The first parable in Luke 16 raises the unsettling question of who we should give our money to in order to be welcomed into the beautiful homes of the age to some. The second parable answers that question
Make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth. Doesn’t that sound like advice that has been taken too much to heart by some of our politicians, and not at all like the sort of thing we expect Jesus to say? I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone they may welcome you into the eternal homes. Luke 16:9 In other words, work out who to bribe to get the best place in Heaven.
Have you ever misplaced a child - even for a moment? Then you will know something of the desperate anxiety of God to do whatever it takes to find and bring back any one of us who wanders into danger. If you don't relate to lost children or sheep, maybe a crew member left behind enemy lines will be more meaningful for you
Rev Kathy Hammers' Sermon for Season of Creation 1
Rev Pam Hynd's sermon for Pentecost 12
Jesus walks into a Synagogue and two people who are suffering from severe paralysis: One with a chronically twisted spine and the other with paralysed faith and twisted theology. Which one do you think might be easier for him to heal?
So, Luke 12:49-59 is probably not the favourite Bible passage of anyone nice. But let's hear Jesus out. Anyone who challenges structural evil is going to speak out in a way that creates division. Jesus is not asking us to use violence. He never did. He is not calling for senseless provocation. But he is saying that when we challenge structural evil it will challenge us back and it will not be pretty!
Is faith about saying the right words? Is it about believing the right things? According to Hebrews 11, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. It is about setting out on a journey in which the destination is not yet on the map. In other words, it is about following a dream.
Australians are anxious about the rising cost of living. Many are not only anxious but genuinely struggling to meet their financial commitments. The Reserve bank has sought to encourage anxious Australians with talk of buffers that will help us weather this storm. Household savings are one of those buffers. A lot of Australians have been putting money away, in savings or in additional mortgage payments. And there is no doubt that those who have done that will have a greater chance of holding onto their assets as interest rates rise. I am not an economist by any means, but while I feel uncomfortable focussing on wealthy Australians with large buffers, rather than the many Australians who are one pay packet away from eviction, I can see the sense in people putting money away as a buffer if they possibly can. That’s what makes us feel uncomfortable with this parable.
Are you old enough to remember that Colgate ad? (If not, I'm sure you are capable of looking it up!) As you can see, I couldn't find a good picture of the chalk, but capillary action in flowers is prettier anyway. If ink gets into chalk, and coloured dye gets into flowers, what might praying the Lord's Prayer every day do to our brains?