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Short Stories by Jesus. Part 6

3/28/2020

*WORDS OF WORSHIP                                                                                   John 3:14
The Lord of life is lifted up!
Let us look to Christ and live.

*GATHERING PRAYER
Gracious God, in order that the children of earth
might discern good from evil you sent your Son to be the light of the world.
As Christ shines upon us, may we learn what pleases you,
and live in all truth and goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.

*HYMN                                           How Great Thou Art                                           #467

*CONFESSION AND PARDON
In the name of Christ, I urge you: be reconciled to God.

Accept our repentance, O God, for the wrongs we have done.
For our neglect of human need and suffering
and our indifference to injustice and cruelty, have mercy on us, O God.
For our waste and pollution of your creation
and our lack of concern for those who come after us,
have mercy on us, O God.

This is the proof of God’s great love: that while we were sinners, Christ died for us.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!  Thanks be to God!

*SONG OF PRAISE                             Gloria Patri                                                  #579

*PASSING THE PEACE
Christ offered us peace through his own sacrifice.
Therefore, we are called to live in peace with one another.
May the peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.

Word
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Gracious God, our way in the wilderness, guide us, by your Word, through these forty days, and minister to us with your Holy Spirit, so that we may reformed, restored, and renewed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SCRIPTURE LESSONS                                                                      Mark 4:30-32, GW
30 Jesus asked, “How can we show what God’s kingdom is like? To what can we compare it? 31 It’s like a mustard seed planted in the ground. The mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds on earth. 32 However, when planted, it comes up and becomes taller than all the garden plants. It grows such large branches that birds can nest in its shade.”

SERMON                                          Mustard Seeds
I have mustard seeds in the cupboard at home and in the drawer at work. As much as I love a variety of mustards (my favorite condiment), I do not cook with mustard seeds. But I keep buying the seeds to share whenever I teach this parable. Trust me, if we had been able to worship in person today, you would have gone home with a mustard seed to lose in your pocket or purse.

However, here we are worshipping online, so let me share instead a couple of pictures of black mustard seeds and yellow mustard seeds.

The first two images come from online stores that sell these items. (coloelde.com and spiceology.com mentioned not to advertise but in the interest of crediting the photos.) The last is from gardenindelight.com. It gives you an idea of the size. While mustard seeds are not the smallest in the natural world, they are still small, and the black mustard seed reportedly the smallest among them.

This parable starts with a seed. Seeds are a beginning. A seed of thought or an idea can grow into a movement. A seed of sedition can start a rebellion, but a seed of kindness paid forward can begin a very different revolution. Something as microscopic as a virus has turned our world upside down. Something as simple as washing our hands and staying home can slow down it’s disastrous effects. Seeds are small yet powerful.

What else belongs in this parable? To answer that question let me share that this is found in three of the gospels, but of course they are all a bit different. Let’s compare.

31 He told another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and planted in his field. 32 It’s the smallest of all seeds. But when it’s grown, it’s the largest of all vegetable plants. It becomes a tree so that the birds in the sky come and nest in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32)

18 Jesus asked, “What is God’s kingdom like? To what can I compare it? 19 It’s like a mustard seed that someone took and planted in a garden. It grew and developed into a tree and the birds in the sky nested in its branches.” (Luke 13:18-19)

30 He continued, “What’s a good image for God’s kingdom? What parable can I use to explain it? 31 Consider a mustard seed. When scattered on the ground, it’s the smallest of all the seeds on the earth; 32 but when it’s planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all vegetable plants. It produces such large branches that the birds in the sky are able to nest in its shade.” (Mark 4:30-32)

The above are all from the Common English Bible. You can do this like one of those games where you stare at the pictures to spot the difference. Do you find them? Here are the hints: where is the seed planted and how, what does it grow into, where do the birds rest? But of course none of these are the point. Look again and find what is the same in all three versions of the story as retold by three different evangelists, possibly even retold by Jesus to three different audiences.

Did you find a mustard seed, that is planted, that grows into something much bigger, and provides a resting place for birds? All three gospels have this much in common, so these are the points to which we will pay attention.

First let’s note that a seed, no matter how small, contains a great deal of potential. It has within it the possibilities of life and growth. Mustard may be only a condiment to you, but when I work through dietary restrictions for various health reasons, I’m grateful that I like mustard. It’s one I have never had to give up. When I google mustard and health this was the first pop-up. “Mustard seeds also contain calcium, dietary fiber, iron, manganese, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, protein, zinc, and selenium—a trace mineral that is an antioxidant that may offer protection against asthma, heart attacks, and some cancers.” There’s a tiny pharmacy in there! Now I’m wondering how to use those bottles of mustard seeds I already own. Clicking on the question, “Can you eat mustard seeds?” gives me this response, “All parts of the mustard plant are edible, including the seeds, leaves, and flowers; it is in the same genus as cabbage and turnips and is an annual plant. Brassica nigra is the plant that produces black mustard seeds.” Oh yeah, I forgot about mustard greens. I didn’t know the rest. Pliny, Roman author and naturalist writing in the first century said this about mustard, “extremely beneficial for health … [and in treatment of] snake and scorpion bites, toothache, indigestion, asthma, epilepsy, constipation, dropsy, lethargy, tetanus, leprous sores” and more. (quoted by Levine in Short Stories by Jesus, p. 177) So among the points to be made about this parable, note that mustard seeds are a good thing. We are talking about planting something good regardless of some careless interpretations in earlier centuries. Mustard seeds: small, full of nutrition with potential for more benefits. Got it!

But second, let’s note that for the seed to grow into its potential it must be planted. There is human action involved in this parable. I consider it a matter of our intended partnership with God. Even back in Eden’s garden, humans were assigned the task of tending what God gave them. Levine suggests, “anyone who “plants” a seed might be expected to tend the garden.” (p. 177) Seeds are meant to be planted. That is part of the mysterious workings of seeds. Planting them leads to more.

Sometimes the planting of seeds and tending of plants is shared by more than one person. Paul used this to illustrate a fundamental in the growth of the Church in 1 Corinthians 3, “6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God made it grow. 7 Because of this, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but the only one who is anything is God who makes it grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together, but each one will receive their own reward for their own labor. 9 We are God’s coworkers, and you are God’s field, God’s building.” (1 Corinthians 3:6-9)

Jesus told a lot of parables about planting seeds. In fact there are three in a row in Matthew 13. The Mustard Seed story follows two others, The Parable of the Soils, and the Parable of the Weeds as the CEB translation names them. Perhaps you know the first of these parables the best. The sower sows seed and some lands on the path to be eaten by birds, some on rocky soil too shallow to sustain growth, some among thorns only to be choked out by them, but the seed that lands on good soil yields a hundred-fold crop. In the second parable, a farmer plants good seed, but an enemy comes at night and plants weeds in the same field. As the plants grow the difference is obvious, but what to do? They must grow side by side until harvest; then they can be sorted. We learn that it matters what is planted and where it is planted. Mark 4 also puts these three together in the same order. John’s only reference to seeds focuses on the fruitfulness when planted. “I assure you that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it can only be a single seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24)

Perhaps you are already speculating on the meaning of the seed and its planting. Matthew and Mark record Jesus giving his disciples explanations for the Soils and for the Weeds parables, but NOT for the Mustard Seed. By now we have learned enough from Levine’s take on the parables to know church leaders and scholars added more layers of interpretation over the centuries, some of which we still hear and others we have never heard in our own day. This parable is no different. I read the allegories and find myself asking Where did they get that idea? Levine would not make this parable an allegory. “Sometimes a seed is just a seed, a bird is just a bird, and a tree is just a tree.” (p. 180) That said, on to trees and birds.

Item three, whether the seed grows into a vegetable, a shrub, or a tree (all three are speculated by the gospel writers), the mature plant is much larger than a seed. This is no surprise, and hence probably not the point or challenge of the parable. We observe this throughout nature. You’ve likely heard the proverb, “mighty oaks from little acorns grow” that originated in an essay by D. Everett in The Columbian Orator, 1797. You may have also seen the humorous version, “The mighty oak was once a little nut like you.” I like this version, “The mighty oak was once a little nut that stood its ground.” But back to mustard seeds, a black mustard seed can grow a plant as tall 8 – 10 feet though yellow mustard is usually much shorter. (Levine, p. 170) In any case, growth is one of the themes of this parable, and that growth is into something useful.

Item four, a shelter for birds. In her own translation, Levine says “birds of heaven” in all three gospel translations. This would be similar to saying “birds of the air” in the creation story. She says that in the Hebrew scriptures this phrase appears nearly 50 times. While I cannot find it so in English translations, I did find “birds in the air” 15 times in the Complete Jewish Bible. She also writes of the association in Old Testament scriptures of trees sheltering birds. One set of examples can be found in Psalm 104 which praises God’s providence for creation. Vs. 12 “Overhead, the birds in the sky make their home, chirping loudly in the trees.” Vs. 16-17 “The Lord’s trees are well watered—the cedars of Lebanon, which God planted, where the birds make their nests, where the stork has a home in the cypresses.” Without resorting to giving allegorical meaning to birds or trees, we can agree they are often together not just in scripture but in our own backyard. The mustard plant of our parable is also a gift of God to shelter the birds.

We’ve identified the common stuff of which Jesus’ parables are usually made. In this case a seed, planting, a matured plant, and birds finding rest. But these common ingredients do not in and of themselves reveal the meaning. Levine has another way of approaching the parable laying it alongside the parable of Leaven which Matthew and Luke also do, and the parable of The Seed that Grows Secretly as Mark does.

Mark 4:26-29, CEB
“26 Then Jesus said, “This is what God’s kingdom is like. It’s as though someone scatters seed on the ground, 27 then sleeps and wakes night and day. The seed sprouts and grows, but the farmer doesn’t know how. 28 The earth produces crops all by itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full head of grain. 29 Whenever the crop is ready, the farmer goes out to cut the grain because it’s harvesttime.”

The parable of The Mustard Seed follows immediately after this in Mark 4.

Matthew 13:33, CEB
“33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast, which a woman took and hid in a bushel of wheat flour until the yeast had worked its way through all the dough.”

Luke 13:20, CEB
“20 Again he said, “To what can I compare God’s kingdom? 21 It’s like yeast, which a woman took and hid in a bushel of wheat flour until the yeast had worked its way through the whole.”

In both cases the parable of Leaven (or Yeast) follows immediately after The Mustard Seed.

Now here are the parallels Levine perceives looking at these combinations. First, there is the growth from small to large as we have noted before. Second, something is happening in secret. Seeds grow without letting us see what is happening within or underground; we see the results later above ground. Yeast is at work in a batch of bread without letting us see the chemical process in action. Third, Levine sees both the mustard seed and leaven parables as being “about the necessities of life: bread and shelter.” (p. 174) Fourth, she claims, “each shows that a single person’s actions have a possible impact on life outside the immediate context.” (p. 174) As the bread feeds others and the grown plant shelters birds that result is in part thanks to the person who mixed the leaven in the dough to bake the bread and the person who planted the mustard seed in the first place.

What does this suggest? Let me make my own interpretation based on Levine’s points here and elsewhere. The Kingdom of heaven, which is already present among us here and now, is like an ordinary person taking a small action in cooperation with God’s work in our world. But that simple seemingly insignificant action involving the ordinary stuff of our world can take on significant proportions when allowed to progress naturally according to the mysterious sometimes invisible processes built into creation or built into human nature. One small thing done by any one of us may make a difference meeting the need of another person or creature or any part of creation. This is how God intended his kingdom to work and how we partner with God for God’s work to be done.

What is the challenge of this parable then? Actually I am seeing it as a picture of hope. It asks me what seeds I can plant, in partnership with God, that might yield results beyond my limited perspective. For myself in March 2020, one answer is the Bible Studies I have started on Facebook and on my blog site connected to the church web site. What seeds might you plant meeting the need of someone around you? You might be calling a person to live alone for safe interaction in the midst of mandated social distancing. You might send cards to family and friends. You might help deacons and elders reach out to church members. You might donate to a food pantry. You might find a way to send thank yous to those who do have to work in the midst of this crisis.

For Levine the parable offers a variety of lessons. She notes from Klyne Snodgrass, Stories with Intent that “one of the markers of the seed is its insignificance” by pointing out that Jesus’ ministry began as a small unrecognized ministry among his fellow Jews but spread to include Gentiles. (pp. 181-2) The church had a small start in Jerusalem, but has grown to include followers throughout the world. While she does not believe the parable was intended to be about Jesus himself or the church, this is another example of something small and seemingly insignificant having much broader ultimate effects.

Likewise small actions may yield greater results. She refers to the action of mixing leaven in the dough or planting a seed in the ground. “Even small actions, or hidden actions, have the potential to produce great things.” (p. 182)

However (and I find her next point important), after the human action there may be a need for refraining from human interference. At certain points in the process dough and seeds must be left alone to the natural courses of nature if you want the intended results of bread or plants. I am recognizing this in the process of preparing the church for my retirement. I planted a lot of seeds and had the privilege to nurture some, but for the most part now, I need to stay out of the way and let God bring the growth.

As Levine looks at the shelter provided for birds she notes “the ability of God’s creatures – feathered or flesh - to survive, to make do with whatever is available.” (p. 181) I find that very hopeful in our current world scenario dominated by COVID-19. I also affirm its message with the family motto of my childhood, “Make do with what you’ve got.”

Her final analysis, similar to what I gathered from reading her chapter, gives me hope for our future. “The kingdom is present when humanity and nature work together, and we do what we were put here to do – to go out on a limb to provide for others, and ourselves as well.” (p.182) To that I can say a hearty Amen!

*AFFIRMATION               Apostle’s Creed, Ecumenical Version                             p. 14
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

PRAYERS
Creator God, remind us that you are indeed King of the Universe and sovereign over all things. Teach us to cooperate in partnership with you whether it is growing a garden or fighting a virus, cleaning up from floods or fires, recovering from illness or surgery, locusts, tornadoes or earthquakes. We have experienced it all in recent weeks, and we need encouragement. Remind us that you are still with us in the midst of it all, and that with you we can face anything. Hold us in the midst of loss that must be grieved. Let us find creative ways to take advantage of the time we must spend at home and ways to reach out to others even though we cannot do so face to face. Inspire us with positive ways to move forward in our new realities as well as in the more mundane and routine changes of our daily lives. We put our hope and our trust in you for all things are possible with you. Amen.

*PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Gracious God, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our redeemer, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory now and forever. Amen.

*THE LORD'S PRAYER

BLESSING
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in faith so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

For the Sundays in Lent, our messages will focus on Jesus' parables using primarily a resource from Amy Jill Levine Short Stories by Jesus. Toward the end of each service we turn to the cross, extinguish one candle, hear a reading about the disciples and sing a hymn of the cross.

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Short Stories by Jesus. Part 5

3/21/2020

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Short Stories by Jesus. Part 4

3/15/2020

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*WORDS OF WORSHIP                                                                                    Rom. 5:5
Through the gift of the Holy Spirit
God’s love is poured into our hearts.

*GATHERING PRAYER
Eternal God, your kingdom has broken into our troubled world
through the life, death, and resurrection of your Son.
Help us to hear your word and obey it,
that we may become instruments of your saving love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.

*CONFESSION AND PARDON
In the name of Christ, I urge you: be reconciled to God.

For our anger at our own frustration
and our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves,
have mercy on us, O God.
For our intemperate love of worldly goods and comforts,
and our dishonesty in daily life and work, have mercy on us, O God.
For our negligence in prayer and worship,
and our failure to commend the faith that is in us, have mercy on us, O God.

This is the proof of God’s great love: that while we were sinners, Christ died for us.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!  Thanks be to God!

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Gracious God, our way in the wilderness, guide us, by your Word, through these forty days, and minister to us with your Holy Spirit, so that we may reformed, restored, and renewed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SCRIPTURE LESSONS                                                            Matthew 13:45-46, NCV
the kingdom of heaven is like a man looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found a very valuable pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.

As last week, Levine connects today’s parable to the teaching in the following story.

                                                                                                    Matthew 19:16-30, NCV
16 A man came to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to have life forever?”

17 Jesus answered, “Why do you ask me about what is good? Only God is good. But if you want to have life forever, obey the commands.”

18 The man asked, “Which commands?”

Jesus answered, “‘You must not murder anyone; you must not be guilty of adultery; you must not steal; you must not tell lies about your neighbor; 19 honor your father and mother; and love your neighbor as you love yourself.’”

20 The young man said, “I have obeyed all these things. What else do I need to do?”

21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, then go and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor. If you do this, you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”

22 But when the young man heard this, he left sorrowfully, because he was rich.

23 Then Jesus said to his followers, “I tell you the truth, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Yes, I tell you that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

25 When Jesus’ followers heard this, they were very surprised and asked, “Then who can be saved?”

26 Jesus looked at them and said, “For people this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

27 Peter said to Jesus, “Look, we have left everything and followed you. So, what will we have?”

28 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, when the age to come has arrived, the Son of Man will sit on his great throne. All of you who followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And all those who have left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children, or farms to follow me will get much more than they left, and they will have life forever. 30 Many who are first now will be last in the future. And many who are last now will be first in the future.

SERMON                                            A Pricey Pearl
The more I read, the more I struggled with this parable. But that seems to be the case with many things this week. The more we read the news of COVID-19, the more we struggle as well. By Friday evening, I couldn’t help relating the two.

First, the parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like…” Many of Jesus’ parables begin in this or a similar fashion. A traditional interpretation of this parable would focus on the pearl. There is still value in asking ourselves, what would be as precious to us as that pearl became to the man in the story. But if we look at the way the brief simile is worded, the subject is the man. Actually there is a double naming of the subject that most English translations ignore, but is clearly present in the original Greek. “The kingdom of heaven is like a man (anthropos), a merchant (emporos).” (Matthew 13:45) But what about the man is significant? As the verse continues, he is actively seeking or searching for fine pearls.

In the second verse, there is a surprising twist to the story. Instead of fine pearls with resale value, he finds one exquisite pearl of the highest value and he gives up everything to obtain it. Don’t overlook, as I have in the past, what this means. He sold everything – not only his inventory of merchandise, but his own belongings and property. He is no longer a merchant, then, because he has nothing to sell. He doesn’t even have a home now. All he has is this one pearl. Levine quotes R. T. France, the man “is apparently impoverishing himself to acquire something extremely valuable which he could admire and display but could not live off unless he sold it again.” (quoted on pp. 150-151)

Another aspect I did not realize previously is that a merchant was not necessarily approved in first century Israel. The Greek emporos is behind the English work Emporium. Now I think of that as a fantastical place where items of quality or mystery could be purchased. Amy-Jill Levine writes, “The Greek term has the connotation of a wholesaler, and perhaps one who markets through agents items consumers do not need at prices they cannot afford.” (Levine, Short Stories By Jesus, p. 142) This and related words have a negative use in the New Testament, and the same is true when it is used in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament; think clearing merchants out of the Temple or selling Joseph into slavery. Merchants (emporos) are involved in these stories.

So, now we come to this question again. What is the parable telling us exactly that the kingdom of heaven is like? Is it like the man who is a merchant? Is it like the pearl he purchased? Is it like his active seeking and searching for something fine as part of his daily business? Or is it like the surprising twist that prompts him to give up everything else to obtain it? What do each of these things represent to you?

I wrestled with my own response to these questions. In my marginal notes I wrote, “So the kingdom is like we humans seeking good things in life, but when we find the one thing that holds ultimate value beyond our worldly expectations, we would give up everything to have it.” That was Thursday, March 12, 2020. I think at that point for each of us, and even now, there could be multiple responses to what has ultimate value for us personally, as families, as communities, in businesses, in faith communities, in education, in governments, etc. Only you can answer what has ultimate value for you in your life at any given time.

That was Thursday morning, but also that morning and throughout that day and Friday, I became increasingly aware that values around the world were rapidly shifting as COVID-19 (Novel coronavirus) demands our attention and response. I was aware of how it was affecting other nations and other states, but it didn’t feel close to home yet here in Midwest USA until I realized things were closing down that had never closed, canceled or delayed in my lifetime. Today is Saturday, March 14, and I spent the morning facilitating a Session meeting by email that voted to close the church for two weeks to protect the vulnerable members of our church family and make our contribution toward slowing the spread of this or any other virus right now. I’ve been making contacts and announcements to communicate that decision.

As more and more of the world responds to this pandemic, I couldn’t help but notice that globally many are placing health as a top priority. We are giving up many things from concerts to public worship, from attending school to going to the office, all to fight this virus. I’m aware of celebrities donating money, landlords reducing rent, and companies offering assistance such as two months free internet or aid if you can’t pay utilities because of income loss. There is already much loss, and there will be more. The strict measures we take are not only for ourselves but for our “neighbors” at home and around the world. The encouragement and help we can offer are surely needed. We are in this fight together, and we must care for one another.

This takes us back to our second gospel story, The Rich Young Ruler. In seeking eternal life, this young man has already done his best to live according to God’s laws. Yet Jesus encouraged him to find ultimate value taking it further, to give everything he had to help others in need. Sadly, he walked away, not ready to change, not ready to share, not ready to surrender present valuables to meet broader needs and ultimate value.

With that in mind, the parable challenges us to continually evaluate our priorities. What is most important for myself and the well being of others may not be what I held dear yesterday. Life often has surprising twists and turns. COVID-19 is such a twist challenging us in 2020. Some of you have lived through other twists of varying magnitude – the Great Depression, World War 2, the polio epidemic, and many more on personal, national, or global scales. In the midst of such we must be willing to learn, to share, to change. We must care for one another and, as I said, continually evaluate our priorities in a shifting environment.

Priorities can be identified by what is often on your mind, how you spend your time, your money, your efforts. This time at home may be an opportunity for you to reflect on your priorities, past and present. Levine writes, “Jesus, the historical Jesus, cared about prioritizing. … We are forced to act. We are forced to determine what we must do to prepare for this new reality. … [She suggests] Once we know that material goods will only collect rust or dust, and once we know that the only thing that counts is treasure in heaven, surely we must find a new way to live.” (p. 164) These are things to consider with each new challenge as well as ultimately regarding life in God’s kingdom which is both present and future.

I like the following questions she goes on to ask.   “What do we keep and what do we divest? How would we live if we knew ultimate judgement was coming on Tuesday? What are our neighbor’s ultimate concerns and what are ours?” (p. 164) I invite you take up the challenge of this parable and current world events by asking yourselves these questions in the days to come.

As we move forward, and we will move forward, let us continue to love God with heart, mind, soul, and strength by caring for ourselves and for creation. Let us worship through devotionals, online worship, journals, music, etc. Let us continue to read our Bibles and ponder the message. Let us pray continually! May we also continue to love our neighbor as ourselves, not only through our prayers, but by reaching out with a phone call, a text message, email or card. Let’s encourage one another, cheer one another, and keep each other going. Is there someone you should check on – a neighbor, a family member, or friend – who might need help with food or supplies or in some other way?

Perhaps in response to the current needs we can make this verse one of our priorities. 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “So continue encouraging each other and building each other up, just like you are doing already.”

*AFFIRMATION               Apostle’s Creed, Ecumenical Version
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

PRAYERS FOR THE WORLD
Gracious God, in the midst of anxious times, we seek your peace as we put our trust in you.
We seek your healing touch for a world overcome by disease, not only COVID-19 but all else that ails us.
We seek your calm as we do our best to care for our neighbor and for ourselves.
We seek your strength for those in the medical profession and others working hard to meet the needs of many.
We seek your wisdom for those making decisions to close or stay open from business & houses of worship to borders.
We seek your guidance for those searching diligently for a cure.
We seek your discernment for those teaching us measures to prevent the spread of disease
and understanding for those resisting those measures.
We ask that other concerns not be overlooked, but all to be put in whatever perspective is most appropriate for now.
We pray that those who cannot work will be sustained financially,
that children home from closed schools will be okay,
and that those most at risk will be protected.

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
God of all mercies, we give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all living things. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your boundless love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. Amen.

CHARGE & BLESSING
May the Spirit of the triune God strengthen and sustain you,
all throughout these forty days of Lent and into the life that is to come. Amen.

**Some of the prayers come from The Book of Common Worship.

For the Sundays in Lent, our messages will focus on Jesus' parables using primarily a resource from Amy Jill Levine Short Stories by Jesus. Toward the end of each service we turn to the cross, extinguish one candle, hear a reading about the disciples and sing a hymn of the cross.

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Short Stories by Jesus. Part 2

3/7/2020

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PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Gracious God, our way in the wilderness, guide us, by your Word, through these forty days, and minister to us with your Holy Spirit, so that we may reformed, restored, and renewed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SCRIPTURE LESSONS                                                        Leviticus 19:18,33-34,CEB

18 You must not take revenge nor hold a grudge against any of your people; instead, you must love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.

33 When immigrants live in your land with you, you must not cheat them. 34 Any immigrant who lives with you must be treated as if they were one of your citizens. You must love them as yourself, because you were immigrants in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.
                                                                                                            Luke 10:25-37, NIV
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

SERMON                                              Good Sam
It’s perhaps the parable we know the best, or think we do. It comes up in Sunday School curriculum every year and most years in Vacation Bible School, or at least that’s the way it always seemed to me. To be honest, as a child I got tired of this story. I’ve heard it, taught it, re-enacted it, re-written it, studied it, and preached it. So, imagine my delight learning new things about it reading Amy-Jill Levine’s research and perspective on this classic parable of Jesus. I’m learning a theme as she reviews these parables, that the traditional lessons we have been taught, developed over centuries by Christian teachers and preachers, “‘tain’t necessarily so.” At least they are not likely the way a first century Jewish audience heard them, nor necessarily what Jesus had in mind as he told them.

For example, some Early Church Fathers viewed the parables including this one, as allegories. In an allegory each thing or character may stand for something else. In Revelation, for instance, the Beast is identified as Babylon but is code for Rome. One such allegory for The Good Samaritan as interpreted by Early Church Fathers would have the Priest and Levite signify the Law and the Prophets. They think the man in the ditch represents sinners and that the Samaritan stands for Jesus. They go so far as to say the two coins he gave to the innkeeper symbolize baptism and communion. I can see how this made a tidy sermon, but it makes no sense in terms of Jesus’ teaching. As Levine tells their version she writes that “commentators leave the road for detours into imagination.” (short stories by jesus, p. 95) I agree, their interpretation is imaginative but off track.

The person in the ditch is unidentified. The Greek word anthropos is pretty generic, the same as the root for anthropology. We have a human male, but as Levine points out we don’t know if he is “rich or poor, free or slave, priest or lay, nice or naughty.” (p. 94) He was just an ordinary person, traveling a treacherous road, who fell victim to a violent crime. (p. 96)

The Greek word lestai is translated robbers. It is used elsewhere for those whom Jesus cleared out of the Temple, for Barabbas who was set free the day Jesus was crucified, and for the two hung on crosses either side of Jesus. Levine suggests, “The basic meaning is ‘member of an armed gang.’” (p. 96)

The road on which our victim traveled ran about 18 miles from Jerusalem to Jericho. In Jesus’ day it was a rocky path that descended from 2,500 feet above sea level down to 825 feet below sea level. It is the same road on which King David fled and King Zedekiah was chased. (Levine, p. 95) The road had its own biblical history related to struggling against one’s enemies.

The original audience may have identified with that victim more easily than we do now. Some of them would have traveled that road and perhaps had their own fears as they did so. Perhaps some of them had their own experience of being robbed or cheated. Living under Roman domination, they knew what it was to have enemies.

When you hear this parable, have you ever seen yourself as the man in the ditch? Have you ever been a victim? That may give you a very different perspective on this parable. If you have experienced a sense of helplessness in any situation, whether it is related to violence or justice or health or finances or something else, then you can imagine how the victim felt at any point of consciousness while lying on that road after the attack and how dearly he wished for someone to come and save him.

The first two passersby were a priest and then a Levite. These were the first two possibilities for help to be received by the victim. All descendants of Aaron, Moses’ brother, were members of the priestly class. John the Baptist’s parents, both Zechariah and Elizabeth, were from this family line. Levine reminds us, “Priests and Levites may have had neither wealth nor status. In Judaism the priesthood is not a vocation; it is an inherited position.” (p. 98) The Hebrew term is kohen, and even today Jews with the last name Cohen may likely be descended from this line. Her own family name Levine traces back to the Levites, the tribe named for Jacob and Leah’s son, Levi. (also p. 98) Among the tribes the Levites were set aside to serve in the tabernacle. They were not given territory in the promised land but rather 10 cities of refuge. We can’t make any other assumptions about the Priest or the Levite in this story than their family background.

I noted earlier that Christianity has often made inaccurate assumptions when interpreting the parables, especially when it comes to understanding the Jewish background of both Jesus the storyteller and his original audience. One major mis-teaching relates to the first two additional travelers on this road who passed by the wounded man in the ditch. As Levine puts it, “From both classroom and pulpit comes the claim that the Priest and the Levite pass by the man in the ditch, because they are afraid of contracting corpse contamination and so violating purity laws.” (p. 99) I. too, have also been taught and have passed on the teaching they may have avoided him, because they would become ritually unclean if they touched a dead body, and they couldn’t tell if he was alive or dead. Levine has thoroughly corrected me on this point.
Let me summarize some of Levine’s reasons for refuting the contamination excuse made for the Priest and the Levite.

First of all, the laws found in Numbers are about touching a corpse. In this parable the man is not dead though seriously wounded. Even if he were dead, the Torah would obligate them to bury the body. Both Priest and Levite should have checked to see if the man was dead, and if so, they should have covered the body. (the above comes from p. 100) Levine writes, “Burying the dead is one of the highest mitzvot, most important commandments in Judaism, for it is one of the few acts that cannot be repaid by the person who benefits from it.” (pp. 101-102) As an example she shares that after the attack on the twin towers in New York on 9/11 “Jews stood vigil at Ground Zero until every corpse was recovered.” (p. 101)

Second, the concern of ritual cleanliness relates to priestly duties. These would take place at the Temple in Jerusalem. But the Priest was going in the opposite direction leaving Jerusalem. How do we know? The elevation difference at either end of the road I mentioned earlier and the phrase in the passage; the Priest was going “down the road.” (v. 31) Levine also lets us know that “one always goes ‘up’ to Jerusalem.” (p. 100) I suspect that is elevation of significance as well as geography.

Third, even purity laws would not have been an excuse, because there is the priority of saving a life, that even supersedes Sabbath observance. (Levine, p. 102) Levine cites other Jewish texts and commentaries to make this point. So, given the expectations of Torah, and especially the words of Leviticus 19:18 which Jesus considered the second greatest commandment, to love one’s neighbor as oneself, the Priest and the Levite have no excuse, they simply failed to do the right thing. They should have checked to see if the body in the ditch was alive or dead. If alive, they should have provided aid. If dead, they should have seen to burial. They kept going.

At this point I have to ask myself about the times I have driven by someone stranded on the road and not stopped to check or at least in the age of cell phones made a phone call. I know all too well what it feels like to be the stranded individual when someone else drives by, even someone I knew. I was so grateful when someone else did stop to check on me, or pulled up nearby to wait and stand guard until AAA arrived.

The parable is bracketed by a conversation between Jesus and a lawyer. The story is Jesus’ response to one of the lawyer’s questions. We need to also see that context.

The Greek word nomikos translated in English as lawyer has no direct antecedent in Hebrew. The connotation is one “learned in the Law [meaning Torah or first 5 books of scripture].” (Levine, p. 83) The Jewish audience would have no problem with that, but Levine suggests that Luke seems to take issue with this lawyer at least in the way he interacted with Jesus.

The main issue I see is that the lawyer asked a question to “test” Jesus. He asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (v.1) It is a trick question. Levine claims, “The question presumes eternal life is a commodity to be inherited or purchased on the basis of a particular action rather than a gift freely given.” (p. 85) Jesus refers him back to the Law.

Here’s the significant point that might not occur to you but fits so well with everything I believe and strive to teach about grace. Levine states, “Jews followed Torah not to earn eternal life; this was already part of the covenant. They followed Torah in response to the gracious gift of the covenant that God gave them, because to do so prevented sin and because to do so showed how love of God and love of neighbor were to be manifested.” (p. 86) How I carry this concept into Christianity is that we do our best each day not to earn salvation (also tied to our concept of eternal life) but in response to the grace and mercy Christ offered us on the cross. In words from John’s letters, “We love, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:7) I cannot earn God’s grace, but I can live my life everyday in ways that express my gratitude for God’s grace.

In another passage, Luke 18, a rich young ruler asks the same question. Jesus refers him back to the Law. This young man has done his best to keep God’s commandments, not only the Ten we think about, but the whole of the Torah from Genesis to Deuteronomy. Levine sums them up this way, “Not murdering, stealing, or bearing false witness along with the positive act of honoring parents are relatively easy laws to follow (avoiding greed, envy, and lust; loving the neighbor and the stranger; and caring for the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the alien are the more difficult ones).” (p. 86) I think we might agree with her assessment, but that is the challenge made to us.

The lawyer in Luke 10 is looking for an easy way to earn eternal life. But Jesus wants him to understand and wants us to understand, that it isn’t about a check list to earn anything. Instead, our focus should be on how we live our day to day lives here and now. Jesus asks how the lawyer, so familiar with the Law, reads it. The lawyer’s summary comes from the same two commandments Jesus quoted back to the Rich Young Ruler in Luke 18. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength” adding mind to the list from Deuteronomy 6, and “Love your neighbor as yourself” from Leviticus 19:18. If you live these diligently you will fulfill the spirit of the rest of the Law.

But the lawyer is persistent. “Who is my neighbor?” What do you think so far? Is it the robbers? The wounded man in the ditch? The priest or the Levite? I might challenge you to consider this week in what way each of these is your neighbor. But for now let’s go with the lawyer’s answer. “The one who showed mercy.” Though he refuses to name the designation himself, we have at last come to the Samaritan who took the time, made the effort, sacrificed his own convenience, and paid to assure that the man was indeed alive and received the help he needed to fully recover.

If you remember the “rule of three” from last week, the first two passersby have set us up for a twist. Help didn’t come from either of them. Help will come from the third one to see the man in the ditch by the side of the road. Who did the first century Jewish audience anticipate would be that third person? Here’s what Levine expects, “Mention a priest and a Levite, and anyone who knows anything about Judaism will know that the third person is an Israelite.” (p. 103) Why? Passages in Ezra and Nehemiah both list the three in that order. (p. 103) It is a cliché from that culture we would entirely miss. But she goes on to say, “However, Jesus is telling a parable, and parables never go the way one expects.” (p. 103) The one who helps is a Samaritan. In a provocative statement Levine suggests it would be similar to how many of us would finish the naming of Larry and Moe with Curly, but the third was instead Osama bin Laden. (p. 103) To a first century Jew, for the one who helped to be a Samaritan was that radical a twist.

You may already know something of the enmity between Jews and Samaritans back then from John’s telling of the Samaritan woman Jesus met at a well. The history goes back to the division of the Northern Kingdom with ten tribes from the Southern Kingdom of Judah which also embraced the tribe of Benjamin after the time of King Solomon. The Northern Kingdom of Israel made Samaria, formerly Shechem, its capital. Ahab and Jezebel were among the royalty in the northern line. Assyria conquered Israel in 722 BCE. The population were exiled just as many from the Southern Kingdom would later be taken to Babylon. But Assyria had a resettlement program to keep their annexed territories in line. People from other nations were brought into the north to occupy and work the land. They took the name Samaritans. When some of the southerners were allowed to return to Jerusalem and Judah to rebuild the walls under Nehemiah, it was Sanballat the governor of Samaria who tried to get in the way of that rebuilding. The temple was rebuilt in Jerusalem, but the Samaritans built their own temple at Mt. Gerazim. These and other incidents added up to major disagreement between the two nations and how they practiced their faith, each claiming to be the true keepers of the Law and covenant with God. But in addition to theological differences, the two nations also periodically engaged in violence against one another. (taken from Levine, pp. 105-109)

Shechem, later called Samaria, was related to other violent acts in the Old Testament, stories that would be known by a Jewish audience. In Genesis 34 Jacob and Leah’s daughter Dinah was raped, and her brothers took violent revenge against the town. In Judges 9 Abimelech convinces seventy men of his mother’s clan at Shechem to make him king, then kills them all to keep the throne. In 2 Chronicles 28, men from Samaria took 200,000 captives from Judah as well as plunder back to Samaria. A prophet named Obed told them to send the captives home.

Any Jew in the first century still saw a Samaritan not just as a foreigner with the wrong faith but as an enemy. In similar reactions today, a friend wrestling with his gut reaction to Middle East Muslims reached the point where at least if he saw someone stranded by the side of the road he might stop to help. But I realized reading this study, that the more appropriate question is this, What if a Muslim from Iran stopped to help you, when you were the one stranded by the side of the road? That’s the twist this parable offers us.

Or you can try Levine’s similar take on it. I’m going to quote her modern retelling after reminding us that Samaria today is the “West Bank, Occupied Palestine, or Greater Israel” depending on who you ask. (p. 114) She writes:

Suppose “I am an Israeli Jew on my way from Jerusalem to Jericho, and I am attacked by thieves, beaten, stripped, robbed, and left half dead in a ditch. Two people who should have stopped to help pass me by: the first, a Jewish medic from the Israel Defense Forces; the second, a member of the Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. But the person who takes compassion on me and shows mercy is a Palestinian Muslim whose sympathies like with Hamas, a political party whose charter not only anticipates Israel’s destruction, but also depicts Jews as subhuman demons responsible for all the world’s problems.” (pp. 114-115) Or she suggests that if Jesus told the story today it might be the “’Good Jew’ told in the streets of Ramallah.” (p. 115)

It is in the twist that we are fully challenged in terms of our attitudes and actions.

Levine’s favorite interpretation comes from a sermon by Martin Luther King, Jr. on this parable. She quotes him as follows:

“I’m going to tell you what my imagination tells me. It’s possible these men were afraid…And so the first question that the priest [and] the Levite asked was, ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?...But then the Good Samaritan came by, and he reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?” (Levine, p. 102)

Go back once again to the commandments in Leviticus 19. What does it look like to love your neighbor as you love yourself? Your neighbor includes immigrants living in your land according to Leviticus 19. Jesus takes it even further when he teaches, “You have heard that it was said, You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who harass you.” (Matthew 5:43-44)

As you go through the week ahead, look around with the lawyer’s question, “Who is
my neighbor?” and prayerfully answer it as honestly as you can with Jesus’ help. It will include people who are different from you. It will include strangers. It may even include people you don’t think you trust. What does it mean to be a good neighbor to them?

For the Sundays in Lent, our messages will focus on Jesus' parables using primarily a resource from Amy Jill Levine Short Stories by Jesus. Toward the end of each service we turn to the cross, extinguish one candle, hear a reading about the disciples and sing a hymn of the cross.

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Short Stories by Jesus. Part 1

3/1/2020

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PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Gracious God, our way in the wilderness, guide us, by your Word, through these forty days, and minister to us with your Holy Spirit, so that we may reformed, restored, and renewed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SCRIPTURE LESSONS                                                                  Ezekiel 34:1-6, NCV

The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: 2 “Human, prophesy against the leaders of Israel, who are like shepherds. Prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says: How terrible it will be for the shepherds of Israel who feed only themselves! Why don’t the shepherds feed the flock? 3 You eat the milk curds, and you clothe yourselves with the wool. You kill the fat sheep, but you do not feed the flock. 4 You have not made the weak strong. You have not healed the sick or put bandages on those that were hurt. You have not brought back those who strayed away or searched for the lost. But you have ruled the sheep with cruel force. 5 The sheep were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for every wild animal. 6 My flock wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered all over the face of the earth, and no one searched or looked for them.
                                                                                                                     Luke 15, NCV
The tax collectors and sinners all came to listen to Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to complain: “Look, this man welcomes sinners and even eats with them.”

3 Then Jesus told them this story: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep but loses one of them. Then he will leave the other ninety-nine sheep in the open field and go out and look for the lost sheep until he finds it. 5 And when he finds it, he happily puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. He calls to his friends and neighbors and says, ‘Be happy with me because I found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, I tell you there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes his heart and life, than over ninety-nine good people who don’t need to change.

8 “Suppose a woman has ten silver coins, but loses one. She will light a lamp, sweep the house, and look carefully for the coin until she finds it. 9 And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Be happy with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’ 10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God when one sinner changes his heart and life.”

The Son Who Left Home
11 Then Jesus said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son said to his father, ‘Give me my share of the property.’ So the father divided the property between his two sons. 13 Then the younger son gathered up all that was his and traveled far away to another country. There he wasted his money in foolish living. 14 After he had spent everything, a time came when there was no food anywhere in the country, and the son was poor and hungry. 15 So he got a job with one of the citizens there who sent the son into the fields to feed pigs. 16 The son was so hungry that he wanted to eat the pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 When he realized what he was doing, he thought, ‘All of my father’s servants have plenty of food. But I am here, almost dying with hunger. 18 I will leave and return to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against God and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son, but let me be like one of your servants.”’ 20 So the son left and went to his father.

“While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt sorry for his son. So the father ran to him and hugged and kissed him. 21 The son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’[b] 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Hurry! Bring the best clothes and put them on him. Also, put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 And get our fat calf and kill it so we can have a feast and celebrate. 24 My son was dead, but now he is alive again! He was lost, but now he is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

25 “The older son was in the field, and as he came closer to the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. 26 So he called to one of the servants and asked what all this meant. 27 The servant said, ‘Your brother has come back, and your father killed the fat calf, because your brother came home safely.’ 28 The older son was angry and would not go in to the feast. So his father went out and begged him to come in. 29 But the older son said to his father, ‘I have served you like a slave for many years and have always obeyed your commands. But you never gave me even a young goat to have at a feast with my friends. 30 But your other son, who wasted all your money on prostitutes, comes home, and you kill the fat calf for him!’ 31 The father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate and be happy because your brother was dead, but now he is alive. He was lost, but now he is found.’”

SERMON                                            Lost & Found
How often do you lose things? I’m really good at losing things, especially keys. In Elmhurst it got so bad I resorted to wearing a house key on a chain around my neck. For me finding things usually requires not only searching but prayer. I’ve been searching for weeks maybe months for a particular face mask I wore while shoveling. I finally prayed about it. Then the weather got cold enough I put on the right coat, and in the pocket where my gloves belong was also my face mask. Finding things leads to rejoicing on some level. This week I found my missing earphones and a pair of earrings I really like but couldn’t replace. Yea!

This week’s Gospel lesson includes three parables about finding what is lost. Amy-Jill Levine writes that there is a thematic pattern to these parables: loss, search, completion, then joy. Applying that pattern to my example, I noticed the loss of my earrings when I wanted to wear them. I searched for them not only in the likely spots in my room, but also in suitcases, and I even tried to find the same beads, so I could make a new pair. Cleaning up a spilled mess Friday, I discovered them in the basket next to my chair. Now that part of my wardrobe is complete again, and that indeed makes me quite happy.

Jesus taught in parables for a reason. People listen to and remember a good story. Jesus was a master storyteller. But like Aesop’s Fables, Jesus’ stories had multiple layers of meaning. You could take them home and keep chewing on them. The Church has continued to chew on these and all the parables; that’s why we have continued to add layers of meanings or lessons to them. They may not have been the exact meaning intended for the original audience, but some of them still spoke to the Church in a later setting. For example, Levine shares various interpretations of what went wrong for the Prodigal Son. Most English-speaking cultures she notes see the problem as “bad parenting, lack of community values, separating himself from his network, and personal irresponsibility.” (Levine, Short Stories of Jesus, p. 55) Whereas Russian readers tend to focus on the famine as the issue, and a student from Kenya was concerned about the lack of generosity on the part of those around the young man. As with anything else, our interpretation of what we hear in these stories is affected by our personal filters: our history, our culture, our social network, our personal values, our faith traditions and personal beliefs, etc.

As Levine looks at the parables of Luke 15, she applies a variety of scholarly techniques to get at the original meaning stripping away the layers of interpretation that have accumulated over the centuries, so that we might hear each story from Jesus as his first century Jewish audience might have heard it without all the filters of our 21st century Midwest USA mainline Protestant Christianity. Levine corrects misinterpretations that abuse Jewish tradition or culture. She lets us hear the story as a story, not an allegory. She points out where Luke has already added his own interpretation even as he writes, way before the Early Church Fathers got hold of the passage and added theirs. To anyone interested in that scholarship I recommend reading her book or a summary in the participant’s guide or you might want to attend our Adult Class. For our purposes here in worship, I’m going to preach from the conclusions she draws as to what the original parables more likely meant and the challenges offered to us today.

Related to the issue of interpretation for Levine is the main point, focus, and character for these stories. Yes, they are about something that was lost, but neither sheep nor coin are main characters. Indeed, neither is one particular son. Levine suggests instead that we might rename them, “The Shepherd Who Lost His Sheep,” “The Woman Who Lost Her Coin,” and “The Father Who Lost His Sons.” (taken from Levine, p. 29) This renaming would shift the focus and hence change the lesson being told.

Christian tradition has often taught that these parables are about sinners and repentance. We get that from Luke’s own interpretation in verses ending the first two stories. But Luke’s interpretations were not necessarily part of the original story. Levine comes to that conclusion by comparing Luke’s version of the Lost Sheep with Matthew’s telling of the same story. As Levine points out the sheep and the coin did not sin, nor did they repent. They were lost. Sheep going astray would be no surprise to the original audience whether from experience or how sheep are described in Hebrew scriptures of the Old Testament. But who was responsible for the sheep? Who was responsible for the coins?

I remember from Junior High Spanish a different perspective. I can still recite a sentence from one dialog in our textbooks that translates as “my notebook lost itself to me” as if the notebook were at fault, and I was just a victim. I find that a fun perspective but not at all realistic. Whether it’s my keys, face mask, or earrings, I’m the one who misplaced them. I forgot where I left them. I failed to put them where they belong. I didn’t take care of my belongings.

The shepherd in our story lost a sheep. It’s hard to keep track of 100 sheep. So a shepherd that wealthy should be diligently counting them on a regular basis. In the same way, a teacher or youth leader might frequently count their students especially on a field trip. When my daughters were in grade school, I was their girl scout leader. We had two dozen Brownies in that troop with four assistant leaders. I remember checking throughout the meetings to be sure every circle was complete and counting the girls often when we went offsite. At another church I had an after school program, I checked the kids as they each arrived, but when the twins showed up without their little sister, a kindergartener, I didn’t hesitate to leave the rest with my helpers and go in search of the little one who was lost.

Listen to Matthew’s version of this story:

10 “Be careful that you don’t look down on one of these little ones. I say to you that their angels in heaven are always looking into the face of my Father who is in heaven. 12 What do you think? If someone had one hundred sheep and one of them wandered off, wouldn’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillsides and go in search for the one that wandered off? 13 If he finds it, I assure you that he is happier about having that one sheep than about the ninety-nine who didn’t wander off. 14 In the same way, my Father who is in heaven doesn’t want to lose one of these little ones. Matthew 18:10-14, CEB

Matthew’s interpretive statement indicates nothing about repentant sinners, but rather God’s concern to keep track of all whom God loves. To me it also suggests that we are the ones to take that responsibility. Shepherds should not lose their sheep. We should not look down on any of God’s children. This is a significant aspect of what it means to be a steward of the resources and relationships God has entrusted to us.

Another difference in Matthew’s version is the word lost. The Greek word used here has a connotation of being deceived not just wandering off. Levine writes that “both evangelists had the story, and each recontextualized it to make a point consistent with the rest of the[ir] Gospel. Detached from either context, the parable might have had quite a different message.” (p. 34)

In the story itself, when the shepherd realizes that a sheep is missing, he doesn’t hesitate to leave the rest to their own devices while he hunts for the missing one. When the lost is found, it is the shepherd who rejoices. As far as we know, the sheep isn’t aware that it was lost. Church art often portrays the sheep carried back across the shepherd’s shoulders as the story says. That is part of the shepherd’s care but is not necessarily comfortable for the sheep itself according to some modern-day shepherds. The shepherd invites his friends to celebrate with him. There is no indication that the sheep are offered a special treat to celebrate. In other words, the story is really about the shepherd not the sheep. It’s about the responsibility to care for the sheep and the action to be taken when one is missing. It’s about the relief and joy when the flock is once again complete. No one sheep is more important than another, but it is important to keep the flock whole.

There are lots of ways to consider this parable in current times. Who are the missing ones? What do we do about it? You might reflect on that in terms of the church or your family or any area within society or even of creation. Who or what do we fail to notice? To care for? To seek? To restore? That is a significant set of questions.

For me, this gives the Lost Sheep and the rest of today’s parables a theme similar to other parables about stewardship responsibility. I especially see that in the version Levine shares from the Midrash, Exodus Rabbah; this story from the Jewish commentaries features Moses when he was a shepherd before going back to Egypt to lead God’s people to freedom. In this telling the Holy One tested Moses by how well he cared for his father-in-law Jethro’s flock. When a lamb scampered off, Moses followed it. Finding it drinking from a pool of water, Moses comments that the lamb ran away because it was thirsty, and then because it must also be tired Moses carries it home on his shoulders. The concluding verse says this, “The Holy One then said, ‘Because you showed such compassion in tending the flock of a mortal, as you live, you shall become the Shepherd of Israel; the flock that is mine.’” (shared by Levine, pp. 43-44)

God has also asked us to be responsible for assigned areas of creation and assigned members of God’s flock. The challenge of this parable, according to Amy-Jill Levine, is to take stock, count, notice what’s missing, and then do something about it.

Now we turn to the woman who had ten silver coins and lost one of them. The coins indicate she was a woman of some means. There is no mention of a husband or children, so as far as we know she lives alone. It is the neighbors, her girlfriends she calls in to celebrate when the coin is found after cleaning her home thoroughly in the search. This parable follows Levine’s pattern. A coin is lost, the woman searches, her treasury is complete when it is found, and in her joy, she celebrates with friends.

Levine also points out that unlike the shepherd, this woman claims responsibility for losing the coin. Whereas the shepherd says, “I found my lost sheep” she is clearer, “I found the coin that I lost.” (Luke 15) I think she sets an example for us owning up to her fault. At the same time I want to point out that even diligent people can lose something. None of us are perfect. But part of her diligence is that once she is aware of what she lost, and she goes all out to find it.

Now that we have two parables down, let me tell you about a literary device in folktales called the “Rule of Three.” Levine refers to this here and elsewhere. The first two of something set you up for the third which will be somewhat different or have a twist. Her example is the two free and affluent though ugly and foolish step-sisters who are such contrast to the beautiful and wise though impoverished and enslaved Cinderella. The two set up a backdrop for the contrast.

In Luke 15 the first two stories set us up for a twist in the final longer story. We begin with a father who has two sons, then the first half tells us about the younger son who takes his inheritance and departs to a far country. He has left everything of family and home behind and eventually spends all his inheritance. He has no means of support when famine and hunger hit, so he takes a job feeding pigs. He comes homing begging for mercy from his father even if it means being treated like a servant. Servants at Dad’s house are treated well. That’s pretty much all we know about the younger son. While he is often seen as the main character, but I agree with Levine that isn’t necessarily so.

Meanwhile, Dad has been awaiting the younger son’s return, watching for him, it would seem, every day. When he spots the young man coming up the lane, the father runs out to embrace him and gives orders for fresh attire and a feast. The father is overjoyed that his son who was lost to him has returned. If we follow the same pattern as the previous parables, we have a lost son, a father who doesn’t search but at least watches and waits, there is a return and joy, but the family is not yet complete. The pattern is not an exact match. We are still missing the older son.

Dad finally catches on to this fact. The older son is missing. Did anyone go out to tell him his brother came home and invite him to celebrate? No. He discovers this as he comes home from working in the fields, and in his disappointment, he sulks rather than going inside. Dad finally comes looking for him. The second son was also lost, and Dad does search for him, but we don’t know if there will be completion and joy in this case. We don’t know if there will be reconciliation. The story ends without telling us the older son’s decision.

This story began with another literary convention used often in the Old Testament in stories the audience knew well. A man had two sons. Adam had Cain and Abel. Abraham had Ismael and Isaac. Isaac had Esau and Jacob. Joseph had Manasseh and Ephraim. Four sets of fathers and sons, and we haven’t left the book of Genesis yet.
In each of these families there is a twist that in spite of the expectations for the oldest, especially regarding inheritance, in each case it is the younger son who is favored. Abel’s offering was found more acceptable, and in jealousy Cain murdered him. Ishmael was sent off with his mother, Hagar, to become a different nation, while Isaac was raised by Abraham and Sarah to inherit the promises. Jacob managed to snatch both Esau’s birthright and his blessing, then had to run away before Esau could kill him. In a lesser known story, when Joseph brought his sons for Jacob to bless from his deathbed, Jacob crossed his hands to give the younger one the blessing intended for the older son. I don’t know whether to call that poetic justice or just say that history repeats itself, but I find it amusing. Maybe it was intentional, since Jacob was the trickster who got his brother’s blessing as well.

All of these stories set the original audience up to expect the younger son to come out on top, to be the one to whom we should pay the most attention. He is even the one apparently to whom the father paid the most attention. The twist comes when we realize the story doesn’t end when the younger son comes home and is celebrated. The lesson comes in the second half of the story, the conversation between the father and the older son. Levine writes, “He is not…a conventional older brother. He is rather a figure for whom we might feel some initial empathy.” (p. 67)

When the older son hears what is going on back home, that the other son has returned and has been given a feast, the older son’s emotional reaction is disappointment, resentment and anger as his frustration grows. Levine writes, “His own sense of being ignored—by both the reinstated brother and the happy father—counters any possible joy he might have had.” (p. 67) Elsewhere she notes he has even been ignored by most readers of the tale. While the servant speaks to him of “your brother” and “your father,” this son distances himself by not using possessive pronouns; he doesn’t claim the relationship. In fact he thinks of himself as no more than a hired hand.

The father goes out to urge and comfort this older son. The verb in Greek is parakaleo, which includes both attempts to soothe the son and to move him to come into the celebration. It is the same root as Paraclete, which is what the Gospel of John calls the Holy Spirit who both comforts us and urges us to do God’s will.

But now the older son’s frustration, built up probably for a very long time, overflows. Dad hears that while the older son has done his best all this time working hard for his father, he did not feel appreciated or recognized for his labor and loyalty. Now the prodigal who squandered Dad’s money returns, and he gets a feast?! It’s unfair! That’s how the older son feels.

Again, Dad tries to comfort and reassure him, still urging him to join the feast. Dad agrees that he has always been there, and in case he hasn’t said so before, Dad tells him now that everything Dad owns is shared with him. I mean, the younger boy already took his share and more, so…the rest is the older son’s inheritance. Like Levine, I don’t think the inheritance is the issue though. Perhaps as many of us might, Dad has taken the older child for granted and not shown the affection that he has needed all this time. Dad watched the younger son walk away, but Dad never noticed that the older son had also slipped away into obscurity and loneliness.

Do you recognize relationships that have slipped away from you in a similar fashion? What about relationships in the church? Whom have we ignored or taken for granted? For me then, part of the lesson is to notice who is missing, and part is to seek the steps toward reconciliation. Once the father notices that his older boy is missing, like the shepherd he leaves the others behind to go find him. When they meet outside, the father tries to comfort him and urges him to return. The father also listens to the young man’s list of resentments. This is a key step we might miss. It brings to mind for me a point from a conversation about reaching out to missing church members. It is important to listen to their hurt and take it seriously. How can you comfort them if you don’t know what pain they have taken with them? How can we invite them back if we don’t know what issues need to be addressed back home?

Dad now knows what upset his older son. What will he do about it? Will anything change? Will the young man come in with an open mind and heart, or will he go away for the evening and come back to work in the morning still harboring his pain and resentment? We don’t know. Several relationships need to change in this story, and Jesus didn’t tell us how that went. He leaves it up to us to consider our own relationships and decide whether or not we can reconcile. Looking at this parable through Amy-Jill Levine’s eyes, that is the challenge I take away for myself and for the church. It applies to many areas of our society as well and to creation itself, all the relationships for which we have stewardship responsibility.

I find this paragraph from Levine’s book significant:

“Recognize that the one you have lost may be right in your own household. Do whatever it takes to find the lost and then celebrate with others, both so that you can share the joy and so that the others will help prevent the recovered from ever being lost again. Don’t wait until you receive an apology; you may never get one. Don’t wait until you can muster the ability to forgive; you may never find it. Don’t stew in your sense of being ignored, for there is nothing that can be done to retrieve the past.

“Instead go have lunch. Go celebrate and invite others to join you…. You will have begun a process that might lead to reconciliation. You will have opened a second chance for wholeness.” (p.75)

Notice then, that contrary to many traditional Christian interpretations, the father in this parable is not God. Levine goes into detail explaining why she doesn’t see it that way. In these three parables the shepherd is just an owner of many sheep, the woman is just a woman of some wealth, the father is just a dad who owns a large estate. None of these parables begin with the line found elsewhere, “The kingdom of God is like…” I think then that Jesus is not directly telling us what God is like but suggesting to us how God wants us to behave. We could easily be the shepherd, the woman, or the parent in these stories. How are we managing the resources and relationships with which God has blessed us? When we notice something missing will we search for it? Will we reach out to those with whom our relationship is broken? Will we seek to complete the whole by bringing restoration and reconciliation? For only when the flock, the treasures, or the family were complete could there be celebration. The goal is that wholeness. These parables remind us that wholeness requires attention and effort and compassion on our part, but wholeness restored leads to joy.

For the Sundays in Lent, our messages will focus on Jesus' parables using primarily a resource from Amy Jill Levine Short Stories by Jesus. Toward the end of each service we turn to the cross, extinguish one candle, hear a reading about the disciples and sing a hymn of the cross.

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