Jesus: a real man

        When I read passages like this that convey a snippet of the real life of Jesus, so many thoughts come flooding in. First is that he was so truly loved and followed. When the town heard 'he's back in town' , the place gets flooded with people, so much so that even the door is blocked.  These were a faithful, yearning people and Jesus not only spoke to them, he taught them, loved them, he was really one of them. 

       Jesus is preaching daily, helping people and showing them "The Way" to salvation.  He held none of the attributes of  today's televangelists. His preaching and love was where Mother Theresa found a real means to change people and the world for the better. Jesus is basically just 'doing his thing'. Really, what he was meant to do, what he donned humanity for. But again, no negative attributes, not haughty and he was fully human like any one of us.

       And then in the midst of his mission, his ministry, Jesus offers a real glimpse of his humanity.  The scribes, the religious self righteous elite, just like the ones we have today, are putting their own two cents in. They have something to say about who or who not can forgive. These are the same ones complaining about the 'work' of curing on the Sabbath or about the Apostles plucking heads of wheat and eating it "on the Sabbath"!! And Jesus just has had his fill of it and gives them a dose of his humanity backed by his divinity and all that power. So the Scribes are complaining and dissing Jesus and Jesus to my mind says the following.  'You know what, you want to question who or why anyone can forgive or why I have such authority? Get a load of this. Hey paralytic, not only are you forgiven for any sins you may have committed but get this, I cure you of your human ills. You may now pick up your mat and walk home.'  I could only be happier if Jesus could do it all with the flourish of Endora casting a spell or exiting in a huff. 

       Gotta love Jesus. Not only showing us the Way but has a great grasp of the 'get a load of this' to his complainers and detractors. A real human, a real guy, someone everyone can relate to. Jesus is not the stuffy arrogant preacher of today spouting scripture like weapons. Jesus is fully human and acts like it in the best of ways. Curing. Loving. Forgiving. It is no wonder that when he came back to town the crowds drew in to him.

          I love the snippets about Jesus that show him as a real human and gives us a template for how to act, love and just be. There is love, simply being and forgiveness.  

Mark 2:1-12

When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralysed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay.When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ‘Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Stand up and take your mat and walk”? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the paralytic— ‘I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home. ’And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’

I will never desert you

       Do you know how it feels to be in a situation that no matter which decision you make, whatever choice you make, they all seem to be unacceptable.  The Kobayashi Maru scenario from Star Trek or simply, a no win situation.  Yet you have to do something. Not everyone has to face this situation but when you do, it can traumatic. Sadly, some people choose the irreversible , misguided choice, taking their own life. I was very close to that point when I was coming to terms with being gay. Married to a good woman, children, member of the clergy, active in te church and community. I know that it can be an exceptionally tough decision for some, to acknowledge who God made them to be. To accept and not hide God's gift even when some might turn their backs or hate you. I am happier that it is not as big a thing for most people any more.  Still though, you are revealing something deeply personal to an often unforgiving, judgmental world.

      Certainly, coming out is not the only situation in life that can seem like we have no good choices. What got me though was today's Scripture passage. Well, not this passage so much as the embedded message deep inside that no matter what, God was with me, Jesus was standing with, carrying me if need be, loving me without question no matter what.

       When I taught religious education classes to young kids, including my own, I tried to instill in them just how much God loved them. I'd ask them their name and they said it without hesitation. I told the kids that I wanted them to know that God loves them with the same certainty that they could just say their own name. I mean, to really know God loves you in every fiber of your being.  One thing I guess the nuns in my long storied Catholic school education did was to instill in me that innate knowledge. And no, they did not beat it into me either.

     I hope you never have to face any Kobayashi Maru moments but I think it is terribly important to know deep inside and all through your being just how much you are loved. It is not dependent on anything other than being who you are, a lovable carefully crafted being.  If you do face tough times then, know also that God would never abandon you. God is alongside you - always.  Then too, know in the good times, God is there also to share that joy and inviting you to share that love with everyone else and to be there for someone else in tough times. A unity in love. 

Matthew 26:26-35

While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’

When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Then Jesus said to them, ‘You will all become deserters because of me this night; for it is written,
“I will strike the shepherd,
   and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” 
But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.’ Peter said to him, ‘Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.’ Peter said to him, ‘Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.’ And so said all the disciples.

To Saint Paul

       It does not happen that often but it clearly has happened several times throughout history. Saint Paul is probably the most notable example. Someone has a conversion experience that changes their life. That in itself is not too exceptional. What is most exceptional, as with Saint Paul, is the breadth of change in the life of Paul of Tarsus to the Saint Paul we know, love and emulate. Perhaps he is the most influential person in the world next to Jesus. His conversion moment set the stage for the incredible tsunami of Christian conversion through the western world.  Paul is the one who argues for the inclusion of non Jews into the schema of salvation that Jesus calls us to. Paul really 'gets it',  the message of Jesus in it's totality! 

       When you read today's Scripture passage from the Episcopal Liturgy of the Hours, you see the breadth and depth of what Paul is speaking of.  You also see that the message is as real and relevant today as it was way back then.  I may have to copy this down and read it for a week just as a source of mediation and to think of where we are as a society and where we really want to go. Where I want to go.  A truly good reminder for me even at face value without further thought.

      Each sentence is a challenge, an indictment and a road map to the message of Jesus Christ in action. This is my only and simple plan for today.  No matter what I am doing, putting dishes away, laundry, driving, working, exercising, laughing and loving, this is going to be a template and thought for actions.

Romans 12:9-21

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour.Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Reaction

     Someone once said that all the most important things in life you learn in kindergarten. The acts of sharing one's toys and not always getting what you want comes immediately to mind. We simply do not get what we want all the time, not materially or by way of how we would like things to unfold in life. 

      Take me for example. First on my list today would be that I would not have wanted Trump to be elected the President of the United States. I disagree with almost everything he says and does. His actions and policies do not reflect my personal beliefs for the actions of the USA and his actions as a Christian or even as a human being. It has been and continues to be a roller coaster ride from hell. On a more deeply personal note, I might have preferred to realize and come to terms with being gay long before I turned fifty. I would prefer a world where my sexuality is really a non-issue. Coming out should be nothing more detailed than noting that someone is left handed. 

      The Apostles today seemed to differ in their opinion of the use of this costly nard (ointment) on Jesus. Clearly Judas Iscariot clearly had his own ideas and thoughts that so troubled him that to get his own way he decided to betray Jesus.

       That is the question in today's Scripture passage for us.  How do we respond when things do not go our way?  In politics and in our personal life, how do we greet disappointment?  What do we do when our prayers seemingly go unanswered or we get a resounding answer but not what we had been asking God for?

        Someone once approached me about a personal problem that I had no capacity to help with other than to pray. I did however suggest that in addition to prayer, that they seek out a therapist, a professional.  I have always firmly believed that we should pray but at the same time do everything that we can practically and lovingly on our own to solve a problem or to achieve our goals. Work hard, pray hard.

        We often have to come to terms with things that happen, do not go our way or frustrate the heck out of us.  How we respond is a matter of deep faith, what we believe, who we are and who we want to be.  Betrayal does not seem like a loving response and history has so judged Judas.  Discussions and listening have been a bedrock forever in solving problems.  Legal means are available in the secular world if need be.  This is what lawsuits are all about. Whining does not work as a rule but love always prevails.

         Our responses should always be tempered by love and not selfishness.  Maybe think back to what we were taught in kindergarten. Just a  thought, your turn. 

Matthew 26:1-16

When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, ‘You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.’

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and they conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, ‘Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.’

Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. But when the disciples saw it, they were angry and said, ‘Why this waste? For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor.’ But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, ‘Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.’

Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I betray him to you?’ They paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

The Indictment

     The title of today's blog and this passage are so very timely. Perhaps when you read "indictment" you were hoping for the daily headline? Treacherous, Treasonous, Lying, Lech Indicted. We can only wish and pray. Fervently. The interesting thing about today's passage is that it has been dragged out quite a bit lately. Here it comes up in the normal, routine, un-orchestrated schedule in the Liturgy of the Hours. 

      When a supposed man of God and his minions smugly quote holy Scripture in justification of an immigration scheme that separates babies and children from their parents, how is it possible that such learned and supposed faithful individuals miss this gem in Matthew? This passage spells out the letter and spirit of the law to which the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue does not raise muster.

       I have often said it would be rather easy ( as fundamentalists often find ) to simply follow the Ten Commandments and feel smug, cozy and arrogant about it.  What became a real challenge for us was to obey those Ten in light of Jesus' Two Great Commandments.

Love is great arbiter of Scripture and it mirrors the love God has for all of us. I guess that's the thing, God loves us all equally and we would be mindful to always remember that in our actions. To do any less is a strong indictment of our faith ( or lack thereof ).

Matthew 25:31-46

‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” ⁴⁶And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’ 

Presence

     Is there anyone who reads today's Scripture passage who really thinks that this is all about money?  I once knew a Pastor who was quite a good fundraiser and wise with expenditures. On his retirement the parish community had a formidable complex of buildings with no mortgages and over a million dollars in the bank. 'Well done, good and trustworthy servant'. Sadly though, this passage is often used to justify the adage that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. I think Jesus would find that abhorrent and a far cry from what He is calling us to do and how to live. 

         So if not money then what? Literally, is it what we call 'talents' today? Our gifts, our personal talents and abilities? And yes, our treasures too?  If we are to embrace our dual identities as material and spiritual beings, as children of God, then we are called embrace that Godly portion. We must emulate the Creator who loves us with reckless abandon and who spares nothing in the pursuit of our happiness. Are we willing to embrace our godliness and give of ourselves in such a rich manner without thought to who deserves it or who can pay back the best or most?

        One thing is for sure, no matter what your gifts are, don't hoard it, don't keep it to yourself. That poor guy with the one 'talent' he buried, well it didn't go well for him. The bottom line is that we should all be giving, all be sharing the gift that we are with others. That includes money, personal abilities or 'talents' and even our presence. We often forget the value of our presence.  Give abundantly of all we are graced with, including ourselves.

 Matthew 25:14-30

‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed;so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Last minute lamp oil

    Living on the water is not for the faint of heart. The water can be rather unforgiving and you really have to be prepared for a wide variety of scenarios. I have often thought that a drive through Alaska might be quite similar. Not much room for error and you really have to be quite prepared.  Mistakes that otherwise would be the subject of a rescue call to AAA could prove fatal in extreme and unforgiving circumstances like the Alaskan wilderness. I suppose at one time life was always like that, survival of the fittest and all that. Today, not so much and I am sure that is good and bad. The fact remains though that we are called to be prepared. It's a great scout motto and today's Scripture passage is all about that. 

       When we find ourselves face to face with our creator to explain or lives, will it be good enough to say "had I only known" or "I really meant to take care of that" ( or them )?  I am firm believer in a thoroughly loving and almost unbelievably forgiving God by human standards. How much of God's nature can we presume to impose upon?

        When my kids were growing up and I was learning how to be a parent, we made many discoveries. One is how different children are. These little humans have such a vast difference in capabilities, interests and talents.  You may know that I feel it is a sin not to indulge, promote and nurture the gifts and talents we are graced with. If one child had a greater ability, more was expected of him or her in that area. Alernatively, more was expected of me to nurture and support that talent.  We each contribute in our own way but to those who have been given more, more is expected.

          Where then do we get the notion that the rich should be granted more rights and exclusions to get richer while the poor are viewed as lazy and get less? It's an interesting dynamic that is not supported in scripture nor from Jesus' actions in human life.  Even more interesting is that it is often the pseudo-Christian conservative right that promotes such human inequities. Google the living habits and 'homes' of televangelists and see what presumptions these men and women have on God's good graces.  I suspect they will will be called to task with the rest of us if not more so.

           While we are all called to do the best we can and use our gifts and talents for the good of all God's creation, some are graced with with more abilities and hence more responsibilities. But for those of us who have perhaps not the material means we are not let off the hook so easily. Like the bridesmaids we are called upon to prepare. Without monetary means or a given talent what are we to do then?  While no one is granted excuses out of loving our fellow humans, the 99% lets say, have more leverage than we often think about. Voting and political action are a way to promote God's love, divine policies of inclusiveness and charity.  To not vote, to not raise your voice, will not likely be accepted as an excuse juts like having to buy lamp oil at the last minute was not accepted in today's passage.

     No one is excused, and from some more is granted and more expected.  None of us should be lazy or fall folly to the notion that we still have time.  

Matthew 25:1-13

‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps.The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.