“The rulers sneered at Jesus and said, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is a king.” “The soldiers too jeered at Jesus” on the cross. “Now one of the two criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, ‘Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us.’” The earthly kings and their soldiers…
Amidst people fawning over the temple’s finery, Jesus speaks of the building’s demise. It is part of the religion of Militarism’s demise that constructs it while destroying people. Religion’s demise would disturb its ruling class that fights Jesus. The Temple and religion’s demise is a curiosity to people who question Jesus, “when will this…
“Some Sadducees came” to Jesus and made a harmful patriarchal assumption about women, also children, “If someone’s brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother.” The harmful patriarchal assumption is that women are controlled by men as property. Under patriarchy, women…
Jesus shows love toward those judged sinners. He encounters and befriends a rich tax collector named Zacchaeus who is judged “a sinner.” The man’s wealth is from working for Caesar and the Roman military. From the Gospel and other sources, we know Militarism’s tax collectors have existed from ancient times onward. The job originates…
Jesus tells of a Pharisee who has the habit of going up “to the Temple area to pray.” He feels at home there but will not extend that feeling to another who has joined him. For, while there, the Pharisee’s prayer habit is to insult and ostracize those he judges as not belonging there…
The readings this Sunday share a theme of weariness. We ourselves might feel weary reading about yet another Old Testament War Lord, Moses, who fends off weariness so his warriors can fight in yet another war and steal what they can. Jesus too attempts to fend off weariness but in disciples so they can…
Jesus is on a mission to his nation’s capital of rule and oppression, Jerusalem. His plans include travelling through inhospitable territory. His plans likely included meeting people in that territory who are themselves treated inhospitably, lepers. The lepers “stood at a distance from Jesus and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, have compassion on us!”…
Gospel author Luke chronicles hardships rulers constantly direct at Jesus, disciples, and others. Not wanting to lose heart amidst the hardships, disciples ask Jesus, “Increase our faith.” Jesus replies, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this tree, ‘Be uprooted and transplanted in the sea,’ and it…
“There was a rich man who dressed in… fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. Lying at his door was a poor man, Lazarus, covered with sores… dogs even used to come and lick his sores. The poor man died, and was carried to Abraham. The rich man also died… and from the netherworld…
Jesus tells a parable about rulers who exploit people, workers especially. The rulers exploit them for the “small matter” of “mammon,” which means gaining “dishonest wealth.” Jesus cautions disciples to not serve “mammon,” for you will exploit people. Disciples are called to serve people and be about “great matters.” When we serve mammon, meaning…