A Two Goal Lead is the Most Dangerous Lead...

This coming Sunday’s Gospel reading is the story of Zacheaus. I stumbled across a commentary that suggested the “short in stature” bit didn’t so much describe Zacheaus’ height as it did his status among his friends and neighbors in society at the time. At first glance this doesn’t seem to be a big deal, but when you sit with the reading, you see that it shifts the entire meaning of the story. What I found most compelling about this was that it wasn’t so much Zacheaus’ sinful behavior that becomes the heart of the story, but rather the people who keep him from seeing Jesus. It is right near the blind man story in Luke, where the crowd tries to keep Bartimaeus from distracting Jesus. It seems the crowd is trying to monopolize to the best of their ability the time and attention of Jesus. Likewise we find that the NRSV’s version of the story, where Zacheaus states he will give half his possessions and he will pay back those he wronged is wrong. Turns out Zacheaus may have been doing t...

The beginning of the Gospel today notes that the healing of the ten lepers took place “on the way to Jerusalem.” In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem begins at Chapter 9, verse 51. For those keeping track, about 12 Sundays ago. In Luke’s Gospel Narrative, we have been journeying to Jerusalem with Jesus since mid July. The writer of the Gospel of Luke uses this time to share parables of Jesus, dig up information about Jesus’ journey, and to speak as thoroughly as possible about discipleship. Aside from being in the “region between Samaria and Galilee”, read the first verse of the Gospel, the village Jesus and the disciples are in is not identified. Its location and the description of the one who returns to thank Jesus as both a Samaritan and a foreigner is enough to set the scene for the writer of the Gospel of Luke. Some interesting history for you all, Samaria became “foreign” following Israel’s secession from the Davidic monarchy in 1 Kings 12 and the establishment of ...