Church of East Gloucester (2) X (3) Pastor Unlikely

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Gospel: Luke 13: 31-35

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,
“Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”
He replied, “Go and tell that fox,
‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem.’

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Something fishy is going on here.

Both King Herod and the Pharisees want Jesus dead. Yet, in today’s Gospel, the Pharisees warn Jesus about Herod’s intention to kill him, as if they’re trying to keep him safely out of Jerusalem.

Why? 

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Politically, it’d be much easier for Herod and the Pharisees to rid themselves of Jesus by having him disappear voluntarily than it would be to kill him. Christ has won the hearts of the people; executing him would come at a cost. 

But even death threats will not deter Jesus from doing his Father’s will. He knows exactly what awaits him in Jerusalem, and he’s ready to embrace it. If the authorities want Jesus dead, then they will have to do it themselves.

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This fishy exchange between the Pharisees and Jesus reminds us that the Lord not only understands our fallen human nature, but also human politics.

Although we’d all like to believe that everyone is for us, that’s not always going to be the case. At times, there will be people either inside or outside of our circles who do not want us to succeed.

This was not only true for Jesus, it can also be true in our own families, at work, in the Church, or in society at large.

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Rather than flinching or breaking at the first sign of resistance, Jesus urges us to remain steadfast. The only one whose approval we seek should be our Father in heaven.

It was never between us and the rest of them anyway.

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Image credits: (1) Meadowbrook Church, Redmond, WA (2) The Catholic Thing (3) AZ Quotes

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Gospel: Luke 13: 22-30

Jesus passed through towns and villages,
teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him,
“Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
He answered them, 
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,
then will you stand outside knocking and saying,
‘Lord, open the door for us.’
He will say to you in reply,
‘I do not know where you are from.’
And you will say,
‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Then he will say to you,
‘I do not know where you are from.
Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth
when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God
and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west
and from the north and the south
and will recline at table in the Kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first,
and some are first who will be last.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Lord, will only a few people be saved?” an anonymous person asks Jesus in today’s Gospel.

The Lord does not respond with a precise number or percentage. 

If he said, “Only 5% of humanity will be saved,” then we’d all be sweating! But if he said, 99%, then we’d be shouting for joy. We’d bet our odds, quickly presuming that the warlords, criminals, and evildoers in this world will be the 1% left behind.

But we simply don’t know.

“Strive to enter through the narrow gate” Jesus says. This verb “strive,” means to, “struggle; fight vigorously.”

Think of heaven’s gate as narrowly cracked, requiring force or momentum for us to squeeze through. 

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This does not mean that anyone will be excluded.

But think about heaven’s gate in terms of airport security. Although millions of people pass through our airports each year, each passenger is screened individually. If someone is not deemed a threat, then that person is allowed to pass through.

Similarly, every soul is “screened” by God – analyzed, purified, washed clean – before being allowed to enter into eternal life. 

This is what makes the gate narrow: individual responsibility.

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In what ways am I striving for eternal life? What gives me momentum? What slows me down?

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“Lord, will only a few people be saved?” an anonymous voice asks.

No, Christ died for all.

Thus, there’s a better question to be asked: “Grateful for what God has done, in what ways am I striving for eternal life?”

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Image credits: (1) Sound Cloud (2) Simply Catholic (3) Artza Box