Gospels-Acts
Luke 17:11-19
- Details
- Written by: Chris Appleby
Ten Lepers audio (5MB)
Today I want to talk about faith. It’s one of those words that we use a lot as Christians but I’m not sure we’re always completely clear on what we mean by it. In particular I want to think abut the connection between faith and the work of God.
How much faith do you need to see God answer your prayers? And can you expect God to answer your prayers if you don’t acknowledge him when he does?
These are the sorts of questions thrown up by this story today. Here we see 10 people who are healed by Jesus, yet only one who appears to show any response to him.
Luke 2:22-40
- Details
- Written by: Heather Cetrangolo
A New Year audio (2MB)
In 516 BCE the reconstruction of the Temple was complete. King Herod renovated it in 19 BCE, expanding the facility to include what was basically a large shopping precinct, where you could buy religious goods and animals for sacrifice. It would have been a great sight to behold, especially for Mary and Joseph who had come from a very small town to the big city.
Mary and Joseph were faithful Jews. They would have travelled for about a week to get there, at great expense. For them, observing the laws of purification was absolutely essential. The scripture says, they “finished everything required by the law” (v39). They dedicated Jesus, their firstborn son to the Lord, which would have involved paying a redemption price to the Temple (Num 18). They also went in order to make a sacrifice for ritual cleansing, following childbirth (Lev 12).
And all of this, for the child who was destined to be the sacrifice to end all sacrifices. His death would destroy the need for a Temple. Because of him, the need for ritual purification would end with his generation.
Luke 2:8-20 Christmas 2014
- Details
- Written by: Chris Appleby
Light in the Darkness audio (4MB)
“2The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined.” What do you think of when you hear those words? Do you think in metaphorical terms? The darkness is a spiritual thing, relieved only be the coming of the light of the truth of God? That’s the main point isn’t it? But then in the Christmas stories we find God providing a literal fulfilment of these prophecies as the events unwind. The shepherds are certainly living in literal darkness out on the hills at night. Suddenly they see a bright light shining all around them. So bright in fact that they’re terrified.
Luke 21:1-6 Kingdom Economics
- Details
- Written by: Chris Appleby
The Widow’s Mite audio (6MB)
Luke 21:1-6
What do you place value in? What are the things that are most important for you? How do you show that you value certain things? That’s the question that we’re confronted with in today’s reading. It’s a fairly familiar passage for many of us but it isn’t just about how much we give. It’s about where our priorities lie. I’ve called this Kingdom Economics because Economics is the science of getting the greatest value from your resources.
This passage is part of a much longer set of incidents where Luke raises this question of values and priorities.
Let’s quickly look back at what’s come just before.
At the end of chapter 19 we find Jesus weeping over Jerusalem. He says: “42"If you … had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.” Then he goes on to foretell the destruction of Jerusalem: why? Because they’re blind to who it is who stands before them.
Luke 4:14-21
- Details
- Written by: Bill Stewart
"We know what kind of world we want. We want a world that's part city and part small town, part farm and part forest. We want to live someplace exciting and someplace peaceful. We want to live someplace safe and someplace secure, where kids play unafraid on playgrounds and in backyards, where old people live out there lives rocking on the front porch telling the rest of us stories about the old days, and where people who work hard can enjoy times of rest. That's the kind of world we want to live in. And we don't want that world just for a chosen few who are protected by Border Patrol and security fences. We want that kind of world for everyone." (Robert Arbogast)
Maybe the kind of world you want to live in doesn’t agree in every detail with the man who wrote these words. But I think we all want most of those things. What kind of world does Jesus want? I think today's reading from Luke's Gospel answers that question.
