Jesus is summoned for a sick friend but upon arriving “found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.” When Jesus tells Lazarus’ sister, Martha, “Your brother will rise,” she mistakenly thinks Jesus means a “resurrection on the last day.” He does not. Together they go to the tomb where Jesus “cried … Continue reading “Dying While We Are Still Alive”
Category: Military-Deviance
Drawing Meaning From Our Well
Jesus is journeying and thirsty, in need of water. He sits down at a well where a “woman of Samaria came to draw water.” He asks for and she provides him with water to quench his thirst. She asks for and he provides her with water to quench her thirst. They drink up water that … Continue reading “Drawing Meaning From Our Well”
Led By The Spirit
“At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry.” Jesus is led away from family, friends, even physical sustenance and he is hungry. Yet Jesus has been led by the Spirit to this … Continue reading “Led By The Spirit”
What in God’s Name?
Jesus is naming the terrors rulers will devise and is en-couraging people to be brave. Always rulers and their soldiers will devise “wars and insurrections.” Always in a ruler’s name “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” Always in a ruler’s name will soldiers “seize and persecute you, hand you over to…prisons, lead … Continue reading “What in God’s Name?”
The Deadly Just War Religion
The family Maccabees refuses to obey a foreign War Lord, a god of the dead, King Antiochus IV. Antiochus was outlawing Jewish religious traditions and forcing the family to obey Greek ones, for example, the deadly just war tradition. Thus the king “slaughtered” many; “in the space of three days, eighty thousand were lost.” But … Continue reading “The Deadly Just War Religion”
Contagious Diseases
Jesus is traveling through a region known as Samaria. Many view the people living there as enemies. On the way, “ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus! Have compassion on us!” Jesus does have compassion and he heals them; “they were cleansed.” The ten individuals … Continue reading “Contagious Diseases”
Criminals with Guns
The prophet Habakkuk is upset with “the Lord” for his governance of the ancient nation of Israel. Habakkuk laments, “I cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not intervene…there is strife, and clamorous discord.” Since the “Lord” was invented by the nation’s ‘Lords,’ Habakkuk’s lament is really for the nation’s Lords and their violent … Continue reading “Criminals with Guns”
Gunning For People
Jeremiah is blaming the people and their sins for gangs of soldiers making war against them and dividing the people between Babylon and Jerusalem. Jeremiah does not blame the gangs of soldiers. Conversely, Jesus is encouraging the people for peaceful leadership. They will need it for the ensuing division ahead, “From now on a household … Continue reading “Gunning For People”
Human Consumption
“Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” The first reading from Ecclesiastes warns the pursuit of things consumes the fool. Lost in the consumption is our soul. Jesus tells a parable of a soul so very foolishly consumed, “A rich man, whose land produced a bountiful harvest” ponders, ‘What shall I do?’ ‘I shall build … Continue reading “Human Consumption”
Being Pro-Choice is No Mystery
We live in a world dominated by science, meaning to know. From science we know the substance of the stars and the intricacies of the womb. We do not, however, know the origins of either – the origins of life. Life is a mystery. All of humanity lives within the mystery that is life in … Continue reading “Being Pro-Choice is No Mystery”