Seasons. An Advent and Lent Podcast By Willow Park Church

Jesus is rejected by a Samaritan Village

51 As the time came nearer for Jesus to be taken up, he settled it in his mind to go to Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers ahead of him. They came into a Samaritan village to get them ready, 53 and they refused to receive him, because his mind was set on going to Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw it, they said, ‘Master, do you want us to call down fire from heaven and burn them up?’ 55 He turned and rebuked them, 56 and they went on to another village.

As Jesus begins his final journey into Jerusalem, he and his disciples pass through Samaria. The Samaritans were a people related to the ancient Israelites of the Northern Kingdom.

They had a shared history with the Jewish people, but deep-seated hostilities between the two peoples were based on religious differences and territorial disputes.

The conflict between the Jewish people and the Samaritans in Jesus' day was not unlike the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians today.

That Jesus engaged with Samaritans, let alone used them as heroes in his parables, would be highly provocative to most Jewish people.

One of the disputes between the Jews and Samaritans was about proper locations for ceremonial worship. The Jews said it was the temple in Jerusalem and the Samaritans claimed it was the mountains of Samaria where the patriarchs had built their alters.

While Jesus and his disciples were passing through on their way to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, they were refused hospitality in a Samaritan village because of their religious differences.

James and John were so offended that they asked if they could call down fire from heaven and burn up the village! A reaction that I think we would all agree with is a bit strong.

James and John, who had just been with Elijah on mount Tabor pillaged the bible to find a warrant for their idea by citing the incident when Elijah twice called down fire from heaven.

What we see in today's reading is the aptly named “Sons of Thunder” trying to coerce the prince of peace into a drone strike of their enemies.

Yesterday we saw the idea floated that Jesus, Moses and Elijah be treated as equals with a shrine made for all three, but a voice from heaven said “This is my beloved son, listen to him!”

But today, James and John have apparently forgotten about what they heard and are looking to bring fire.

Jesus was unimpressed and rebuked the two disciples for and idea that, though we have seen in the bible, was utterly contrary to what Jesus came to accomplish.

All Scripture is fulfilled in and by Jesus Christ. So, if we don’t see it in Jesus, we need to let it go.

We are in constant contact with people we disagree with, and what Jesus is calling us to do is respond in love and peace, not hate and vengeance.

In today's reading, we see a group of people refusing to host another group of people because of their religious differences.

We also see some in the spurned group react in an unloving manner.

Jesus calls us to peace, even when we disagree with people.

Take some time to search your heart to see if you have ever reacted poorly towards those you disagree with? Perhaps take a moment to pray for those people.

Ask God if there may be steps you can take to build a relationship that may have been broken.

17 After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and James’s brother John, and led them off up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transformed in front of them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. 3 Then, astonishingly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them. They were talking with Jesus.

4 Peter just had to say something. ‘Master,’ he said to Jesus, ‘it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters here – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah!’

5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Then there came a voice out of the cloud. ‘This is my dear son,’ said the voice, ‘and I’m delighted with him. Pay attention to him.’

6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were scared out of their wits. 7 Jesus came up and touched them.

‘Get up,’ he said, ‘and don’t be afraid.’

8 When they raised their eyes, they saw nobody except Jesus, all by himself.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them strict instructions. ‘Don’t tell anyone about the vision,’ he said, ‘until the son of man has been raised from the dead.’

Matthew 20:1-16

What this parable reveals is how vast the separation in our thinking about how the kingdom of God is and what our thinking of it tends to be.

In this parable, Jesus says the Kingdom of God is like a person who has worked only one hour being paid the same amount as someone who has worked all day. Think about that. In this story, a group of people worked all day and received a fair wage for a day's work, but the other group of people worked only one hour and still receive the same wage.

We call it unfair

The kingdom of God is a scandal of grace! Not an idea formed on merit.

He was also willing to do this at his own expense.

The Vineyard owner didn’t want any of his workers to go home hungry, no matter how long they worked.

This parable is designed to provoke the Pharisees who think that they deserve the love of God more than the others.

Do we read this as a labourer who has worked all day? If we do then why are we so convinced of our deservedness.

Lord Jesus, help us to not be offended at your scandal of Grace.

Thank you that we all come under one cover, and that cover is you.

Today's reading from Matthew 19:13-15

The Little Children and Jesus

13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.

14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

Before we had kids, my wife and I were asked to take care of our friend's two-year-old for a few hours one afternoon.

Lis was excited about the proposition of caring for our friend's kids. I thought it would be good practice to see what having kids around the house would be like just in case those future plans of having kids of our own came to fruition.

When the parents left, all the wonder, excitement and bliss of having a child around the house quickly vanished into thin air. Picking up this, changing that, removing any and all dangerous items that I had never considered to be dangerous before. We were on high alert all day long!

After this LONG afternoon of babysitting, my opinions on how much work children would take altered significantly…and as for babysitting ever again? I'd rather not.

Lis, however, loved her time! It was like she knew kids would be tiny, sticky and very messy all along!

Kids are fantastic, but they bring about a life that is unexpected and unwieldy. The disciples thought it was essential to protect Jesus from the unpredictability of children, but Jesus through different.

How can we allow these children to come to our newfound king who will one day lead us into a great revolution? No king wants anything to do with kids!

But God's Kingdom is built differently. The Kingdom of God is filled with the unexpected.

We see in today's scripture reading that Jesus always has time for the children, as we hear him famously say, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them."

As passé as it may sound too cynical ears if we want our Christianity to remain a realistic possibility through this secular age, one of the most valuable things we can do, shows the children we meet who Jesus is. We need to show them all the benefits of a christlike community and care for them like Jesus did. Some children may never experience this genuine love outside of the church.

Children need an opportunity to come to Jesus and be cared for by people who love and know Jesus fully.

That is why we need to be so thankful for our children, and we must continually pray for the kids we know. Our own children. Our extended family. The kids down the street that hit your car with their basketball from time to time. The Children that we see alone in the schoolyard.

Pray for the people that care so generously for our children. Our kids' workers who continually welcome and love kids from all backgrounds.

The single moms and dads that are working two jobs and trying their best to give stability and love to their kids when they come home from a busy day.

The foster parents that just want to show the Love of Jesus to the children who come through their door, even if only for a few weeks.

We Pray that our children and our children's children, and all the children in this world would know the Father's love. 

Music - KXC Worship: Father (For Noah)

21 Then Peter came to Jesus.

‘Master,’ he said, ‘how many times must I forgive my brother when he sins against me? As many as seven times?’

22 ‘I wouldn’t say seven times,’ replied Jesus. ‘Why not – seventy times seven?’ ...

Jesus responds to peters apparently generous offer of forgiveness by saying that's a good start, but lets just take that number and grow it exponentially.

Jesus then gives us this remarkable example of the parable of the servant who is forgiven a preposterous debt of ten thousand talents.

I have killed a man for wounding me,

The most remarkable thing about a Christ-formed life is a life that is marked with forgiveness.

If our faith is about anything, it is about forgiveness.

Forgiveness is never easy, and it is never permissible for someone to hurt us again, but it is something that God has called us to.

Music -  Dear Gravity: To Lay Down Everything You've Built, I Hope This Letter Finds You Well Maximillian: Learning To Love

Today's reading comes from Matthew 17:14-20. Jesus heals a demon-possessed boy.

14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

As far as I am concerned, faith is a bit of a mystery.

Abraham was a great man of faith. The way his faith grew was by a life lived in obedience to God. He concentrated on being with God rather than doing amazing things.

Today we hear the Temptation of Jesus in Matthews's gospel.

Temptation in the Wilderness

4 Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the spirit to be tested by the devil. 2 He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and at the end of it was famished. 3 Then the tempter approached him.

‘If you really are God’s son,’ he said, ‘tell these stones to become bread!’

4 ‘The Bible says’, replied Jesus, ‘that it takes more than bread to keep you alive. You actually live on every word that comes out of God’s mouth.’

5 Then the devil took him off to the holy city, and stood him on a pinnacle of the Temple.

6 ‘If you really are God’s son,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. The Bible does say, after all, that “God will give his angels a command about you”; and “they will carry you in their hands, so that you won’t hurt your foot against a stone.” ’

7 ‘But the Bible also says’, replied Jesus, ‘that you mustn’t put the Lord your God to the test!’

8 Then the devil took him off again, this time to a very high mountain. There he showed him all the magnificent kingdoms of the world.

9 ‘I’ll give the whole lot to you,’ he said, ‘if you will fall down and worship me.’

10 ‘Get out of it, satan!’ replied Jesus. ‘The Bible says, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone!” ’

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and looked after him.

Prior to his public ministry, Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness in prayer and fasting.

But how exactly did the devil come to him?

Disguised in our own thoughts.

https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/simon-wester/476739636