Law and Order (36)
Lectionary, Year C, Proper 23
Christopher B. Harbin
Luke 17:11-19
What is legal, good, and required are not necessarily the same things. They do not make a single circle on a Venn diagram. All too often, we get caught up in what is normal in legal circles, following the letter of the law’s requirements in a manner that completely circumvents the spirit or thought processes behind that wording. This happens not only in legal processes, it also happens far too frequently in regard to interpreting and evaluating the Bible and God’s expectations on our lives. If we are to follow God’s sense of law and order, should we not be looking past the technicalities of legal constraints to focus on God’s purposes?
Last Sunday’s text dealt in part with the disciples’ outcry over needing more or greater faith. Today’s text picks up on that theme to take it a bit further. It continues the theme that one’s faith is not measured after so many of the standards we like to use. One’s faith is developed and revealed one’s actions that may or may not follow the standard expectations of law, order, and tradition. In fact, it would seem that while Jesus on one hand encourages following traditional norms, on the other he is more receptive to our living beyond the limits of the same.
This Jesus story is a little strange. It seems in certain respects out of character. Perhaps that should make us pay a little extra attention. When Jesus’ words and actions take us by surprise, it often indicates we should recognize that Jesus is doing more than meets the eye. Often it means that we should understand he is trying to teach his disciples something beyond the scope of what he is doing or saying openly. We need a second, deeper look.
In other texts, Jesus heals people with leprosy. It was not beyond Jesus to touch such a one and heal through that touch. In this case, however, Jesus neither approaches this band of leprous people, nor does he call them to himself. It ...
Lectionary, Year C, Proper 23
Christopher B. Harbin
Luke 17:11-19
What is legal, good, and required are not necessarily the same things. They do not make a single circle on a Venn diagram. All too often, we get caught up in what is normal in legal circles, following the letter of the law’s requirements in a manner that completely circumvents the spirit or thought processes behind that wording. This happens not only in legal processes, it also happens far too frequently in regard to interpreting and evaluating the Bible and God’s expectations on our lives. If we are to follow God’s sense of law and order, should we not be looking past the technicalities of legal constraints to focus on God’s purposes?
Last Sunday’s text dealt in part with the disciples’ outcry over needing more or greater faith. Today’s text picks up on that theme to take it a bit further. It continues the theme that one’s faith is not measured after so many of the standards we like to use. One’s faith is developed and revealed one’s actions that may or may not follow the standard expectations of law, order, and tradition. In fact, it would seem that while Jesus on one hand encourages following traditional norms, on the other he is more receptive to our living beyond the limits of the same.
This Jesus story is a little strange. It seems in certain respects out of character. Perhaps that should make us pay a little extra attention. When Jesus’ words and actions take us by surprise, it often indicates we should recognize that Jesus is doing more than meets the eye. Often it means that we should understand he is trying to teach his disciples something beyond the scope of what he is doing or saying openly. We need a second, deeper look.
In other texts, Jesus heals people with leprosy. It was not beyond Jesus to touch such a one and heal through that touch. In this case, however, Jesus neither approaches this band of leprous people, nor does he call them to himself. It ...
There are 8906 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
