What do you call today…
Fat Tuesday?
Shrove Tuesday?
Fasnacht Day?
Mardi Gras?
Fasching is the term used in Germany
Carnival is the term in some South American countries.
Just another Tuesday
Regardless of what you call it is the last day before Lent starts.
I invite you to seek what God may have for you this Lent season.
This year our theme for Lent is Christ Collides. Three of the six texts during Lent are parables. It has been said that the origin of the word parable is tow things that collide. Jesus teaching us in parables is meant to impact us much like being in a collision.
Prepare yourself to be a little unsettled, to do the work that Lent invites us to, all the while keeping our gaze toward the cross.
Our passage this week is Luke 10:25-42…
25 A legal expert stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to gain eternal life?”
26 Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law? How do you interpret it?”
27 He responded, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
28 Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.”
29 But the legal expert wanted to prove that he was right, so he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 Jesus replied, “A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He encountered thieves, who stripped him naked, beat him up, and left him near death. 31 Now it just so happened that a priest was also going down the same road. When he saw the injured man, he crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. 32 Likewise, a Levite came by that spot, saw the injured man, and crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. 33 A Samaritan, who was on a journey, came to where the man was. But when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. 34 The Samaritan went to him and bandaged his wounds, tending them with oil and wine. Then he placed the wounded man on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day, he took two full days’ worth of wages and gave them to the innkeeper. He said, ‘Take care of him, and when I return, I will pay you back for any additional costs.’ 36 What do you think? Which one of these three was a neighbor to the man who encountered thieves?”
37 Then the legal expert said, “The one who demonstrated mercy toward him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
38 While Jesus and his disciples were traveling, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his message. 40 By contrast, Martha was preoccupied with getting everything ready for their meal. So Martha came to him and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to prepare the table all by myself? Tell her to help me.”
41 The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. 42 One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part. It won’t be taken away from her.”
Two familiar stories included in this piece of scripture.
Do you see a common thread in these stories?
What do you think is the “impact” or “collision” that Jesus desires for the original hearers of these stories?
What is the “impact” or “collision” that Jesus desires for us?
What makes us uncomfortable in these stories?
What do we appreciate about these stories?
Let’s talk about it on Sunday.
Embrace the Lent journey… Easter is coming
~ Pastor Dustin
