My father died twenty years ago … in 1999. For many years he followed the path of a corporate executive in New York City. It was a well-paying secure career and as the father of six children it was the responsible thing to do. But my parents had a dream, and when I was in high school they bought a house overlooking the Intercostal Waterway in Morehead City, North Carolina. The family had been vacationing in the area every summer since I was a baby. And, every year when we visited the area my father would disappear for part of each day to paint watercolors of shrimp boats, and the Cape Lookout lighthouse, and sea gulls flying over sand dunes. But, purchasing a large, rambling brick house in 1960, 600 miles from our home on Long Island, with so many other priorities, seemed foolish … even to me.
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My father died twenty years ago … in 1999. For many years he followed the path of a corporate executive in New York City. It was a well-paying secure career and as the father of six children it was the responsible thing to do. But my parents had a dream, and when I was in high school they bought a house overlooking the Intercostal Waterway in Morehead City, North Carolina. The family had been vacationing in the area every summer since I was a baby. And, every year when we visited the area my father would disappear for part of each day to paint watercolors of shrimp boats, and the Cape Lookout lighthouse, and sea gulls flying over sand dunes. But, purchasing a large, rambling brick house in 1960, 600 miles from our home on Long Island, with so many other priorities, seemed foolish … even to me.
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I think I can safely say that no parable of Jesus’s baffles me as thoroughly as the parable of the "shrewd" or "dishonest" servant. Apparently, I’m not alone … people have struggled to make sense of this particular story from Luke's Gospel for centuries. The parable begins with the words, "there was a rich man" … it ends with a stark warning to people who "loved money." The author of Luke’s gospel is making it clear … Jesus didn't hesitate to use money as a yardstick to measure our spiritual health. However, Jesus is also pointing to the difference between the currency of the world and the currency of God’s kingdom. Printer-Friendly Version
As Luke sets the scene in our reading this morning, Jesus is in trouble once again for hanging out with the wrong people. As “all the tax collectors and sinners” come near to listen to him, the Pharisees and scribes begin to grumble: “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Printer-Friendly Version
What a week! The anxious anticipation of Hurricane Dorian consuming just about every moment … and it seemed to last forever. Do we evacuate? Or, do we shelter in place? Do we have the necessary hurricane supplies, or do we need more? Is our house safe from flooding … or safe from falling tree limbs? When is this hurricane ever going to get here? Printer-Friendly Version
In this morning’s reading from Luke’s Gospel Jesus is invited for a Sabbath meal by a leader of the Pharisees. Arriving early, he sits and watches as his fellow guests scramble for places of honor around the table. These guests know the pecking order, and they relish it. If I'm imagining the scene correctly, they jostle and shove each other, feigning dignity while still fighting for prestigious spots near the host. |
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