This parable of Jesus is commonly called the story of the unjust judge and the widow. It is a troubling parable. It ends with the promise that “justice will come quickly.” If you are satisfied that justice has come then you are excused from listening. Please pray, while not listening, for those of us who…

“Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice.” Her name was Edna Miller and she was about as plain as her name implied except when she was inside the walls of a classroom with chalk in hand. She stood barely five-foot tall yet could…

Today’s Gospel story is puzzling to many people. It even sounds a bit harsh. The servant has been out working hard all day. The master has probably been sitting around the house or, at best, has been engaged in some high level negotiations. Dirty and weary after a long day’s work, the servant comes home…

The danger in dealing with such a familiar parable as that of “Dives” (the rich man) and Lazarus (the poor man) is that its familiarity may cause us to miss the vitality of its meaning. All three of the lectionary passages delve into a subject we would rather ignore: the use of money and its…

All throughout scripture there is attention paid, and tension within, the relationship between money and piety. Money and possessions signal God’s blessing in many stories. God’s blessing follows those who live an upright and righteous life. There almost seems to be a quid pro quo equation between having money and possessions and the assumed goodness…

He had carried the pocket cross for 20 years. It had only cost 25 cents and was made of tin. But the sharp edges were now worn smooth after 20 years of daily fondling, fidgeting, and rubbing in a prayerful fashion. It was like a security blanket and a constant reminder of God’s love and…

As in all things, let us begin with prayer to Almighty God.The Lord be with you.Let us pray, Lord God, you created all things, you arranged all things and in you we move, and breathe and have our being. Tutor our hearts so we can follow you. Empty our minds of the busyness of this…

Miguel woke up troubled. He had not slept well and remembered a particularly vivid dream. In the dream he was making his way across a cliff face by a narrow ledge, hugging the wall with great care and determination. He never looked around. It took all his concentration to find the next fingerhold. As hard…

The kingdom of heaven, the one of which Jesus speaks, is not at all like the kingdom in which we live. The truths which guide often run counter to all we assume to be true about many aspects of our life: the order of things, the ways of reward and punishment, the best ways to…

The words of this mornings Gospel may be difficult to hear. The words may even seem harsh. Where are the comfortable words of Jesus, we may ask. The words of our Savior suggest the difficulty of the mission of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ mission is to oppose and overthrow evil. It is, in a sense, a…