This week, the congregation is hosting its annual Vacation Bible School week. Our theme for the week is the question "Who is My Neighbor?" which comes from the Good Samaritan story in Luke 10. This story also happens to be our Gospel reading for this week. Hmm, I wonder which of these four readings will be the focus passage for my sermon...
If you have any reflections, questions, or stories regarding the Good Samaritan passage, I'd love to hear them and discuss them with you as I prepare to preach on Sunday. Get the conversation started in the comments below!
Deuteronomy 30:9 - 14
9 ...the LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all your undertakings, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your soil. For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, just as he delighted in prospering your ancestors, 10 when you obey the LORD your God by observing his commandments and decrees that are written in this book of the law, because you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
11 Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?" 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?" 14 No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.
- The first verse of the Deuteronomy 30 reading includes a promise of abundant prosperity in all our undertakings. But when it comes to specifics, the verse names the “fruits” of our bodies, our animals, and our soil. So the promise of prosperity seems to be directed towards children, animals, and crops. This seems to place the promise of “prosperity” under the blessing given to Abraham (descendants) and the promise of daily bread/provisions (animals and crops).
- I am sure that the writer meant Deuteronomy 30:11 (“…this commandment (to follow all the Lord’s commandments and decrees written in the book of Deuteronomy) is not too hard for you…”) to be sincere. But I hear a tone of sarcasm when I read it because we proclaim that we cannot perfectly follow the law.
Psalm 25:1 - 10
1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.
3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.
6 Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O LORD!
8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
- Psalm 25:6 (“Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love, for they are from everlasting.”) could also serve as a calling and invitation to us. Remember the Lord’s compassion and love. This would pair with the theme for day 1 of VBS: we love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19).
Colossians 1:1 - 14
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3 In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. 7 This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
- If we follow Paul’s train of thought, the community at Colossus has received the Good News well and is growing in both faith in Christ and love for the saints of the Church. Paul prays that their knowledge of God’s desires may grow so that they may bear fruit in all that they do. Paul also prays that they may be given (through the Holy Spirit?) enough strength and endurance to face the coming opposition/oppression.
Luke 10:25 - 37
25 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" 27 He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." 28 And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live."
29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.' 36 Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" 37 He said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
- In another version of this story (Matthew’s version?), the questioner asserts that he “has followed all (the commandments) from (his) youth!” Jesus then invites him to sell his possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, and then join Jesus’ travelling group of followers. Here, the questioner focuses on the definition of “neighbor.” Just how widespread are my neighbors? How many people do I need to love like I love myself?
- In Jesus’ day, the Jews hated the Samaritans. They have shared ancestry, but the Jews viewed the Samaritans has apostates from the truth faith. This is tied up in the divisions between the Northern and Southern Kingdoms as seen in 1 and 2 Kings as well as 1 and 2 Chronicles.
- Who would be our version of “Samaritans?” For VBS, we are going with Chicago Cubs fans in opposition to Cincinnati Reds fans. Over time, the “Samaritans” have been Native Americans, people of African descent, Italians, Irish, practicing Roman Catholics, Germans, and Japanese immigrants. Now, the “Samaritans” would probably be asylum seekers from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador as well as immigrants from Mexico and various Central American countries.
- The question shifts from “Who is my neighbor?” to “How can I be a good neighbor to others?”
No comments:
Post a Comment