The Uncultured Saints

🤔 *Pharisee feuds and defilement*—what even is that about?! 📖

In this week’s episode of ‘The Uncultured Saints’ Pastors Goodman and Lietzau explore…

💥 Why Jesus clashed with the Pharisees
🙅🏽‍♂️ What it means to be "defiled"
 How Jesus redefines clean vs. unclean

## Jesus and the Syrophoenician Woman

In Mark 7:24-30, Jesus encounters a Syrophoenician woman. 

This interaction, on the surface, might come across as perplexing and confrontational. 

When the woman pleads for help for her demon-possessed daughter, Jesus initially responds with what seems like a rebuff:

“Let the little children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.”

The woman, undeterred, responds:

“Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.”

Her faith and humility are evident in this reply. 

Jesus acknowledges her faith and heals her daughter. 

But, this interaction isn’t just about the woman and her daughter.

It also serves as a vital lesson for Jesus’ disciples and all onlookers (and you and me!).

During Jesus’ time, strict societal and religious boundaries defined who was considered clean and worthy. 

The Syrophoenician woman defies these norms, illustrating that faith knows no bounds. 

Jesus emphasizes that true defilement isn’t about external factors but what comes from within a person. 

By healing her daughter, Jesus shows that God's grace and mercy extend beyond the Jewish community to all who have faith.

Are traditions, especially in the church, a bad thing? 🤔

Traditions aren’t inherently bad. 

They can actually be a very good thing!

In fact, they shape our society and provide structure. 

But what happens when we start elevating these traditions above the Gospel and God's commandments?

In Mark 7, Jesus challenges the Pharisees who turned traditions into weapons, placing them above God's commandments. 

They were so focused on man-made rituals that they missed the point. 

Their traditions became weapons—used to control, exclude, and overshadow what was truly important. 

When we begin relying too much on the rituals of men, we risk setting them above not just the rituals of God, but the promises of God, too.

Listen to the entire discussion on our YT channel!

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Eli Lietzau is the pastor at Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO. 

#lutheran #lcms #higherthings #unculturedsaints #traditions

🔎 Ever feel like you're drowning in life's chaos? 🤔

Remember, Jesus isn't just here to protect us from life's storms—

He's here to make them powerless. 

When He walked on water, He wasn't just showing off. 🌊 

He was proving that death and fear have nothing on Him. 🚫

Picture this: the sea, which symbolizes chaos and uncertainty, becomes a sidewalk for Jesus. 

He doesn't just walk by us in our struggles. ⤵️ ⤵️ ⤵️

He leads us through them. 

Just like fishermen pull life from the depths of the ocean, Jesus pulls us from despair, flipping our fears into faith.

Think about baptism—it's where the deadly waters become a source of new life. 💦

Even in the face of death, Jesus stands with us, saying, "Take heart; it's me. Don't freak out." ✝️

As we deal with our own storms, let's remember the absolute truth that Jesus isn't just beside us; He's walking ahead of us too. 🌟

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Eli Lietzau is the pastor at Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO. 

#lcms #lutheran #higherthings #Jesuswalksonwater #faith

The Scriptures often flip our expectations upside down. 
Throughout the Bible, God chooses unlikely messengers to speak His truth—those whom the world might overlook. 
This theme continues with Jesus, who did not come to be an earthly king or a mere provider of miracles. 
God’s plan doesn’t conform to our desires for earthly power or convenience. 
And Jesus wasn’t sent to be another earthly king or a miracle vending machine - spitting out miracles left and right. 
His mission was far greater: to be the hope for us here on earth. 
By understanding this, we can appreciate that God’s actions always align with His will – and his will is for our eternal good, rather than our temporary satisfaction. 
Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.
Contributor Eli Lietzau is the pastor at Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO. 
#lutheran #lcms #higherthings #unculturedsaints #gospelofMark

Feeling anxious or fearful? Sleepless nights troubling you? 

Remember, Jesus doesn’t choose some to heal and not others. 

Jesus' timing might not match ours, and it may take years.

But know this: Your faith has made you well, tied to the resurrection, and it's done! 🙏

Your faith has made you well, even if you don't see it yet.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Eli Lietzau is the pastor at Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO. 

The Bible can be a dark place sometimes….

Consider the story of the man possessed by demons in Mark 5.

He was…

Cut off from all of his family and friends
Not living in his right mind
Self-harming
Tormented night and day
Living among the dead 

However, when the demon-possessed man sees Jesus, he runs and falls down before him.  

And this is no act of worship.

This is how the demon is compelled to behave in the presence of the creator of all things.   

This passage is such a comfort, in that we see that the demons have ZERO ability to stand toe-to-toe with Jesus.  

Jesus's authority tackles and wins over even the darkest forces. 📖 

And in that, you can take peace and comfort.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.

Contributor Eli Lietzau is the pastor at Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO. 

#lcms #higherthings #lutheran #demons #jesus

The song is NOT about you….

Did you know that the popular childrens’ song “This Little Light of Mine” is not about YOU?

Nope!

It’s about Jesus!

Jesus is the light that should not be hidden.

The song’s context is taken from Mark 4:21:

Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket? No!  Or under a bed and not on a stand? For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest. Nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. And he said to them, pay attention. To what you hear, with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. And still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given. And from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

He himself, as the light of the world, was hidden under human flesh and revealed through his resurrection. 🙌
Jesus is the light of the world, veiled under human likeness and flesh. 
And, it will come to light. 
But not in how the people or the world or you and I sometimes think it will.
Not in miracles or political kingdoms or in riches and wealth.
But in the glory of the cross.

Ever feel like your life feels just like rocky and inhospitable soil? 🌾

Not made to grow anything….

Maybe because of...

📉 Setbacks at school
💔 Relationship turmoil
😢 Friend drama
💸 Financial mistroubles 
🩺 Health issues

You feel...

➤ Weighed down
➤ Hopeless
➤ Isolated
➤ Overwhelmed

You’re not alone! Everyone feels this way at some point growing up!

The truth is...

Jesus continues to sow his seeds in our lives, despite our circumstances. He has the amazing power to transform even the rockiest of soils into fertile ground.

And it’s not up to you.  

He’s got you covered (get the soil joke?!!).

HE makes you the good soil.