"Jesus chose Losers. Not always a smart choice to further his cause. But to be loved by the Son of God, one must become counted among the child-like losers." Constance Hastings
The Trouble With Jesus...
It was a long day, and in wanting to care for their rabbi as well as dissipate the crowd, the disciples tell Jesus to send them into the villages to buy food for an evening meal. That’s when Jesus snapped...
You can’t say Jesus ever made it easy...He required challenge, debate and wrestling with his teachings beyond what makes you feel comfortable.
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like…” The two seeds, good seed and the bad seed which would choke out the good seed, are permitted to exist side by side until end of the world....If you’ve read this parable story as one of God’s condemnation on the evil in the world, slow down. Be very careful....
“I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1:16
If you push past some religious snobbery and gatekeeping here, Jesus’ parable about a farmer who scatters seed is going to be a real challenge on more than one level…. Anyone out there ever thinking, “I’m saved, I’m good,” ticket to heaven punched, you’re in, and that’s all you need? Then this parable is NOT for you
You’re either going to love it or hate it. And trust me, you’re not the only one wrestling with it. The Bible, Holy Scriptures, God’s Word, Gospel, or whatever name you want to slap on it, isn’t built for folks who want a warm blanket and a bedtime story...
It’s wild out there right now, one side screaming at another, the whole world split in half. You may be feeling if you don’t choose a side, you’ll get caught in the middle with both sides pounding you instead of just one. No lie. The world’s grimy, petty, and straight-up dangerous, no doubt about it. Jesus warned them…
Here’s a safe bet you won’t hear these words preached on Sunday. Even if Jesus did say them, they wouldn’t sit well for a sermon on Father’s Day. Nah, Pastors will be spouting, “Honor your dad,” those who have raised us to be good people, godly people, fathers who give so much of their life and love for their children.
Jesus, it’s like this. Some of us have to dirty our hands, pollute ourselves just to survive out here. If we don’t link up with folks who aren’t exactly saints, we get trampled on as ones who have no strength, no pull, no influence, no voice, nothing. So here’s the question: what do you bring to the table ...
When regular folks are catching the fallout from politicians wrangling over war and the economy while gas prices climb like they training for the Olympics, when your heritage is either of the oppressed or the oppressor and the inequities of society look rigged and permanent...what happens to that unity, harmony of God?
Rev. Constance Hastings
Author of, soon to be released, The Trouble With Jesus
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Easy answers are not my goal, so you won’t get from me a saccharine-sweet line. We’ve all experienced too much to swallow them and be satisfied. I’ve lived long enough to know trials and challenges will sink your soul if that’s all you’ve got in your grasp. On the other hand, the hard questions can be the ones that take a person to new heights of perspective while providing foundations that are as old as excavated rocks. Tough, scary questions are the ones with most value in a fully examined life.
