Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Luke 19: 11-28

While people were listening to Jesus speak,
he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem
and they thought that the Kingdom of God
would appear there immediately.
So he said,
“A nobleman went off to a distant country
to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’
His fellow citizens, however, despised him
and sent a delegation after him to announce,
‘We do not want this man to be our king.’
But when he returned after obtaining the kingship,
he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money,
to learn what they had gained by trading.
The first came forward and said,
‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’
He replied, ‘Well done, good servant!
You have been faithful in this very small matter;
take charge of ten cities.’
Then the second came and reported,
‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.’
And to this servant too he said,
‘You, take charge of five cities.’
Then the other servant came and said,
‘Sir, here is your gold coin;
I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,
for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man;
you take up what you did not lay down
and you harvest what you did not plant.’
He said to him,
‘With your own words I shall condemn you,
you wicked servant.
You knew I was a demanding man,
taking up what I did not lay down
and harvesting what I did not plant;
why did you not put my money in a bank?
Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’
And to those standing by he said,
‘Take the gold coin from him
and give it to the servant who has ten.’
But they said to him,
‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’
He replied, ‘I tell you,
to everyone who has, more will be given,
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king,
bring them here and slay them before me.'”

After he had said this,
he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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This is a difficult parable to interpret.

Jesus is on the verge of entering Jerusalem, where he will be killed and raised from the dead. With hindsight, we can understand this parable in the context of responsibility. We are living in a time in between Christ’s resurrection from the dead and his return in glory.

Each Christian has been gifted with a coin of “faith.” We know who created – and redeemed – the world. What we do with this knowledge leads to either punishment or reward in the afterlife.

The one who lives out their faith to the fullest will be rewarded ten-fold. The one who does so somewhat will still be rewarded, though less than the first. The one who buries their faith in the sand of indifference will be punished severely.

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I think the real heart of this parable centers around that third person, who takes their faith and buries it.

With hindsight, we can imagine this person to be an indifferent Christian. Although that is a fair interpretation, it’s not who Jesus was thinking of when he first delivered this parable. 

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He likely directed it towards the scribes and Pharisees, the religious leaders of his day. They believed it was their God-given duty to preserve the Law in its entirety by maintaining absolute purity, thus avoiding any contact with the “defiled” or “sinners.”

But they missed the point.

Yes, the Jews were God’s chosen people. But their mission was to take this knowledge and to go out into the world, increasing the size of God’s flock. But they did the opposite; the more “religious” they were, the more secluded they became. 

Jesus, on the other hand, went out to the margins. He ate and drank with tax collectors and sinners without ever sinning himself. He expanded God’s reign by preaching, healing, and forgiving.

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This is what he still asks of us today – to learn how to live in a messy world without becoming defiled ourselves; to engage our neighbor; to seek the lost; to love our enemies; to share our faith in word and deed.

Doing so leads to a “ten-fold’ reward in heaven.

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Image credits: (1) Bible Study Tools (2) Amazon.com (3) Israel My Glory

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Gospel: Luke 19: 1-10

At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, 
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature. 
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, 
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.” 
And he came down quickly and received him with joy. 
When they saw this, they began to grumble, saying, 
“He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.” 
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over.”
And Jesus said to him,
“Today salvation has come to this house
because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. 
For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There’s often a deeper meaning beneath the words and stories in scripture. Today, for example, we hear the story of Zacchaeus, a man short in stature and hated by his neighbors. 

When he hears that Jesus of Nazareth is approaching his town, he rushes to see him. But his short stature and the presence of the crowds nearly prevent him. Desperate, Zacchaeus runs ahead like a child and climbs a sycamore tree.

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His short stature is symbolic of his tiny, budding faith. But, as Jesus says elsewhere, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this tree be uprooted and planted in the sea and it would obey you.” 

Zacchaeus reminds the crowds – and us – that a hint of faith can change a life.

As for the crowds, they not only serve as a physical – but also a spiritual – barrier to entry. Having been cheated by him, they label Zacchaeus a “sinner.” And rightfully so. 

But something in his heart has changed.

Perched up in that sycamore tree, he reaches a fork in the road. Will he accept the scornful label his neighbors have given him? Will he bury his budding faith and return to his man-made life of corruption? Or will he mend his ways?

“Lord, half of my possessions,” he says, “I shall give to the poor.”

Zacchaeus not only reminds us that faith comes at a cost, but also that people can be reticent to believe we can change.

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This image of a tiny tax collector perched in a tree is also an image of a Christian at prayer.

From time to time, we all need to pause what we are doing, climb out of our busy schedules, and spend time with Jesus. In those precious, quiet moments, the Lord not only counsels us, but he also gives us the grace to change. 

May Zacchaeus, a tax collector turned disciple, pray for us.

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Image credits: (1) Sermon Central (2) Adobe Stock (3) Redbubble

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Gospel: Luke 18: 35-43

As Jesus approached Jericho
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.
They told him,
“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more,
“Son of David, have pity on me!”
Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;
and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
“What do you want me to do for you?”
He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”
Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Have sight; your faith has saved you.”

I imagine the Lord saying the first part of that sentence – have sight – with ease, almost in a dismissive way. The same way a wealthy man might toss a beggar a coin. To Jesus, granting the gift of physical sight is nothing compared to the power he bears.

Elsewhere in the Gospels, he tells us he casts out demons by, “the finger of God.” 

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It’s the second part of that sentence – your faith has saved you – that should capture our attention. This is what draws Jesus. Throughout the Gospels, the Lord laments how people, even entire towns, have little to no faith in Him.

As Saint Matthew accounts, “He began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented.” 

“Woe to you!” he says.

Even the disciples are rebuked for their doubt.

While enduring a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee, the disciples awaken a sleeping Jesus, fearing they are going to drown. Irritated, the Lord rubs his eyes and rebukes them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”

Then he calms the wind and the waves.

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In my own ministry, I’ve witnessed countless miracles similar to what happens in the Gospels. I’ve seen cancer healed, brain damage removed, body aches and pains disappear. 

Yet the change in a person’s physical diagnosis does not automatically lead to faith; the human heart can be incredibly resistant to change.

This is why the blind man in today’s Gospel is praiseworthy. He’s not only healed physically; his faith also inspires him to get up and “follow” Jesus.

To “follow” Jesus not only means to move your feet, but also to open your heart.

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May we do the same today.

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Image credits: (1) Growing Christians Ministries (2) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, YouTube (3) LifeWire